Source: Brian Blanco/Getty Images North America
9. Corey Dickerson, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Above all else, Corey Dickerson has had consistent production over the last several seasons. That is when he was able to stay on the field. After missing nearly 100 games last season, Dickerson found himself with a new home this offseason after the Colorado Rockies traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays in return for reliever Jake McGee. Now Dickerson is set to play in a new uniform next year with even more question marks surrounding him.
As if the injury problems weren’t enough a concern with Dickerson, now he faces concerns over whether he can maintain his offensive production outside of Coors Field, the noted “Coors Effect.” When healthy in 2015, Dickerson had a wRC+ of 119, a respectable number all things considered. However, as with many other Rockies players, the home/road splits behind those numbers were quite notable. In his limited playing time in 2015, Dickerson had a wRC+ of 180 at home, and only 94 on the road. Those numbers must be taken with some reservations, given his limited playing time in 2015, but it’s clear that the questions about his performance won’t go away until he can prove himself to be a consistent hitter outside the confines of Coors Field. In Tampa Bay, Dickerson will have that chance.
Despite his struggles to stay healthy last season, and his struggles to be a consistent hitter both on the road and at home, the upside with Dickerson is still tremendous. Many talent evaluators still feel Dickerson could be a top 10 or 20 outfield talent if he is able to stay healthy for a full season and collect over 600 plate appearances. Even so, he has to be able to prove he is healthy before he can achieve that. Tampa Bay has a bit of an outfield logjam heading into this season, but Dickerson should still get his fair share of playing time. Seeing him outside of Coors Field will certainly be an interesting storyline to keep an eye on in 2016.
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