Dopirak

So far Dopirak has had one really outstanding season and one rather poor season. I doubt many were surprised by his struggles as a power hitter moving to the FSL, but I was surprised by the characteristics of his struggles. One would've expected that as a power hitter, his strikeout rate should've risen significantly as he faced better competition. Interestingly, it actually DECLINED in his 2005 season, with a slight drop in walk rate as well. Isolated power dropped pretty significantly - this might just be a sign of park factors, but it could be that Dopirak just needs time to learn how to make his power work against better pitchers.

He still has some of the best raw power in the minor leagues with good bat speed, and he's not old for a prospect by any means. I wouldn't be surprised if Dopirak's 2005 season was largely a fluke exaggerated by FSL park factors. I also suspect that even slightly improved plate discipline would probably create a major spike in his performance.

My call: good job on buying low. I wouldn't be too surprised if we're talking about him as one of the elite slugging prospects in the game at this time next year.