The Royals made a few September call-ups via Rustin Dodd today.
We all know what Terrance Gore can bring to the table, and the defensive versatility as well as some offensive addition at second base that Whit Merrifield can provide, but what about Hunter Dozier? How can he help the Royals in September?
The addition of Dozier brings another right-handed bat with power and athleticism to the Royals roster. After a couple of struggling seasons at NW Arkansas, Dozier went to instructs this offseason and reworked his stance to be more upright while slowing his hips down so he didn’t fly open as much. Those changes have helped his raw power come through at a level it never had previously, with 68 extra base hits and a career high .533 slugging percentage across Double and Triple-A. The hip adjustment, along with his swing being cut down, has lead to his strikeout percentage being lowered although he’s still prone to the whiff if he encounters a plan with a solid fastball and breaking ball.
Defensively, Dozier exhibits better range than Cuthbert at third base with hands that are a bit stiff at times in my opinion. The arm plays above average as one would expect from a third baseman, but with better athleticism and the lack of options for Cuthbert at other positions, I believe Dozier will likely head to rightfield in the future to maximize the Royals’ options. The ability to work with Rusty Kuntz should help Dozier play in the outfield where his average speed and above average arm can help him even if his reads are in their infancy as a player who has played just 27 games in the outfield.
In the near future, Dozier could play some third base, pinch hit and play some early innings in the outfield as Kuntz helps him refine his defense, but I would limit his play during the important late inning defensive spots. After all, Dozier has less than half of the games played in the outfield in the minors as Alex Gordon did when he was called back up to Kansas City. Many Royals have enjoyed early success with call-ups from the minors and I would expect much of the same from Dozier as pitchers challenge him with fastballs early and often. This presents an opportunity to not only contribute to a playoff race for Dozier, but it also exhibits a chance to crack the opening day roster next season. With the adjustments that he’s made already on top of his Gordon-like work ethic, Dozier can provide a nice early offensive spark and a real offensive contribution later.