Today's preview looks at second base, where Brian Dozier has established himself as a mainstay on the Twins' roster -- for 2015 and beyond. A strong 2014 season resulted in a contract extension for the 27-year-old Dozier, who will be holding down that spot at second base through 2018.
SECOND BASE -- PROJECTED STARTER
Brian Dozier (.242/.345/.416, 23 HR, 21 SB, 71 RBI in 156 games)
KEY BACKUP
Eduardo Escobar (.275/.315/.406, 6 HR, 37 RBI in 133 games)
2014 IN REVIEW
The 2014 season was Dozier's second full year at second base after switching from shortstop. As solid as Dozier was defensively at second base, he had a breakout year offensively. Dozier not only hit 23 homers, but became just the sixth player in team history to join the 20/20 club as he stole 21 bases. Dozier credited Paul Molitor -- then a Twins coach, now the team's manager -- for helping him get better reads on opposing pitchers en route to the 21 stolen bases. Though he hit for just a .242 average, Dozier's 71 RBI were second-most on the Twins, and his 112 runs scored were 42 more than the second-highest on Minnesota's roster.
Dozier showed his home run power in 2013 when he hit 18 home runs, but he topped that in 2014 with 23 homers. That helped earn him a spot in the Home Run Derby at Target Field, where he had his brother pitch to him. Though Dozier didn't get out of the first round of the derby -- he hit just two homers -- it helped raise the profile of Minnesota's second baseman.
A big reason for Dozier's offensive production last year was the fact that he stayed healthy and played almost every day. Dozier played a total of 156 games, 20 more than anybody else on Minnesota's roster. All 156 of those games came at second base (155 starts), too; he never had a day as a designated hitter. He was a fixture at the top of the Twins' lineup, spending 69 games in the leadoff spot and 81 games as the No. 2 batter.
Defensively, Dozier turned in a number of highlight reel plays at second base. Defensive metrics indicate, however, that Dozier ranked in the middle of the pack among major league second basemen. He did commit 15 errors in 751 chances in 2014.
Because Dozier was so durable and reliable, Minnesota didn't need much in terms of a backup second baseman. Escobar played six games at second base, while Doug Bernier made one start at second. Escobar has spent 32 career games at second during four major league seasons and made just one error there in 2014.
2015 OUTLOOK
Because of Dozier's breakout season in 2014, the Twins locked him up for the foreseeable future with a contract extension earlier this month. He signed a four-year, $20 million extension that will keep him in Minnesota through 2018. Dozier will make $2 million this season, $3 million next year, $6 million in 2017 and $9 million in 2018. It's a sign that the Twins think very highly of Dozier in the field, at the plate, and in the community as well.
After Dozier split time between leadoff and No. 2 in the batting order last year, it remains to be see how new manager Paul Molitor will use Dozier in the lineup. Regardless, his .345 on-base percentage a year ago was third among qualified Twins players, a big reason why he scored 112 runs. Minnesota would like to see that percentage increase a bit in order to get Dozier on base for the heart of the Twins' order.
Escobar will likely make the roster as a utility infielder, as he's capable of playing second base, third base and shortstop. If Dozier is as durable this year as he was in 2014, Minnesota won't need Escobar to play much at second. However, if he does have to step in for a game or two, the Twins feel confident in Escobar's ability to back up Dozier whenever needed.
KEY TO SUCCESS
Raise Dozier's batting average. His on-base percentage in 2014 was admirable, but Dozier still has room to increase his batting average a bit. That should also help cut down Dozier's strikeouts; he did strike out 129 times, but his strikeout rate of 18.3 percent was lower than most of his teammates.
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