Down on the Farm: #31 Austin Fleet

#31 Austin Fleet, RHP. 6'2", 200 lbs. BD: 4/17/1987.

Low A: 8-5, 4.32, 66.2 IP, 24 BB, 48 K.

AA: 0-0, 2.77, 13 IP, 2 BB, 6 K's.

AFL: 2-1, 3.00, 18 IP, 3 BB, 17 K.

Fleet was drafted as a senior out of Coastal Carolina, a top notch college program. He was a starter for his first 3 seasons there, but became a top college closer his senior season. BA's Draft Database says he showed a 93-94 MPH FB in college with good sink. He signed quickly and the Giants immediately put him at starter in Arizona where he pitched well, but probably at too low a level to really challenge him.

He sputtered a bit in Augusta pitching in both starting and relief roles. He then put up a solid line in the AFL, which probably helped his stock a lot. One thing I noticed is that he seemed to morph from a ground ball pitcher with a GO/AO= 1.67 in 2010 to a pretty extreme flyball pitcher with a GO/AO= 0.48 in AA and 0.79 in the AFL, although those are both very small sample sizes.

I'm thinking AA is the most likely place for him to start out 2012, most likely out of the bullpen, but he could be moved back to starter any time.