Sickels on Dopirak
Prospect guru John Sickels answers a reader’s question about Cubs minor league first baseman Brian Dopirak in his latest mailbag column at ESPN.com:
I think Dopirak’s power will carry forward easily, but I’m not so sure about his batting average and OBP. He doesn’t have to turn into Rod Carew, but even marginally better strike zone judgment would go a long way towards making him a complete hitter. Despite his weaknesses, he is still one of the top hitting prospects around. He also has a good work ethic, so effort is not a problem. But unless he makes a few adjustments, Dopirak could end up as more of a “dangerous-but-containable” slugger than a complete hitter like Barton. We will know a lot more at this time next year.
Dopirak, 20 years old, hit .307/.363/.593 for Lansing last season. He was the Cubs’ second round pick in the 2002 draft.