Kansas City Royals still consider Hunter Dozier a part of the future

The Kansas City Royals are still high on Hunter Dozier, and consider him a part of the future. Will that future ever happen?

Heading into Spring Training, it seemed probable that Hunter Dozier would be the Kansas City Royals first baseman come Opening Day. With the departure of Eric Hosmer in free agency, the team was entering a rebuild. It was time to begin looking towards the future. Dozier, a former top prospect for the Royals, appeared as though he was finally going to be given his chance.

Then, on February 28, the Royals reversed course. Kansas City World Series hero Lucas Duda was signed to a one year deal, which put an end to the idea that Dozier would be starting at first on March 29. That thought was confirmed on Monday, when he was optioned to the Omaha StormChasers to begin the 2018 campaign.

However, that move, as well as the signing of Duda, do not mean that the Royals have given up on their former first round pick. Instead, the Royals still see Dozier as part of the future, with the plan being that he gets most of his playing time at first in Omaha.

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It is fair to wonder if that future will ever come for Dozier. He struggled in his brief time in the majors in 2016, with just four hits in his 21 plate appearances, striking out eight times. This was followed by an injury plagued 2017 campaign, where Dozier produced a .243/.341/.441 batting line in 33 games. He showed some of his pop, with 13 extra base hits in 129 plate appearances, but also struck out 50 times. The prospect bloom has long since disappeared.

However, Dozier did perform relatively well in 2016. That year, he had a .296/.366/.533 batting line, hitting 23 homers and 44 doubles. At that point, Dozier looked like the future star that the Royals hoped they drafted with the eighth overall pick in 2011.

That future may well have passed Dozier by. Not only is Duda blocking him in the majors this year, but the presence of first basemen Ryan O’Hearn and Frank Schwindel in the upper minors, as well as current top prospect Nick Pratto,leave his future in doubt. It is possible that Dozier could carve out a decent career as a corner utility option, backing up at first, third, and both corner outfield spots. But his time as a future starter appears to have passed him by.

Next: Royals top ten prospects

The Kansas City Royals still consider Hunter Dozier as a part of the future. However, that future is very close to passing him by.