PITTSBURGH -- When the Pirates traded for Corey Dickerson in late February, manager Clint Hurdle received plenty of scouting reports -- some solicited, others not so much -- about his new left fielder. The doubters warned Hurdle that Dickerson was a below-average defender, that he'd have to be replaced late in games with a lead.
But the Pirates believed Dickerson could handle PNC Park's spacious left field on a regular basis, and he spent the season proving past evaluations to be outdated and incorrect. His work was further validated on Thursday, when he was named one of three National League finalists for a Rawlings Gold Glove Award in left. The preseason perception of Dickerson turned out to be far different than the resulting reality.
• Elite defenders named Gold Glove finalists
"We had a lot of people that weren't so right when it came to Corey Dickerson and his ability to play left field," Hurdle said. "Or he just came here, sharpened his game and got way better, way quick."
Whether you're looking at traditional or advanced statistics, Dickerson has a strong case to win his first Gold Glove Award on Nov. 4. He ranked first among NL left fielders and second among all NL outfielders with a .996 fielding percentage. His lone error came on a throw in Milwaukee on Aug. 26. The Cubs' Kyle Schwarber was the only NL left fielder with more assists than Dickerson's seven.
Among qualified NL outfielders, only center fielders Lorenzo Cain, Harrison Bader and Ender Inciarte posted a higher Defensive Runs Saved total than Dickerson's 16. He ranked first among NL left fielders with 10 Outs Above Average, according to Statcast™, which tied for eighth overall in the Majors. He was the NL's best left fielder through August, according to the SABR Defensive Index, an advanced metric that accounts for approximately 25 percent of the Gold Glove Award selection process.
"That means more to me than hitting .300 or anything. Helping the team with the glove, proving everybody wrong," Dickerson said at the end of the season. "I put in the work. I put in the time. I've been making all the routine plays for a long time, but I really wanted to get to the next step and be able to make the plays everybody else is making."
But how did he transform -- in just one year -- from the Rays' part-time outfielder/DH to one of the game's best fielders?
"Attitude and effort, if I can sum it up into two words," Pirates outfield coach Kimera Bartee said. "He takes pride in it. His attitude and effort before 7 o'clock translate into 7 o'clock."
Dickerson's evolution actually began after the 2016 season, when he shed 25 pounds by changing his diet and workout plan. It continued in '17, as he learned from Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay's elite center fielder.
"How much I care about hitting and stuff, he cares about defense. You can see it when you go out there," Dickerson said. "And he's super-confident out there. That's where I wanted to be. I wanted to be confident. I didn't want to [think], 'Can I play this? Can I not make errors?' I want to feel like I own this part of the field right here."
Dickerson will turn 30 next season, and he knows that players typically lose their speed and reflexes before anything else. So as part of his offseason training in Mississippi, he would run and field balls -- heavy, light, two at a time, with his hands behind his back -- to test his hand-eye coordination. He trained around a number of football players prepping for the NFL Scouting Combine, so he'd watch their footwork as they ran ladder drills.
"It's all for a purpose, just making the right movements at the right time," Dickerson said.
In Spring Training, Bartee asked Dickerson where he would like to improve. They talked about footwork, arm strength and positioning. Then they went to work, preparing Dickerson to start a career-high 122 games in the outfield.
"I gave him a few things, and he's taken it and run with it," Bartee said. "He still [late in the season] asks questions about stuff he can do to increase the length on his throws and his footwork with his throws. He's continually working to get better, and if you've got a guy like that, it makes my job a lot easier."
Dickerson bought into the Pirates' defensive alignments, developed a rapport with center fielder Starling Marte, and put himself in position to make plays. According to Statcast™'s Directional Outs Above Average, Dickerson was one of the Majors' best outfielders coming in on balls -- and a highlight reel full of diving, sliding catches reflects that.
By the end of the season, Hurdle was hearing different comments about Dickerson's defense. The "below-average" left fielder, thought to be a liability, had created a new reputation for himself.
"To be able to do that is rewarding. It's a weight off my chest," Dickerson said. "But also I know I can get better. I can build on it, and I look forward to it."
When a reporter noted it might be hard for Dickerson to top winning a Gold Glove, he responded immediately.
"There's a Platinum," he said.