After the 2021 Kansas City Royals season, Hunter Dozier said something immensely interesting. It seems to have perhaps flown under the radar, thanks to a combination of the Royals no longer playing baseball, the MLB playoffs, and the NFL season. But it intrigued me nonetheless.
See, Dozier had an awful season by any measure. After signing an extension worth a guaranteed $25 million, Dozier injured his thumb before the season kicked off. Even afterwards, Dozier never quite got it together. Though there are plenty of stats to look at, it’s hard to ignore Wins Above Replacement, an all-encompassing statistic designed to provide overall value at a glance—and Dozier did not provide much at all.