For all the complaints about going under-slot in the draft, it’s paid off lately for the Royals. They’ve feasted in recent years later in the draft, especially in round 11. Vinnie Pasquantino and David Sandlin headline the best of their 11th-round picks, but they added Jared Dickey to that group in 2023. The former Tennessee Volunteer was seen by many as a top 150 prospect in the draft but he fell due to signability concerns. There’s a lot of great upside here and the small sample in Low-A last season only added to his prospect profile.
Season Stats:
2023 (Low-A): .347/.434/.463, 10.6% BB%, 9.7% K%, 156 wrc+
Dickey was billed as a good power prospect coming into the draft thanks to loud exit velocities in college. Joe Doyle of Future Stars Series called Dickey a “future middle-of-the-order slugger” with 30 home run potential and great patience at the plate. Oddly enough, despite all that hype around his raw power, Dickey didn’t hit a single home run for the Fireflies in 28 games last season.
Despite the lack of big flies, he absolutely dominated at the plate. Much of the strong showing can probably be attributed to the level of competition he faced. A prep bat facing off against Low-A pitchers isn’t exactly all that fair. However, it was still an excellent showing. Dickey walked more than he struck out while hitting .347. His ISO was just .116, leaving much to be desired but it’s easy to anticipate that number improving next season and beyond.
Scouting Grades:
Hit: 50/55
Game Power: 45/55
Raw Power: 50/60
Speed: 50/50
Glove: 45/50
Arm: 55/55
best Case scenario:
I outlined the ceiling above. Dickey could develop into a middle-of-the-order, slugging outfielder with good patience. If he continues to use the middle of the field, there’s a lot to like here. Kole Calhoun is a name to compare to, although I think Dickey can hit for a higher average than Calhoun has throughout his career (.242). He’s probably still a couple of years away, but could be a bit boost to the middle of the major league order once he arrives.
worst case scenario:
The worst-case scenario for Dickey involves his power output. He struggled to hit for much power in a limited Low-A sample last season. If that trend continues, his ceiling is going to be much, much lower than expected. Sure, he can hit for high average and walk often which has a lot of value. However, he doesn’t play a premium position and relies on that power for a ceiling. Without it, he could still profile as a strong fourth outfielder who can round out the bottom of the order with a good approach.
