A dam Fogel was a solid regular in college for Hawaii and then Kentucky. But he never heard his name called in the draft, not after the number of rounds was reduced from 40 to 20 in 2021.
That may end up being the best thing that could have happened to him.
It’s been a circuitous route, but this year Fogel turned in one of the best seasons seen in an independent or MLB partner league in years.
The 26-year-old outfielder hit .388/.495/.773 with a Pioneer League record 35 home runs for Missoula. He tossed in another 27 doubles.
Missoula has long been considered a good place to hit, and the Pioneer League is a hitter-friendly league, but Fogel hit everywhere he played. He batted .403 and hit 18 of his 35 home runs in road games.
His 2024 season made him Baseball America’s Independent/Partner Leagues Player of the Year. And it was a wonderful validation of the decisions Fogel made a year ago.
Coming out of Kentucky in 2023, Fogel went to spring training with the Frontier League’s Ottawa Titans. He hit well, but there was one problem: His arm was unplayable in the outfield. He would sometimes bounce throws to the cutoff man.
Fogel went back to his California home and had his elbow checked out. The doctor found he had a completely torn ulnar collateral ligament.
In hindsight, Fogel admits he probably should have had his elbow checked out well before, but as a 24-year-old amateur at the time, a seven-month rehab from Tommy John surgery seemed like it could be a career ender.
So he spent a few weeks mulling over whether he even wanted to have his elbow repaired. Was it time to give up on baseball and move on?
Bu hikaye Baseball America dergisinin December 2024/January 2025 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Baseball America dergisinin December 2024/January 2025 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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