Alex Dickerson

Alexander Ross Dickerson (born May 26, 1990), nicknamed "Grandpa,"[1] is an American professional baseball left fielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). In college at Indiana University he was a unanimous selection as 2010 Big Ten Conference Baseball Player of the Year. Dickerson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 2012 Florida State League Player of the Year. He made his MLB debut in 2015.

Alex Dickerson
Dickerson with the Altoona Curve in 2013
San Francisco Giants – No. 12
Left fielder
Born: (1990-05-26) May 26, 1990
Poway, California
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
August 6, 2015, for the San Diego Padres
MLB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Batting average.273
Home runs26
Runs batted in92
Teams

High school and college career

At Poway High School, Dickerson played first base and outfield. He batted .354/.420/.686 as a junior, .455/.522/.851 as a senior, and was named All-San Diego Division I Player of the Year.[2]

He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 48th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, but elected to attend Indiana University, where he played outfield and designated hitter for the Indiana Hoosiers baseball team from 2009–2011.[3][4]

As a freshman, batting cleanup Dickerson hit .370/.428/.618 with 14 home runs, earning Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American honors.[4][5][6]

Dickerson had a breakout season as a sophomore, slugging .805 (8th in the nation) and winning the Big Ten Triple Crown by leading the Big Ten in batting average (.419), home runs (24; second in the nation), and runs batted in (75).[3][4][7] He was named the Big Ten Conference Baseball Player of the Year and earned first-team All-American honors.[4][7] In his junior season he batted .367/.440/.540.[8]

In 2009 and 2010, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[9]

Professional career

Pittsburgh Pirates

Dickerson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft.

After signing for a signing bonus of $380,700, Dickerson spent most of the rest of the 2011 season with the State College Spikes, batting .313/.393/.493 with an .886 OPS (9th in the New York-Pennsylvania League) in 150 at bats; his 16 doubles were second among all short-season batters.[10][3][11] Dickerson spent the 2012 season with the Bradenton Marauders, where he batted .295/.353/.451 with 31 doubles (4th in the league), 13 home runs (7th), and 90 RBIs (2nd) in 488 at bats and was named the Florida State League Player of the Year, a post-season All Star, and an MiLB organization All Star.[12][13][14]

Prior to the 2013 season, Dickerson was named the 7th-best first base prospect in baseball by MLB.com.[15] He spent 2013 with the Double-A Altoona Curve, where he moved from first base to the outfield. He batted .288/.337/.494 with 36 doubles (2nd in the league), 17 home runs, and 68 RBIs in 451 at bats and was named the Eastern League Rookie of the Year, a post-season All Star, and an MiLB organization All Star.[16]

San Diego Padres

On November 25, 2013, Dickerson was traded to the San Diego Padres for Jaff Decker and Miles Mikolas.

Dickerson severely sprained his left ankle in 2014 spring training with the Padres when he stepped on a sprinkler head, and an MRI later found a bone cyst in his left heel which required surgery and a bone graft.[17][18] The surgery delayed his start to the 2014 season, but he finished with 34 games with the Double-A San Antonio Missions, batting .321/.367/.496 in 137 at bats.[19] On November 20, 2014, the Padres added Dickerson to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Dickerson spent most of 2015 with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, hitting .307 (10th in the league)/.374/.503 with 82 runs (3rd), 36 doubles (6th), 9 triples (2nd), 12 home runs, and 71 RBIs in 459 at bats over 125 games, including 88 starts in left field.[3][20] His performance earned him the Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year Award, and he was named a post-season All Star and an MiLB organization All Star.[13][21]

On August 6, 2015, Dickerson made his Major League debut with the San Diego Padres with a pinch-hitting appearance in the 8th inning. He was called up to replace Will Venable, who went on paternity leave.[22] The next day, Dickerson collected his first Major League hit with a pinch single in extra innings. Dickerson returned to the Padres when rosters expanded in September.[23] A tweaked hip flexor limited his playing opportunities,[18][24] but Dickerson appeared in eight more games as a pinch hitter, and once as a defensive substitute in left field.

Dickerson started the 2016 season in Triple-A El Paso. On May 2, the Padres recalled Dickerson from Triple-A.[25] On May 10 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Dickerson hit a pinch-hit grand slam off of Adam Warren for his first career home run and his first four career RBIs.[26] He made his first Major League start in left field the following day, but was returned to El Paso on May 14.[27] With the Chihuahuas, he continued a 28-game minor league hitting streak through the end of May.[28] On June 28, Dickerson was recalled from El Paso when Jon Jay broke his forearm.[29] Dickerson remained as the regular left fielder for the Padres for the remainder of the season. For the season, with El Paso he batted .382/.425/.622 with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs in 217 at bats.[19] He finished the season with the Padres with a .257/.333/.455 batting line and 39 runs, 10 home runs, and 37 RBIs in 285 plate appearances. He made 65 starts in left field.

In spring training of 2017, Dickerson suffered a bulging disk. After initially trying to rehab the injury, Dickerson underwent back surgery by microdiscectomy to remove bulging disc material in his lower back which ended his season.[30]

In spring training of 2018, while trying to come back from his back surgery, Dickerson tore his UCL in his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery, costing him another full season.[31] He was outrighted off the roster after the season. He elected free agency on November 3, 2018, and later re-signed to a minor league deal on December 11.[32]

Playing for AAA El Paso in 2019, he hit .372/.469/.606 with 5 home runs and 20 RBIs in 94 at bats. Dickerson had his contract selected to the major leagues on May 3, 2019, but after 19 at bats with the Padres was designated for assignment on June 5.[19]

San Francisco Giants

On June 10, 2019, Dickerson was traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Franklin Van Gurp. He played seven games for AAA Sacramento.[19] On June 21, in his first game with the Giants, he hit a grand slam and had a career-high 6 runs batted in.[33] With the Giants in 2019, he batted .290/.351/.529 with 28 runs, 6 home runs, and 26 RBIs in 155 at bats.[19] On September 1, 2020, Alex Dickerson tied the franchise record for runs scored in a game with 5. He ended the season with a .298 batting average with 10 home runs and 27 RBI in 52 games.

See also

References
  1. "Alex Dickerson Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  2. "Alex Dickerson High School Baseball Stats Poway (Poway, CA)". MaxPreps. August 6, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  3. "Alex Dickerson Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  4. "Alex Dickerson". IUHoosiers.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  5. "Dickerson, Monar Lauded by Coaches". IUHoosiers.com. February 8, 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  6. Foley, Brian. "Top 100 Countdown: 10. Alex Dickerson (Indiana)". College Baseball Daily. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  7. Eaton, Scott (May 26, 2010). "Alex Dickerson Wins Big Ten Triple Crown – Big Ten Player of the Year". gateman.org. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  8. "Alex Dickerson". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  9. "Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League" (PDF). capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  10. "Alex Dickerson". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  11. "Alex Dickerson". Baseball Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  12. "Alex Dickerson named Florida State League Player of the Year". mlb.com. August 27, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  13. "Alex Dickerson Stats, Highlights, Bio | MiLB.com Stats | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Milb.com. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  14. "2012 Florida State League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. January 1, 1970. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  15. Mayo, Jonathan (January 27, 2013). "Prospect Watch: Top 10 first basemen". mlb.com. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  16. "2013 Eastern League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. January 1, 1970. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  17. Brock, Corey (April 4, 2014). "Dickerson undergoes surgery for cyst on heel". MLB.com. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  18. "Injuries behind him, Dickerson hopes for new baseball life". Pomerado News. November 20, 2018.
  19. "Alex Dickerson Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  20. "2015 Pacific Coast League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. January 1, 1970. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  21. "Dickerson awarded PCL's Rookie of the Year". Triple-A Baseball, Pacific Coast League. MiLB.com. September 1, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  22. "San Diego native Alex Dickerson ecstatic to make debut for hometown Padres". FoxSports.com. August 6, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  23. Togerson, Derek (September 2, 2015). "Padres Expand the Big League Roster". NBCSanDiego.com. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  24. Sanders, Jeff (September 9, 2015). "Dickerson running, available to pinch-hit". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  25. Kenney, Kirk (May 2, 2016). "Padres recall Alex Dickerson". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  26. Lin, Dennis (May 10, 2016). "Dickerson hits first career HR, Cubs beat Padres 8–7". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  27. "Padres recall Leonel Campos, option Alex Dickerson". ESPN.com. May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  28. Cavadi, Wayne (May 29, 2016). "Alex Dickerson is red-hot for El Paso". SB Nation. MinorLeagueBall.com. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  29. Cassavell, AJ (June 28, 2016). "Jay's forearm broken; OF placed on DL". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  30. Ruiz, Nathan (June 24, 2017). "Padres' Dickerson opts for back surgery". MLB.com. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  31. Monahan, Terry (November 20, 2018). "Injuries behind him, Dickerson hopes for new baseball life". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  32. Byrne, Connor (December 13, 2018). "Minor MLB Transactions: 12/13/18". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  33. Marshall, John (June 21, 2019). "Dickerson has 6 RBIs in Giants' 11-5 win over Diamondbacks". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
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