What does the Rays DH have to do in order to get the recognition he deserves?
Fortunately, Corey Dickerson has moved up from being the fourth leading vote-getter at designated hitter. However, he is still being over-looked. He passed Edwin Encarnacion, but still trails Matt Holliday and Nelson Cruz. Hopefully he will get the appropriate amount of recognition prior to the All Star Game on July 11.
American League (by Votes)
Designated Hitter |
| 1. Nelson Cruz, Mariners: 863,549 |
| 2. Matt Holliday, Yankees: 689,918 |
| 3. Corey Dickerson, Rays: 668,702 |
| 4. Edwin Encarnacion, Indians: 605,454 |
| 5. Evan Gattis, Astros: 534,983 |
Since the initial voting results were released (10 games ago), Dickerson has been on fire. His numbers in June are just as impressive as they were through the first two months. His consistency at the plate is a big reason why Dickerson is putting together the best season of his career. Look at the continued month-by-month success.
2017 Corey Dickerson (by Month)
April (24 games): 6 HR — 10 RBI — .330 BA — 15 XBH
May (28 games): 6 HR — 15 RBI — .349 BA — 16 XBH
June (10 games): 3 HR — 7 RBI — .317 BA — 6 XBH
If there is one thing that stands out more than his consistency at the plate, it’s the way he has handled left-handed pitching. So far this season his numbers against LHP are more impressive than those against RHP. Look at the difference this season versus throughout his career.
Dickerson Splits vs LHP/RHP
2017 vs LHP: .342/.384/.544 (.928 OPS)
2017 vs RHP: .335/.371/.636 (1.007 OPS)
Career vs LHP: .265/.311/.395 (.705 OPS)
Career vs RHP: .295/.340/.564 (.904 OPS)
If you’re still having trouble justifying Dickerson as the starting DH, think about this.
His numbers against lefties in 2017 are better than his career numbers against righties.
Not only is he having the best season of his five-year career, he’s debunked the notion that playing in Coors Field was the reason for his success. Dickerson played 265 games with the Rockies from 2013-2015.
