Before the season I made a lofty goal for Jersey outfielder Dave Dodd. I predicted he would build on his 30 HR, 105 RBI season of a year ago and increase that to 42 HR and 135 RBI. Lofty projections. Now that we sit mid way through August starting down at the last 6 weeks of the season, it's finally time to start looking at some of these projections.
While the super power that I had projected hasn't quite come around yet, Dodd is a on projected pace to hit 32 HR this year. Yes, that would only be 2 more than he hit last year but the encouraging numbers come in his extra base hits. In only 440 AB this season Dodd has doubled 39 times, which is 9 more times than last year in 170 less AB, and the most in the CL this season. He also has 6 triples compared to the 5 he totaled all of last season. That puts him on pace for 53 doubles, 8 triples and 32 HR and on pace for 325 total bases which ranks him 6th in the CL.
At only 24 years old I think it's possible to expect we haven't see his full potential yet. In his 2nd season Dodd took a step back in slugging and OPS, even though his batting average and OBP both rose. In his 3rd season we have seen improvement in all of these areas. Batting average is up 11 points at .277, where he he .266 a year. OBP is up 25 points and Dodd is on pace to walk 15 more times than last year. With all the added extra base hits his slugging percentage has shot up to .557, which is 78 points higher than last year, and with the additions across the board the OPS is over .900 at .912, over 100 point increase.
After setting the BSA record for strikeouts in a season with 204, Dodd's contact rate has gone up, and while the strikeouts are still very much there, he is on pace to K 180 times. That would be 24 times and 12% less than a season ago. Even his work in the field has increased. His ZR in RF for all of last season was +6.5, which is respectable, but this season in 46 less games he has upped that number to +10.7.
While Dodd narrowly missed out on making the CL All-Star team this year, we see All-Star nods in his future. If he can keep improving, which we believe he can, he could be a very special player. I may have predicted the 40 HR season a season too soon, we very well could see some of those doubles turn into HR, but right now with a line of .277/.355/.557, which RH starter out there wants to face he and Bryant in the same inning?
GO D-BAGS
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