Brian Dozier

alexlegge · April 20, 2024

Drafted as a college senior in the 8th round of the 2009 draft, Dozier was nearly 25 by the time he made his MLB debut on May 7, 2012. A suboptimal defensive shortstop, he was quickly transitioned to second-base. He profiled as a light-hitting middle infielder, and lived up to that billing during parts of 2012 and 2013.

He then proceeded to develop immense pull power for his size, notably on high fastballs, and became a key cog of several 2010s era Twins teams. He earned a late selection to the 2015 All-Star Game after finishing the first half with 19 home runs, including a memorable walk-off three-run homer against Detroit that capped a 6-run comeback victory by the Twins, which Dick Bremer called "the most electric moment at Target Field in years."

Despite a forgettable second-half of 2015, Dozier continued his offensive prowess the following two campaigns, which ultimately were his most productive two in a Twins uniform. In 2016, he set an AL record for home runs by a second-baseman with 42 (since broken by Marcus Semien in 2021). The following year, he helped lead the Twins to the AL Wild Card game, as the 2017 Twins became the only team in history to make the playoffs after having lost 100+ games the prior year. He also led off that game with a home run off of Luis Severino, part of a memorable 1st inning in the Twins' losing effort.

During his tenure with the team, he formed memorable double-play duos with both Eduardo Escobar (SS) and Trevor Plouffe (3B). Dozier was widely regarded as a positive clubhouse presence and media darling during his career. He was rumored to have been coveted by the Dodgers as a trade chip for multiple years, and was ultimately traded to them at the 2018 trade deadline. He went on to appear in back-to-back World Series after leaving the Twins, winning a ring with the Nationals in 2019. He retired after 9 years of major league service time.

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