Jarrod Dyson Promoted to Kansas City

With the possibility to expand the active roster in September, the Royals have opted to give Jarrod Dyson a look at the big league level, adding to their stable of center fielders.  Dyson, 26, spent the first half of 2010 rehabbing from a high ankle sprain and other bumps and spent much of the second half of the season working his way up through the minors, with stops at Arizona, Wilmington, Northwest Arkansas and Omaha on the way.

Dyson was selected in the 50th round of the 2006 draft and since has moved his way higher up the organizational depth charts.  He has hardly any power, but does have incredible speed that provides him with enough range to cover a lot of  ground in the outfield.  His promotion makes him one of the fastest players in major league baseball.

Speed is his main asset, as he may not see many at bats this month, but should be a late-inning defensive replacement and a pinch runner a lot of the time.  He does make enough contact to hit for a decent average and walks at just about an average rate, which is necessary to offset his lack of power.  In his minor league career, he’s attempted a stolen base every 7.6 plate appearances and was successful 80% of the time.

Dyson should be fun to watch, if nothing else.  He won’t ever be much more than a Juan Pierre type due to his small stature (5’9″ 160 lbs) and lack of power (1 homer in 1245 plate appearances – though it was in Omaha).  He may never be a starter regularly in the majors, but could be a nice option as a fourth outfielder who plays three or four times a week to spell others.

No word on if he jumps cars like Joey Gathright, however…

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