When a team is last in the league in hitting, any offensive shot in the arm is good. When it comes from a player who plays a position that’s been lagging in offense much of the season, it’s a bonus. Catcher Zach Dillon has provided this offensive spark, at least in his first 21 games.
The Iowa native and product of Baylor University is knocking the ball around at a .313 clip in his 64 at-bats, with a homer and 10 RBI (and as an added bonus, 13 walks vs. 11 strikeouts.) He’s certainly not playing like a 20th round pick – usually those are the guys you pick to fill out the rookie league rosters and maybe they’ll stick for 2-3 seasons.
With this offense, skipper Gary Kendall is finding it tough to keep Dillon out of the lineup. Considering the other three catchers that have played most of the year (Dahlberg, Gutierrez, Snyder) are hitting a combined .203, the offensive hole behind the plate just found a filler. With this bat, the Shorebirds can be just a little more patient with some of the defensive lapses (3 errors in 21 games.)
It will be interesting to see whether this offense continues. Right now, he’s leaped over the two catchers picked in front of him this year (one apparently is unsigned, the other in rookie-league Bluefield) as well as last season’s #1 pick (former SotW and Aberdeen catcher Brandon Snyder.) But with the offensive struggles of the Shorebirds it seems like the hot bat will be in the lineup as a catcher or designated hitter for as long as the embers glow.
