(Chris Humphreys/USA Today Sports)
Corey Dickerson has made Rockies fans not pine for the return of Carlos Gonzalez. Since playing everyday after Gonzalez was on the disabled list, he has seized the opportunity of being an everyday player. All he does is hit and make catches in the outfield.
Dickerson continued his good play by matching a career-high with four hits with a two-run homer and three RBIs last night in the Rockies’ 13-10 loss to the Brewers at Coors Field. Overall, he is hitting .343 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs in 140 at-bats. He is also hitting at a .636 slugging percentage, and he has a 1.037 OPS.
From watching him this month, there is no reason to think he won’t keep it up. His hitting stroke is good enough to hit the ball out of the park. Experience will help him be better with familiarity with pitchers and knowledge of hitting.
The Rockies always believe Dickerson could play in the majors. His rapid rise from each minor league level proved that he was going to be in the majors sooner rather than late. Here’s his stats in the minors:
He hit .348 with 13 home run and 61 RBIs in the Pioneer League out in Casper in 2010.
He hit .282 with 32 home runs and 87 RBIs in Single-A Asheville in 2011.
He hit .304 with 22 home runs overall when he played in Single-A Modesto and Double-A Tulsa in 2012.
He hit .371 when he played in Triple-A Colorado Springs last year.
Dickerson performed well in spring training last year for the Rockies to consider calling him up from Colorado Springs later in the year. He experienced life in the majors when he was called up last summer, and he made an impression right away with his bat and his glove.
The 25-year-old outfielder hit .263 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in 194 at-bats last year for the Rockies. What stood out was him being a sparkplug for the Rockies. He would run the base with reckless abandon just to be safe at first even if it meant head sliding to first. He was a guy that was always first to run for the ball when it came to making a catch in the outfield.
Dickerson’s style of play has earned brownie points from Walt Weiss. The Rockies manager sees his young player as himself when it comes to playing with grit and not taking anything for granted on the field. It’s why the manager wanted to find room for his player to make the team in spring training.
From watching Dickerson, he is not playing like a rookie. He takes good at-bats. He is a natural when it comes to playing the outfield. He has a good eye to where the ball lands and his speed helps him be in a position to catch it.
Here’s the thing about him: He is fun to watch, and he strives to be a better player each day. His character is what makes him a fit for the Rockies, who love nice guys that are baseball-oriented.
Dickerson knows he can be more than a sparkplug. He wants to be part of the Blake Street Bombers that would hit the ball out of the ballpark. He knows hitters are recognized for hitting it out of the ballpark rather than getting infield hits.
He is not selling himself short, and that’s what a baseball team would expect from their players when they draft them. His goals have fueled him in achieving success in the majors by constantly working on his hitting each and every game. He would make the late Tony Gwynn proud.
There’s no rush for Gonzalez to come back with Dickerson playing well. The Rockies are more than happy to see it play out that way since they encourage their players to take their time coming back rather than coming soon. Plus, it gives them a chance to take a long look of their young prospect.
If Dickerson can play well from now until the final game of the regular season, the Rockies have decisions to make this offseason. They would have to think long and hard about trading Gonzalez for their outfielder to get playing time. They have to be convinced Dickerson is worthy of being an everyday player for them to trade their star. That’s why they want to see what he can do this year. In a way, Gonzalez’s injury is a blessing in disguise.
Gonzalez would be easy to trade since he is always hurt. The Rockies don’t want to pay a guy who will always be a fixture on the disabled list. They can replace him with a cheaper alternative in Dickerson.
Who knows if Dickerson can keep it up? The intrigue makes him worth watching in what looks like another lost season for the Rockies.
Knowing the Rockies outfielder, he is up for the challenge.
Contact or follow Leslie Monteiro at @LightRodWriter
Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.
