Phillies’ Sleeper Prospect Oliver Dunn Awakening In Arizona Fall Sun

GLENDALE, AZ. – Oliver Dunn is a “sleeper” prospect posting dreamy numbers in the Arizona Fall League.

In 19 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions, the 26-year-old second baseman has hit .343 with 6 doubles, 2 homers, 17 runs, 11 RBI – and is an impressive 12-for-12 in steal attempts.

Not bad for an 11th-round draft choice in 2019 by the New York Yankees, who left Dunn unprotected in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. The Philadelphia Phillies claimed him and the stocky left-handed hitter turned in his best year in the minors by far.

In 119 games for Reading of the Double-A Eastern League in 2023, Dunn delivered 21 homers, 78 RBI, 27 doubles, 16 steals and a solid .271 average.

That is the type of production he had in high school (.456 as a senior) and three years at the University of Utah, where he hit .312 with 78 RBI in 155 career games.

Dunn was very much affected when the minors were shut down by Covid in 2020. He had played only 51 games the year before, then struggled to bat .196 in only 72 games when play resumed in 2021. A hamstring injury limited him to just 36 games in 2022, but he started to show life at the plate, hitting .288. The Phillies took notice.

Dunn admits he was his own enemy by constantly altering his swing when things did not go well. He had been a patient hitter with a naturally compact stroke in college. He got away from that early in his pro career.

He has discovered that he hits better when he doesn’t try to hit better. Staying routine seems to routinely get better results for him.

“I’m having fun out here and just trying to stay on an even keel,” he said. “Sometimes, I tried to do more than I could in the past.”

At 5-10, 185 pounds and age 26, Dunn is not on traditional top prospects lists. Watch him play. He has skills that can get him to the majors over some players who are listed.

Some Long Odds

Just by being born in Salt Lake City, Dunn faced long odds on becoming a Major League player. Only 43 Utah natives have made it. By comparison, 45 players born in Germany and 47 born in Ireland are in the MLB record books.

The most successful Utah-born hitter in history was catcher Duke Sims. He played in 843 games between 1964 and 1974, mostly for the Cleveland Indians and batted .239 with 100 homers and 310 RBI.

The only Utah native to play in a MLB All-Star Game was lefty Bruce Hurst in 1987 for the Boston Red Sox. In 15 MLB seasons beginning in 1980, Hurst had a 145-113 record. He was 3-2 with a sparkling 2.29 ERA in seven post-season starts.

Dunn Could Be …

On the high side of evaluation, Dunn could develop into an infielder like Jason Kipnis, Don Blasingame, Tommy Herr or Odell Hale. All were fleet with a bit of pop at the plate.

In Herr’s one All-Star season in 13 years in the majors, he drove in 110 runs with only eight homers for the 1985 St. Louis Cardinals. It helped immensely that he batted behind Vince Coleman, who always seemed to be in scoring position. That will happen when you steal 110 bases, as Coleman did that year. Herr had 31 steals of his own and batted .302. Overall, he hit .271 for his career.

Blasingame’s best years as a lefty hitter also were in St. Louis during a 12-year career (1955-66) for five clubs. “The Blazer” played solid if unspectacular defense, was usually good for around 20 steals and got on base enough to average 91 runs a year over his first four full seasons.

Kipnis probably is the best comparison. At 5-11, 190 pounds, the lefty swinger was about the same size as Dunn. Over nine years (2011-19) in Cleveland, the energetic second sacker averaged .261, 14 homers, 15 steals, 66 runs and 59 RBI. Like Dunn, he was an ideal No. 2 hitter and played gritty defense.

Hale To The Victors

Never heard of Odell Hale? Read on and you’ll never forget him. He played mostly at second, but sometimes at third base for Cleveland (1931-41). He hit .289 overall, once had 50 doubles (1936) and twice had 101 RBI in a season.

One bizarre play gave Hale the reputation forever as a “head’s up” player – and put him in the record books for starting a walk-off triple play!

Cleveland led, 5-1, at Boston’s Fenway Park on Sept. 7, 1935, when the Red Sox scored twice and had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. Future Hall of Famer Joe Cronin then hit a line drive that caromed off Hale’s head. Shortstop Bill Knickerbocker caught it in the air for one out, threw to second to force out a surprised baserunner and second baseman Roy Hughes threw to first to force out the other shocked runner. Score it 5-6-4-3. Game over.

Hale was not hurt. He hit a homer the next day and the New York Times described the little lefty hitter as “Hale and hearty”.

Not A Fantasy World

To those playing fantasy baseball, Oliver Dunn is not for you. He’s a ballplayer, not a guy hitting homers that sometimes are not really relevant to producing wins.

The sport is getting back to basic baseball and Dunn can be a part of that for a team as a starter or utility reserve capable of playing the outfield and some third base as well as second. He may help the Phillies in 2024 as a reserve behind star infielders Bryson Stott, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm. He was showcased out here in Arizona and could be used as a trade piece for possible pitching.