Jud Fabian

Fabian enrolled early at Florida and was draft-eligible in 2021 as one of the younger college players in the class. He ranked as the No. 27 prospect on the 2021 BA 500 and the Red Sox drafted him in the second round, but the two sides failed to come to terms and Fabian went back to Gainesville for his third college season. A 6-foot-2, 195-pound center fielder, Fabian is a standout athlete who has impressive power, speed and defensive tools. The biggest question in his profile is his pure hitting ability. Fabian has a keen eye at the plate and rarely expands the zone, and after walking 14.9% of the time in 2021 has increased that mark to 20% in 2022. He’s managed that walk rate while also hitting for a career-best 24 home runs. While most of that power has come to the pull side, scouts believe Fabian has real plus raw power. Despite that power and on-base ability, Fabian has never hit above .300 with Florida and this spring against conference competition in 30 games he hit .193 with 37 strikeouts and 33 walks. Defensively, Fabian is one of the better center fielders in the class, with solid speed, athleticism and instincts to stick at the position and be an impact defender. Given his tool set and up-the-middle profile, there’s plenty of upside—especially for a team who believes they can help him make more contact—but his swing-and-miss tendencies create plenty of risk as well.