Today’s edition of 10 Prospects in 10 Days features Alex Dickerson.
Quick Profile
Position: First Base
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Age: 22
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 235 lbs.
The Pirates selected Dickerson out of Indiana University in the third round of the 2011 draft.
He was recently named the 7th best first base prospect by MLB.com. Here’s what they had to say:
An excellent college performer at Indiana, the Pirates took Dickerson’s bat in the third round in 2011 and sent him right to the advanced Class A Florida State League for his full-season debut last year. His advanced hitting skills played just fine there, and he should hit for average and power going forward. The lefty didn’t appear to have a defensive home coming out of college, but he’s settled in nicely at first base, where he should profile well as a run-producer in the future.
An additional scouting report:
Dickerson can hit for average and has some legitimate power, maximizing it all with excellent plate discipline. His left-handed bat should allow him to move pretty quickly up the ladder.
In two professional seasons thus far, he’s hit for a .299/.362/.461 line between State College and Bradenton. Here are some additional stats:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 21 | State College | A- | 41 | 150 | 25 | 47 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 16 | 28 | .313 | .393 | .493 | .886 |
| 2012 | 22 | Bradenton | A+ | 129 | 488 | 65 | 144 | 31 | 3 | 13 | 90 | 12 | 39 | 93 | .295 | .353 | .451 | .803 |
| 2 Seasons | 170 | 638 | 90 | 191 | 47 | 4 | 16 | 109 | 12 | 55 | 121 | .299 | .362 | .461 | .823 | |||
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Dickerson is the top first baseman in the system for sure, and should continue to move through the ranks at a steady pace. He produced at high-A Bradenton last year with 31 doubles and 90 RBI in 129 games. He’ll make the jump to Class AA Altoona, so it’ll be interesting to see how he handles that transition.
Assuming he continues to rake and play solid defense, Dickerson will be in a good position to debut in Pittsburgh down the road. There aren’t many players in his way, other than Matt Curry. It’s difficult to foresee Curry’s future as a big leaguer; he’ll turn 25 in July and hasn’t been overly impressive. He should see some time at first in Indy, while Dickerson is knocking on the door in Altoona.
Garrett Jones’ tenure as a Buc is likely nearing an end; Gaby Sanchez and Clint Robinson, both in their late-20′s, need to prove themselves. There could very well be an opening at first base a couple of years down the line, and Alex Dickerson could fill that void. MLB estimates his arrival to be sometime in 2014.
Previous Editions:
Wyatt Mathisen
Victor Black
Photo: Juan DeLeon
