Shortstop Hunter Dozier was drafted out of Stephen F. Austin University.
This is not surprising, as players who are athletic enough to get drafted in the first round of an MLB draft are usually the most athletic players on their college team, and the most athletic players on any given baseball team are usually shortstops.
Dozier, on the other hand, has only 78 career innings at shortstop and none since being drafted. This is also not uncommon
Even the most athletic NCAA college players aren’t always the most athletic players within an MLB team due to the high level of competition.
The root of the problem is Dozier’s athleticism. According to Statcast, Dozier’s sprint speed ranks in the top quartile among all MLB players, and he complements that with a strong arm capable of playing the corners.
Dozier is 6’4″ and 220 pounds. To put it another way, while Dozier is far too big for the middle infield, he has the size and speed to play anywhere else on the field.
And the Royals have made the most of it. After years of playing third base exclusively, the Royals rushed to teach Dozier how to play right field in 2016.
Dozier started his professional career at first base for Triple-A Omaha in 2017, and he played the majority of his defensive innings for Kansas City in 2018. Dozier mostly played third base in 2019.
How Much Does Hunter Dozier Make?
Hunter Dozier makes an annual salary of 4.5 million USD