Following a season in which they were easily the worst offensive team in MLB, the White Sox made a significant addition to the organization by hiring former Orioles co-hitting coach Ryan Fuller to be their director of hitting earlier this offseason. The team brought in pitching guru Brian Bannister as the director of pitching last offseason, and now Fuller will take a similar role on the hitting side. And if the team’s first signing this offseason is any indication, they highly value Fuller’s input and relationships.
The White Sox signed veteran outfielder Austin Slater earlier today. It seems like an insignificant signing as Slater is coming off a poor season. However, his relationship and connection with Fuller is clear. After playing for both the Giants and Reds early in the 2024 season and struggling in both places, Slater ultimately ended the season in Baltimore where Fuller was an integral part of their hitting program. For Slater specifically, going to the Orioles was the best thing that happened to him all season. He performed significantly better in Baltimore than in San Francisco or Cincinnati.
Fuller joined Chuck Garfien on The White Sox podcast and was very complimentary of Slater, “The guy gets on base. It’s always going to be a really good at-bat. He knows how to game plan. He’s going to help the younger hitters…he crushes lefties and really knows how to control the strike zone.” Fuller also mentioned that he helped Slater make mechanical adjustments once he got to Baltimore, which helped him get back on track.
Slater made sense for the White Sox regardless of his connection to Fuller. He is a right-handed hitter who has traditionally performed well against left-handed pitchers. The White Sox outfield is also very left-handed right now, with Andrew Benintendi, Dominic Fletcher, Zach DeLoach, and Oscar Colas all in the mix. Slater is a natural complement to them and will likely get many at-bats against lefties in 2025. However, his relationship with Fuller also seems to be a factor in this equation. It is possible that the White Sox specifically targeted Slater this offseason because of Fuller’s recommendation and experience working with him.
James Fegan of SoxMachine wrote about Fuller’s approach and hitting philosophies. The Orioles have been one of the more successful MLB organizations in recent years in terms of developing homegrown talent. Virtually their entire lineup this past season was homegrown, and Fuller played an integral role in shaping those hitters into who they are today. He coached many successful big leaguers like Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and Joey Ortiz while they were in the minors.
It will be interesting to see if the White Sox pursue more Orioles players or players connected to Fuller this offseason. The organization clearly thinks highly of Fuller, as they hired him for a prominent coaching role. Regardless of how the rest of the offseason plays out, Ryan Fuller’s presence offers some hope for the future that the White Sox will one day become a good offensive team again.
