Track Record: Fulton was selected in the second round of the pandemic-shortened 2020 draft knowing his development would be a slow burn. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery performed during his senior season of high school but was healthy enough to pitch during instructional league. He debuted in 2021 and split the season between both Class A levels. Fulton returned to High-A Beloit to begin 2022 and was inconsistent. He turned it on once he was promoted to Double-A Pensacola, where he was magnificent in the season's final month and during the team's run to the Southern League crown. In his only playoff start, versus Montgomery in the semifinals, Fulton went six shutout innings and allowed just a hit and a walk while fanning 13 hitters.
Scouting Report: Two years removed from Tommy John surgery, Fulton is starting to resemble the pitcher the Marlins believed they were drafting. To return to form, he worked hard to get back into better shape, which helped improve his stamina and keep his stuff crisp deep into starts. Now, instead of his four-seam fastball sitting in the low 90s and tickling 94-95 mph, it sits in the mid 90s and scrapes 96-97. The Marlins also gave Fulton a two-seamer, which sits in the same range as his four-seamer. His signature offspeed pitch is a powerful 1-to-7 curveball in the high 70s that he's done a better job landing for strikes as well as burying for chases. After tinkering with a changeup grip in 2021, Fulton settled for one that gave him the movement he desired. Now, that pitch, a key to him remaining a starter, projects as a fringe-average offering and could be the key to him sticking in the rotation.
The Future: The Marlins were pleased with Fulton's late-season breakout and will look for an encore in 2023, when he will likely reach Triple-A. He's got a ceiling as a back-end starter.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Changeup: 45. Control: 50
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