Inconsistent play held Jud Fabian back as a sophomore

Jud Fabian entered the 2021 season with high expectations, and though he didn’t live up to them all, he accounted for some major moments.

Name: Jud Fabian

Number: 4

Position: Outfield

Class: Sophomore (third-year)

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 195 lbs

Hometown: Ocala, Florida

High School: Trinity Catholic

Twitter: @judfabe

2020 statistics:

G PA R H HR RBI BB K BA OBP SLG
59 269 51 56 20 46 40 79 .249 .364 .560

Overview:

One of the top players in the country coming out of high school, Fabian ranked 13th nationally and No. 6 among players in the state of Florida, according to Perfect Game. He was also the No. 4 outfielder in the country.

Fabian skipped his senior season of high school to enroll early at the nearby University of Florida ahead of the team’s 2019 season. He started 54 of the 56 games he appeared in at center field and though he batted just .232, he hit seven home runs with 26 RBI and tied for the team lead in walks.

He entered his sophomore year in 2020 as a Preseason Second Team All-SEC selection, and he looked the part before the season was canceled, batting .294 in the first 17 games. He had also already almost matched his season total in home runs from the prior year with five.

Naturally, Fabian entered his “COVID sophomore” season in 2021 with high expectations. In fact, some projected that he would be the first overall pick in the MLB draft. That didn’t exactly come to fruition, as Fabian’s inconsistency held him back. He had 20 home runs and 46 RBI, impressive numbers, but his .249 average left a lot to be desired. He also struck out 79 times, the most on the team, by far.

The latest mock draft from MLB.com still has Fabian in the first round, largely due to the upside with his hitting and his tremendous fielding, which was a strong point for a Florida defense that led the SEC in errors in 2021. But he was far from impressive enough to be a legitimate first-overall pick candidate.

Video:

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