Quick Facts
Biography
Michael Joseph Fulmer (born March 15, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2016.
Career
2011–2015
Fulmer attended Deer Creek High School in Edmond, Oklahoma. As a senior, he went 10–2 with a 0.72 earned run average (ERA), 127 strikeouts and also hit .436 with six home runs. Fulmer committed to play college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Fulmer was drafted by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his professional debut that season with the rookie league Gulf Coast Mets which he had a 0–1 record with a 10.13 ERA and 10 strikeouts in three starting appearances and one out of the bullpen.
Fulmer started 21 games for the Savannah Sand Gnats in 2012. He went 7–6 during the year with a 2.74 ERA and 101 strikeouts over 108 1⁄3 innings. Prior to the 2013 season, Fulmer was ranked by Baseball America as the Mets seventh best prospect. He pitched in only nine games that season between the rookie league Gulf Coast Mets and the class A advanced St. Lucie Mets due to injuries. He finished the year with a 3.33 ERA and a 3-3 record with 42 strikeouts. Fulmer started 2014 with St. Lucie and finished the year with the Double-A Binghamton Mets. He started 20 games, going 6–11 with a 4.38 ERA and 87 strikeouts.
On July 31, 2015, the Mets traded Fulmer and Luis Cessa to the Detroit Tigers for Yoenis Céspedes. Fulmer was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending August 9, 2015. He started two games for the double A Erie SeaWolves during that time and had a 2–0 record with 11 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA. He led the league in strikeouts (11) and tied for the lead in wins (2) and ERA (0.00). On August 28, 2015, Fulmer was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year, and was named as the starting pitcher on the Eastern League All-Star team. Fulmer finished the season 10–3 with a 2.24 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 22 starts for Erie and Binghamton. The Tigers added him to their 40-man roster after the season.
2016
On March 18, 2016, the Tigers optioned Fulmer to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. Fulmer was called up and made his major league debut on April 29, against the Minnesota Twins. Fulmer earned the win in his debut, allowing two earned runs over five innings and striking out four in a 9–2 Tigers victory. On May 21, Fulmer had his first home start at Comerica Park in Detroit, where he gave up just one earned run and recorded 11 strikeouts over seven innings, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays. Fulmer became the first Detroit Tigers rookie pitcher to strike out 11 opposing batters in one game since Pat Underwood in 1979. On June 1, Fulmer no-hit the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for 6 2⁄3 innings before surrendering a two-out single in the 7th to C. J. Cron. He wound up allowing two hits and no runs over 7 2⁄3 innings. On June 6, Fulmer pitched six scoreless innings, while allowing only two hits against the Toronto Blue Jays. Fulmer became the first pitcher in Tigers history to pitch three consecutive scoreless outings of six innings or more while allowing three or fewer hits.
On June 12, Fulmer pitched six scoreless innings, while allowing only two hits against the New York Yankees. Fulmer became just the second pitcher in Major League history to pitch four consecutive scoreless outings of six innings or more while allowing three or fewer hits, joining Jake Arrieta. On June 17, Fulmer's scoreless streak ended at 33 1⁄3 innings, surpassing the previous Tiger rookie record of 28 2⁄3 scoreless innings set by John Hiller in 1967. This was also the longest consecutive scoreless innings streak by a rookie pitcher in baseball since Orel Hershiser threw 32 scoreless innings in 1984, but fell short of the all-time rookie record of 35 consecutive scoreless innings set by Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. On July 1, Fulmer pitched seven scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing only two hits and striking out ten. Fulmer became the first Tigers pitcher since at least 1913 to allow one or zero runs in eight consecutive starts.
On August 14, Fulmer recorded his first career major league complete game and first career shutout against the Texas Rangers. He finished the 2016 season with an 11–7 record, 3.06 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 132 strikeouts in 159 innings pitched.
Following the conclusion of the season, Fulmer was named the Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year, as voted on by a panel of players, finishing ahead of Tyler Naquin and Gary Sánchez, and was named the Major League Baseball Players Association Players Choice Award for AL Outstanding Rookie. Fulmer was also awarded the Baseball Writers' Association of America AL Rookie of the Year Award, in a near-unanimous selection, receiving 26 of 30 first-place votes.
Pitching Style
Fulmer throws hard four-seam and two-seam fastballs that average 94–95 MPH (topping out at 98 MPH). His offspeed pitches include a slider in the 87–89 MPH range, and a changeup that averages 85–87 MPH. After struggling to a 6.52 ERA in his first four Major League starts, Fulmer made a concerted effort to throw more changeups. It became a very effective pitch for the rest of the 2016 season, with opponents hitting the pitch at only a .167 clip.