| Alex Dickerson | |
|---|---|
 Dickerson with theChunichi Dragons in 2024 | |
| Free agent | |
| Left fielder | |
| Born: (1990-05-26)May 26, 1990 (age 34) Poway, California, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: August 6, 2015, for the San Diego Padres | |
| NPB: March 29, 2024, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| MLB statistics (through 2022 season) | |
| Batting average | .255 |
| Home runs | 40 |
| Runs batted in | 132 |
| NPB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Batting average | .205 |
| Home runs | 3 |
| Runs batted in | 5 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Alexander Ross Dickerson (born May 26, 1990), nicknamed "Grandpa",[1] is an American professionalbaseballleft fielder who is a free agent. He has previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theSan Diego Padres,San Francisco Giants, andAtlanta Braves, and inNippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for theChunichi Dragons.
In college atIndiana University he was a unanimous selection as the 2010Big Ten Conference Baseball Player of the Year. Dickerson was drafted by thePittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the2011 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 2012Florida State League Player of the Year, 2013Eastern League Rookie of the Year, and 2015Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year. He made his MLB debut with theSan Diego Padres in 2015. He underwentTommy John surgery in 2018. Dickerson played forTeam Israel in the2023 World Baseball Classic.
Dickerson attendedPoway High School inPoway, California, and played on the baseball team as afirst baseman andoutfielder. He batted .354/.420/.686 as a junior, .455/.522/.851 as a senior, and was named All-San Diego Division I Player of the Year.[2] At the age of fifteen Dickerson underwent back surgery, and first became known by the nickname Grandpa.[3][4]
TheWashington Nationals selected Dickerson in the 48th round of the2008 Major League Baseball draft. He elected, however, to attendIndiana University, where he played outfield anddesignated hitter for theIndiana Hoosiers baseball team from 2009 to 2011.[5][6] As a freshman, battingcleanup, Dickerson hit .370/.428/.618 with 14home runs. He was named theBig Ten Conference'sFreshman of the Year and received FreshmanAll-American honors.[6][7][8]
Dickerson had a breakout season as a sophomore, slugging .805 (8th in the nation) and winning the Big TenTriple Crown by leading the Big Ten inbatting average (.419), home runs (24; second in the nation), andruns batted in (75).[5][6][9] He was named theBig Ten Conference Baseball Player of the Year, and earnedfirst-team All-American honors.[6][9] In his junior season he batted .367/.440/.540.[10]
In 2009 and 2010, he playedcollegiate summer baseball with theWareham Gatemen of theCape Cod Baseball League.[11][12]
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ThePittsburgh Pirates selected Dickerson in the third round of the2011 Major League Baseball draft. After signing for asigning bonus of $380,700,[citation needed] Dickerson spent most of the rest of the 2011 season with theState College Spikes, batting .313/.393/.493 with an .886 OPS (9th in theNew York-Pennsylvania League) in 150 at bats; his 16 doubles were second among all short-season batters.[13][5][14] Dickerson spent the 2012 season with theBradenton Marauders, where he batted .295/.353/.451 with 31 doubles (4th in the league), 13 home runs (7th), and 90 RBIs (2nd) in 488 at bats and was named theFlorida State League Player of the Year, a post-season All Star, and an MiLB organization All Star.[15][16][17]
Prior to the 2013 season, Dickerson was named the 7th-best first base prospect in baseball byMLB.com.[18] He spent 2013 with the Double-AAltoona Curve, where he moved from first base to the outfield. He batted .288/.337/.494 with 36 doubles (2nd in the league), 17 home runs, and 68 RBIs in 451 at bats and was named theEastern League Rookie of the Year, a post-season All Star, and an MiLB organization All Star.[19]
On November 25, 2013, the Pirates traded Dickerson to theSan Diego Padres forJaff Decker andMiles Mikolas.[20] Dickerson sprained his left ankle in 2014 spring training with the Padres when he stepped on a sprinkler head, and anMRI later found a bonecyst in his left heel which required surgery and abone graft.[21][22] The surgery delayed his start to the 2014 season, but he finished with 34 games with the Double-ASan Antonio Missions, batting .321/.367/.496 in 137 at bats.[23] On November 20, 2014, the Padres added Dickerson to their40-man roster to protect him from theRule 5 draft.
Dickerson spent most of 2015 with theTriple-AEl Paso Chihuahuas, hitting .307 (10th in the league)/.374/.503 with 82 runs (3rd), 36 doubles (6th), 9 triples (2nd), 12 home runs, and 71 RBIs in 459 at bats over 125 games, including 88 starts in left field.[5][24] His performance earned him thePacific Coast League Rookie of the Year Award, and he was named a post-season All Star and an MiLB organization All Star.[16][25]
On August 6, 2015, Dickerson made his Major League debut with the San Diego Padres with a pinch-hitting appearance in the 8th inning. He was called up to replaceWill Venable, who went on paternity leave.[26] The next day, Dickerson collected his first Major League hit with a pinch single in extra innings. Dickerson returned to the Padres when rosters expanded in September.[27] A tweakedhip flexor limited his playing opportunities,[22][28] but Dickerson appeared in eight more games as a pinch hitter, and once as a defensive substitute in left field.
Dickerson started the 2016 season in Triple-A El Paso. On May 2, the Padres recalled Dickerson from Triple-A.[29] On May 10 against theChicago Cubs atWrigley Field, Dickerson hit a pinch-hitgrand slam off ofAdam Warren for his first career home run and his first four career RBIs.[30] He made his first Major League start in left field the following day, but was returned to El Paso on May 14.[31] With the Chihuahuas, he continued a 28-game minor league hitting streak through the end of May.[32] On June 28, Dickerson was recalled from El Paso whenJon Jay broke his forearm.[33] Dickerson remained as the regular left fielder for the Padres for the remainder of the season. For the season, with El Paso he batted .382/.425/.622 with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs in 217 at bats.[23] He finished the season with the Padres with a .257/.333/.455 batting line and 39 runs, 10 home runs, and 37 RBIs in 285 plate appearances. He made 65 starts in left field.
In spring training of 2017, Dickerson suffered abulging disk. After initially trying to rehab the injury, Dickerson underwent back surgery bymicrodiscectomy to remove bulging disc material in his lower back which ended his season.[34]
In spring training of 2018, while trying to come back from his back surgery, Dickerson tore hisUCL in his elbow and underwentTommy John surgery, costing him another full season.[35] He was outrighted off the roster after the season. He elected free agency on November 3, 2018, and later re-signed to a minor league deal on December 11.[36]
Playing for AAA El Paso in 2019, he hit .372/.469/.606 with 5 home runs and 20 RBIs in 94 at bats. Dickerson had his contract selected to the major leagues on May 3, 2019, but after 19 at bats with the Padres was designated for assignment on June 5.[23]
On June 10, 2019, Dickerson was traded to theSan Francisco Giants in exchange for Franklin Van Gurp, one of the first trades with new Giants general managerFarhan Zaidi. He played seven games for the Triple-ASacramento River Cats.[23] On June 21, in his first game with the Giants, he hit agrand slam and had a career-high 6runs batted in.[37] With the Giants in 2019, he batted .290/.351/.529 with 28 runs, 6 home runs, and 26 RBIs in 155 at bats.[23]
On September 1, 2020, Dickerson had a historic game which came as part of a 23–5 victory against the Rockies atCoors Field. He went 5–6 with 3 home runs and 2 doubles and tied the franchise records for runs scored (5) and total bases (16) in a game. His double in his last at bat traveled 414 feet and would have been a home run in any other MLB ballpark; thus he fell just short of tying Willie Mays' 4 home runs in a single game.[38] In 2020 he batted .298/.371/.576 with 28 runs, 10 home runs, and 27 RBIs in 151 at bats. He played 41 games in left field, and 5 games in right field.[39]
Avoiding arbitration, Dickerson and the Giants agreed on a $2.1 million salary for the 2021 season.[40] During the season, he was on the injured list three times, with right shoulder, upper back, and right hamstring issues. In the 2021 regular season, he batted .233/.304/.420 with a career-high 13 home runs and 38 RBIs in 283 at bats.[39] He played 82 games in left field, and his range factor per 9 innings of 1.78 was the fifth-best in the National League.[39]
On November 22, 2021, Dickerson was designated for assignment by the Giants to make room for pitcherAnthony DeSclafani.[41] On November 26, 2021, he was placed on unconditional release waivers.[42]
On March 16, 2022, Dickerson signed a non-guaranteed, major-league contract worth $1 million with theAtlanta Braves.[43] The Braves designated Dickerson for assignment on April 28.[44] Two days later, Dickerson was outrighted to theGwinnett Stripers, for whom he batted .239/.305/.426 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs in 322 at bats, playing 40 games in right field and 20 games in left field.[45][46] He had four hits in 43 at bats for the Braves.[45] On October 17, Dickerson elected free agency.
On April 8, 2023, Dickerson signed with theAcereros de Monclova of theMexican League.[47] In 12 games, he batted .261/.333/.370 with 12 hits and 5 RBIs. He was released on May 5.[16]
On May 12, 2023, Dickerson signed with theLong Island Ducks of theAtlantic League of Professional Baseball.[48] In 115 games for the Ducks, Dickerson hit .314/.389/.576 with career–highs in home runs (26) and RBI (91).
On December 22, 2023, Dickerson signed with theChunichi Dragons ofNippon Professional Baseball.[49] In 32 games for Chunichi in 2024, slashing .205/.314/.352 with three home runs and five RBI. On October 26, 2024, the Dragons announced they would not bring Dickerson back for the 2025 season, making him a free agent.[50]
Dickerson played forTeam Israel in the2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami, in March 2023.[51][52][53] He is eligible through his Jewish wife.[54] He played for Team Israel manager and former All-StarIan Kinsler, and alongside All-Star outfielderJoc Pederson and pitcherDean Kremer, among others.[52][53] He played right field and batted .250.[55]
Dickerson and his wife Jennifer had a son in September 2020.[56] They reside inSan Diego.[57]