Brandon Dickson

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #22 prospect in 2012
  Undrafted and unassuming, Dickson found himself in uncharted waters last spring when the Cardinals pulled him into the competition to replace injured Adam Wainwright in the major league rotation. The lanky righty was a longshot candidate, but St. Louis coaches were intrigued by his durability, easy delivery and one trait that always gets noticed in the organization--the ability to get groundballs. Dickson spent most of the year in Triple-A, echoing his 2010 performance as Memphis' most reliable starter, though he did pitch eight innings in the big leagues. Dickson garnered little attention coming out of Tusculum (Tenn.), an NCAA Division II program, and it took a teammate to urge the Cardinals to give him a tryout. He has climbed steadily through the minors because he has easily repeatable mechanics and keeps the ball down in the strike zone. He has a classic, biting sinker that sits at 89-91 mph when he starts and has touched 93 mph when he relieves. His height and high arm angle help his sinker, and he has become more adept at moving it to both sides of the plate. Dickson has improved his command of a hard curveball that he can throw when behind in the count, and he also has a changeup that plays nicely off his fastball because it too features some sink. He has nothing left to prove in Triple-A and will get a chance to make the big league team this spring as a long reliever.