The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MARCH 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 77 ❱ WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Fetter was the first hire Tigers man- ager A.J. Hinch made when he got the job in November 2020. Fetter had spent the previous three years in Ann Arbor. Prior to that, he was a minor league pitching coordinator with the Los An- geles Dodgers (2017), Ball State's pitch- ing coach (2016), a minor league scout with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2012-15) and Class AA San Antonio's pitching coach (2013). Fetter pitched for the Maize and Blue from 2006-09, ranking first in program history with 332 1/3 innings pitched and third in program history with 281 strikeouts. He led Michigan in ERA three times — with marks of 2.22 in 2006, 2.47 in 2008 and 3.29 in 2009. During his time in Ann Arbor, he was a three-time All-Big Ten pick and an All- American. The San Diego Padres selected Fet- ter in the ninth round of the 2009 MLB Draft. He then spent four seasons in the minor leagues and connected with Hinch. "Chris Fetter is somebody I'm very, very close with," Hinch said Nov. 4, 2024, on the "Days of Roar" podcast, hosted by the Detroit Free Press. "I've talked end- lessly about his impact with the players, but also within my staff and on me — his consistency day in and day out, his abil- ity to draw the most out of his players that he coaches. His timing, whether it's adjustments that need to be made or changes in the game plan or in-game calming things down, is elite." Fetter was a major part of U-M's run to the College World Series final in 2019, led by starting pitchers Tommy Henry and Karl Kaufmann. The Wolverines finished 10th in the country and led the Big Ten in ERA with a 3.46. Three pitchers from the team were drafted — including Henry (second round, Ari- zona Diamondbacks), Kaufmann (sec- ond round, Colorado Rockies) and Jack Weisenburger (20th round, Oakland Athletics). Fetter's work with the U-M pitching staff is a major reason he wound up in the big leagues and proved his presence could raise the bar in any organization. "Chris had a Mount Everest-size impact on Michigan baseball from his playing days to leading our pitching staff to the College World Series finals in 2019," former head coach Erik Bakich said after Fetter left for the Tigers. "His elite player development skills paired with his knowledge of tech, data, and analytics, and ability to communicate with the players will be valuable as- sets for the Tigers. More than anything, Chris is a great friend, husband, father and teammate. We will be forever grate- ful and look forward to following his career in the Big Leagues." Bakich left for Clemson after the 2022 season, and Fetter was a popular can- didate to fill the role now held by Tracy Smith. However, the Tigers held off a potential courtship from U-M to keep one of their key cogs in place well into the future. "I begged him to come join us and build this organization in a better direc- tion," Hinch said. "He's awesome. He's understated. He doesn't say much to anybody outside of the circle. But his impact is very well known by the play- ers. The players know what he can do to help them have a better career and a better season." Fetter has developed a rapport with his players and is both a sounding board and a resource when he needs to step up and make adjustments. "I love working with Fett a lot," right- handed pitcher Reese Olson said last summer, via the Kornacki Wolverine Report. "He's kind of hands-off until you need him. For example, last year when I got called up, my first two starts were good. He said, 'Keep doing what you're doing. Don't change anything.' And once you feel like you get to a point where you need him, he's got you cov- ered. "He's on top of everything and is super intelligent and very smart. You couldn't ask for a better pitching coach." But his most remarkable work was how he and the Tigers' coaches cobbled together the pitching staff down the stretch en route to the franchise's first playoff berth in a decade. After trades and injuries, Detroit mixed and matched its group to maximize its unpredictabil- ity thanks to the program put in place by Fetter and his peers. "I was just so thrilled with the amount of guys who we had come up and hit the ground running," Fetter said after receiving his honor from Baseball America. "There are a lot of things that can go overlooked in player develop- ment, but these guys turned over every stone and allowed these guys to come up and be themselves." ❑ Last season, Fetter, the pitching coach for the Detroit Tigers, helped the team reach the American League Divisional Series and coached American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. PHOTO COURTESY MLB.COM ❱ The Chris Fetter File Michigan Accomplishments: Four-year letterwinner (2006-09) ... All-American and three-time All- Big Ten selection … Part of three Big Ten championship teams … College World Series runner-up as assistant coach (2019). Professional Accomplishments: Ninth-round pick of San Diego Padres in 2009 ... Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim minor league scout from 2013-15 … Detroit Tigers pitching coach, 2020-present … 2024 Baseball America Major League Baseball Coach of the Year. They Said It: "He is one of the brightest pitching coaches in the world, and he has the unique ability to understand very advanced metrics and data, and communicate them in a very simple way to the players." — Clemson head baseball coach Erik Bakich (Michigan head coach, 2013-22) Family: Wife, Jessica, and son, Cole.