Dustin Fowler with the Surprise Saguaros in the AFL ( <a href="http://moosetography.zenfolio.com/">Ryan "Moose" Morris - Freelance Photographer</a>)

Features

On the Rise: Dustin Fowler

Doug Hall

Published

November 19, 2015

When you hear prospect names being talked about these days, it’s hard not to notice that Dustin Fowler’s name continues to surface.

When asked how it felt to hear his name being mentioned he said, “[It] feels great to get praise for the hard work.”

Fowler was drafted out of West Laurens High School in Dexter, Georgia, during the 18^th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He was drafted for his outstanding athleticism just like other center fielders before him (Mason Williams and Slade Heathcott.)

This season found improvements in many areas of Fowler’s game. His stat line of .298/.334/.394, with five home runs, 70 runs batted in and 30 stolen bases was impressive as he spent roughly the same time between Class-A Charleston and Advanced-A Tampa in 2015.

Without hesitation Fowler gave credit to his Charleston RiverDogs hitting coach Greg Colbrunn for helping him get to the next level, “[I] thank him for everything.”

One of the things that he worked on was “Not trying to pull too many balls and hit to all sides of the field.”

Once the regular season concluded, the Yankees sent Fowler to the Arizona Fall League with other top prospects in the organization. With scouts and media focusing on the action in Arizona, he has once again risen to the occasion, putting up solid numbers.

The offseason will officially begin for Fowler as the Arizona Fall League season ends after the championship game on Saturday, November 21^st. In any profession, you have to work and prepare in order to improve.

Fowler has a few goals for 2016 including taking the next step in the power game, plate discipline, pitch recognition and “Trying to get stronger.”

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Dustin Fowler has opened many eyes including those within the Yankees organization. He’s currently the #18 prospect in the system and should continue to rise if he continues to refine his skills and attain his goals. It appears that he will be ticketed to start the 2016 season back with the Tampa Yankees, but very well could force his way to Trenton before the season is through.