Kansas City Royals: Jarrod Dyson And His Golden Ticket

Jul 8, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher

(13) pours water on left fielder Jarrod Dyson (1) during an interview after the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City won the game 9-7. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

To quote the Heath Ledger movie A Knight’s Tale (2000), Jarrod Dyson now has the rare opportunity to “change his stars” with the KC Royals.

If Dyson can seize his moment, he can become a player far beyond any reasonable expectation he might have had as a 22-year-old juco athlete with little but speed.

The thing is, Jarrod Dyson’s performance really shouldn’t be such a surprise. He’s shown time after time that he can help the Kansas City Royals win since he became a fixture on the roster in 2012 (age 27).

Dyson has produced strong Wins Above Replacement (bWAR) seasons from the KC Royals bench with 1.6 WAR in 2012, 1.8 WAR in 2013, 2.8 WAR in 2014, and 1.4 WAR in half of 2015.

That’s one heck of a lot of value from a bench guy, especially when you consider that the “average” major-league starter produces about 2.0 WAR.

The conventional wisdom about Jarrod Dyson is that he’d get “exposed” by regular playing time. But, that presumption might be the product of his pedigree more than the skills he’s shown on the field.

If Dyson surprises us—if he becomes more than we expect—just what kind of player can he become for the Kansas City Royals?

Next: Jarrod Dyson's Upside