ESPN: Dozier Ranked 9th-Best 2B in Baseball

[Seth Stohs]

According to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, Brian Dozier is the ninth-best second baseman in baseball. 

 

Maybe we are biased as Twins fans, but it's hard to see him ranked that low, while I assume the Dodgers love it.

 

I'ts a subscriber article, but here are the Top 10:

 

1.) Altuve

2.) Cano

3.) Kinsler

4.) D Murphy

5.) Pedroia

6.) LeMahieu

7.) Zobrist

8.) Kipnis

9.) Dozier

10.) Odor

 

HM: Schoop, Forsythe, Panik, C Hernandez, J Harrison, N Walker.

 

WC (Wild Card): Javier Baez

[doscinco]

Why would the Dodgers love it? They want to acquire him.

[Don Julio 1942]

Obviously the Dodgers have a shill at ESPN, and are showing the Twins how spin is done.

[nicksaviking]

 

Why would the Dodgers love it? They want to acquire him.

 

Because they surely don't use ESPN's rankings to evaluate players.

 

But they likely would have no problem using it as a weapon against the Twins.

[d-mac]

 

According to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, Brian Dozier is the ninth-best second baseman in baseball. 

 

Maybe we are biased as Twins fans, but it's hard to see him ranked that low, while I assume the Dodgers love it.

 

I'ts a subscriber article, but here are the Top 10:

 

1.) Altuve

2.) Cano

3.) Kinsler

4.) D Murphy

5.) Pedroia

6.) LeMahieu

7.) Zobrist

8.) Kipnis

9.) Dozier

10.) Odor

 

HM: Schoop, Forsythe, Panik, C Hernandez, J Harrison, N Walker.

 

WC (Wild Card): Javier Baez

 

I tend to think that Twins fans overvalue Dozier. But this is criminal. Last year he was 3rd in WAR among 2nd basemen and Steamer projects him to be 6th in WAR for 2017 and that's only because Steamer lists Addison Russell and Trea Turner at second base, when both are going to be starting at SS for their respective clubs. 

[doscinco]

Because they surely don't use ESPN's rankings to evaluate players.

 

But they likely would have no problem using it as a weapon against the Twins.

Buster interviews scouts and front office personnel across both leagues for these rankings

[d-mac]

 

Obviously the Dodgers have a shill at ESPN, and are showing the Twins how spin is done.

 

Olney is getting something in return for LAD is really the only logical reasoning here. Access or quid pro quo arrangement for breaking stories out of LA. At worst you could say Dozier is 4th or 5th best second baseman in baseball. 

[Thrylos]

One person's opinion.  And not very data driven.  

 

Fact:

Based on WAR, Dozier ranked 4th in 2014, 7th in 2015, 3rd in 2016 and 3rd in 2014-2016.

 

 

Unless the ranking is some sort of a future predictor that then has the same validity as prospect lists or team power rankings... 

[nicksaviking]

I guess LA should just go ahead and get one of those other guys then.

[crapforks]

Olney is getting something in return for LAD is really the only logical reasoning here. Access or quid pro quo arrangement for breaking stories out of LA. At worst you could say Dozier is 4th or 5th best second baseman in baseball.

Probably Bellinger and Alvarez.

[dbminn]

Dozier is 3rd in Fangraphs WAR from 2014 to 2016. Only Kinsler and Altuve are ahead of him. Considering age and recent performance, I wouldn't trade Dozier for any on the list except Altuve. Cano and Kinsler are excellent but will be 33 and 34 yrs old for the 2017 season.

[Vanimal46]

I suppose that's one way to get click-bait at ESPN... 

[Loosey]

 

According to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, Brian Dozier is the ninth-best second baseman in baseball. 

 

Maybe we are biased as Twins fans, but it's hard to see him ranked that low, while I assume the Dodgers love it.

 

I'ts a subscriber article, but here are the Top 10:

 

1.) Altuve

2.) Cano

3.) Kinsler

4.) D Murphy

5.) Pedroia

6.) LeMahieu

7.) Zobrist

8.) Kipnis

9.) Dozier

10.) Odor

 

HM: Schoop, Forsythe, Panik, C Hernandez, J Harrison, N Walker.

 

WC (Wild Card): Javier Baez

In my own ranking I would put him ahead of LeMahieu, Zobrist (not really a 2nd baseman) and possibly Murphy and Pedroia.  If it were a future value, definitely ahead of Pedroia.

[Cody Christie]

Dozier's poor defense doesn't help his ranking

[bluechipper]

DJ Lemahieu being ahead of Dozier is ridiculous. Ben Zobrist has been considered so underrated that he's now become overrated. 

 

Dozier should be 4th or 5th on this list.

[Dantes929]

Absurd, although it looked like a pretty good year for 2nd basemen.   If we get an offer commensurate with him as the 3rd or 4th best then fine.   If not, then keep him.    I have no problem with starting the season with Polanco at short.   I hope he has been taking reps there in the offseason.

[nicksaviking]

 

Dozier's poor defense doesn't help his ranking

 

It didn't seem to impact Murphy much.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I presume the methodology is mostly ignoring age and contract.  Like, who are the best 2B as of right now?

 

I'd put LeMahieu behind Dozier.

 

But still, he's probably in a group of about 5 guys who would have a claim on any spot 4 through 8.  I wouldn't worry too much about the precise rank at that point.

 

Altuve has been pretty great, and Cano and Kinsler have been so good for so long and didn't look like they were slowing down last year.  No shame in being in the group below those 3.

[Winston Smith]

 

I presume the methodology is mostly ignoring age and contract.  Like, who are the best 2B as of right now?

 

I'd put LeMahieu behind Dozier.

 

But still, he's probably in a group of about 5 guys who would have a claim on any spot 4 through 8.  I wouldn't worry too much about the precise rank at that point.

 

Altuve has been pretty great, and Cano and Kinsler have been so good for so long and didn't look like they were slowing down last year.  No shame in being in the group below those 3.

No place for being reasonable around here!

 

One persons opinion isn't worth getting all upset over, imo.

[jimmer]

ESPN stinks. I rarely read the site and I almost never watch it.

 

Having said that, going into next year, I would probably have Dozier between 5-7.

 

LeMahieu seems to be takimg a beating in here a bit. I remember having a debate about him in here prior to the 2016 season. Person I was debating basically called him a scrub. This is after I said Story would play SS instead of 2B cause the Rockies had a 2B in LeMahieu.

 

I would also have Dozier ahead,of LeMahieu

[bluechipper]

 

ESPN stinks. I rarely read the site and I almost never watch it.

Having said that, going into next year, I would probably have Dozier between 5-7.

LeMahieu seems to be takimg a beating in here a bit. I remember having a debate about him in here prior to the 2016 season. Person I was debating basically called him a scrub. This is after I said Story would play SS instead of 2B cause the Rockies had a 2B in LeMahieu.

Lemahieu is good, but I bet Dozier would hit around .300 if he were on the Rockies, and with a lot more power. Lemahieu hit .303 and had a .747 OPS on the road last year, which is very good, but he was really boosted by almost hitting .400 in Coors. 

 

If you had to pick one second basemen between the two for 2017, I'd have to imagine very few people would take Lemahieu over Dozier.

[jimmer]

Lemahieu is good, but I bet Dozier would hit around .300 if he were on the Rockies, and with a lot more power. Lemahieu hit .303 and had a .747 OPS on the road last year, which is very good, but he was really boosted by almost hitting .400 in Coors.

 

If you had to pick one second basemen between the two for 2017, I'd have to imagine very few people would take Lemahieu over Dozier.

i have dozier over him as well

[nicksaviking]

The Dodgers are also looking for RH power, and LeMahieu is lacking the power part.

 

Meanwhile Cano, Murphy and Kipnis are lacking the right handed part.

[twinsnorth49]

Wait......people still read ESPN?

[iTwins]

It's not an egregious list by any means, but I agree with the overall consensus that Dozier is too low. I'd think somewhere around the Murphy / Pedroia tier would be more appropriate.  

 

I'd argue that Kipnis is probably too low as well. 

[Doomtints]

 

Wait......people still read ESPN?

 

Without question. Many of the people dissing ESPN will base their opinions on players after reading articles written by a certain ESPN employee named Keith Law every day of the week. Which I suppose proves that ESPN sucks, sure.    But yes people live and die by it, even people who are saying it's terrible.  

 

As for the original topic, #9 is low but it's not like this is a travesty. As others have said, the 5-7 range is about right.  

[Pius Jefferson]

Ben Zobrist isn't even a 2nd basemen for the Cubs. That's Javier Baez and he's likely to be a Top 10 if not better 2nd basemen in baseball.

[Thrylos]

 

Dozier's poor defense doesn't help his ranking

 

WAR begs to differ

[Pardon My Dinger]

As if. It is patently ludicrous to think that front offices are leveraging buster olney's opnion to influence baseball decisions. These are well established professionals. They know what is on the table. It's just a stupid opinion from a crappy sports journalism outlet.

[Riverbrian]

I'd have a different order but that doesn't matter.

 

The 10 players listed are all great players. What a great list to be on. All 10 players would significantly improve the current Dodgers 2B situation. 

 

I wonder how many of the 10 could be acquired by the Dodgers with a coupon.