Dozier taps into power by elevating and pulling

Brian Dozier has reportedly been the subject of a more than a few trade inquiries, and it’s not at all hard to see why. His 42 homers this past season tied for third in the Majors, and his .299 Isolated Power (slugging percentage minus batting average) was merely the best by any second baseman since 1929. He’s a competent if unspectacular defender, and he’s owed only $15 million over the next two years. Of course contenders are going to be interested in his services, and of course the Twins would ask for a high return.

But how, exactly, did a player who doesn’t have elite distance on his fly balls and wasn’t considered a power prospect turn into such a slugger? “His gap power should provide plenty of doubles,” wrote a Baseball Prospectus scouting report in 2012, “but he rarely hits balls over the fence.” The report wasn’t wrong; Dozier hit only 16 homers in more than 1,600 Minor League plate appearances. 

Well, we can tell you how. Hitting the ball in the air is good. Hitting the ball in the air for distance is better. And hitting the ball in the air for distance in the right direction? It’s one way to get the most value out of every foot of travel. We’re about to explain to you how a second baseman tapped into elevating the ball to his pull field to find power, and if that reminds you of Daniel Murphy, it should. It’s a similar tale.

Consider this: When Dozier hits a fly ball, he averages 329 feet of distance. That’s above-average, yet doesn’t stand out as much as you’d think. It’s 52nd of the 224 hitters who put at least 50 balls in play, and it’s behind Seth Smith and Brandon Moss. Again, good, but not spectacular.

But remember, raw distance isn’t everything. Not all fly balls at a certain distance are created equally. For …

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