When 2017 began for Stuart Fairchild he was buttoning up a Wake Forest jersey and preparing for his junior season. A few months later the Cincinnati Reds would select him 38th overall after he beat up on ACC pitching with a 1.075 OPS on the year. The outfielder would sign quickly and joined the Billings Mustangs for the final week of June. His career began with a hit in each of his first five games, including a home run in his second professional game.
When the calendar flipped over to July he would rally catch fire. In the first seven games he would hit .370, going 10-27. A two game 0-7 slump followed, but then Stuart Fairchild turned things up again, going 16-32 over the next nine games. He went cold over the final week of the month, though, going just 1-19 over the final five games. In 23 games during July he would hit .318/.396/.400. The power did not show up, but he struck out just 12 times on the month as he made tons of contact.
The first half of August was the best stretch of the season for Stuart Fairchild. Through the 15th he hit .387/.537/.581 with eight walks, two doubles and two triples. The outfielder would go into a bit of a slump over the next week, hitting just .182. He turned around over the final two weeks of the year. He went 14-40 (.350) with a double, triple and a home run. From the start of August through the end of the season five weeks later he hit .323/.427/.452.
For all 2017 Season Reviews and Scouting Reports – click here (these will come out during the week throughout the offseason).
Stuart Fairchild Spray Chart
Stuart Fairchild Scouting Report
Hitting | In his pro debut, Stuart Fairchild showed a good ability to use the entire field. He also showed a high rate of contact – both of which should help him carry a high average if he can continue to do so.
Power | After hitting 17 home runs for Wake Forest in 2017 he only hit three from Billings. His in-game power is currently well below-average. Scouts noted that he shows above-average raw power in batting practice, but he may need to alter his swing to tap into it during games.
Running | He’s an above-average to plus runner who can use his speed well on the bases as well as in the field.
Arm | His arm is average and should play fine in center field.
Defense | He’s an above-average to potentially plus defender depending on who you ask. Either way, he will provide plenty of value defensively in center.
Defensively is where Stuart Fairchild stood out as a professional in his debut. He performed better than expected coming out of the draft in this aspect. On the flip side, he underperformed a little on the offensive side of things. He showed a good average, and he got on base at a good rate, too. But power, which was a big part of his game in college, simply didn’t show up in Billings. The concerns echoed by some before the draft in regards to his power were still echoed at times after his debut. If he never develops the power he shows in batting practice he could still be a quality center fielder, but if that power starts showing up in games he could really rise up through the system quickly.