Angels Bring Back Former First-Round Draft Pick

Carson Fulmer started the 2023 season finale.

For the season finale against Oakland last season, the Los Angeles Angels turned to starter Carson Fulmer.

The right-hander will return to the Angels as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. 

The Angels have announced 27 non-roster players invited to 2024 Spring Training. pic.twitter.com/b3sT7h5h4o

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) February 9, 2024

Fulmer was a first-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt in 2015 by the Chicago White Sox and made his major league debut in 2016.

He was dominant in college, specifically in his junior year in Nashville, where he was 14-2 with a 1.83 ERA across 127.2 innings. Fulmer was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year.

However, his game hasn't translated to the big leagues.

In parts of seven seasons, Fulmer is 7-10 with a 6.14 ERA. He has appeared in 77 games with 16 starts and pitched 140.2 innings.

Before he signed a minor league deal with the Angels last year, he hadn't appeared in an MLB uniform since 2021. For the first two months of 2023, he was out of baseball completely. 

Just his one start on the final day of the regular season was enough to fill his cup for the year.

“It means the world to me. I was on the couch three months ago, and debating whether I was going to play again or not. It definitely means a lot. This is big for my career, big for my family.”

Per Carson Fulmer via O.C. Register

Hopefully, Fulmer can use that lone start to turn his career around, and he can continue to live out his baseball dream.