Two postseason wins on the mound in three games says it all for Sam Dobkowski. He proved himself time and time again over the course of the regular season that he deserved to have the ball in his hands when it mattered most. Sure enough, he did.
The ten inning semi-final marathon ended shortly after Dobbs put up a big zero in the top half of the inning. The championship game was suspended due to rain in the fourth inning with the Jays down 2-1. The postponed game gave Dobbs his opportunity to make a difference. He took that opportunity and never looked back. Four scoreless innings later, and the Jays were able to mount a comeback and win the game for Dobkowski. The two postseason wins were more than enough to give Dobbs the Playoff MVP for the Jays.
Offensively, Dobkowski saw his name everywhere in the lineup from the two hole to the seven hole. He batted .202 for the year with a .290 on base percentage. He drove in twelve runs, while scoring thirteen, and stole three bases in the process. Dobbs made all of his hits count, as he hit .324 with runners in scoring position.
Defensively, Dobbs is a part of the stellar infield that carries the defense and backs up the outstanding pitching staff. Sam only had six errors in sixty-two attempts, good for a .946 fielding percentage.
Dobkowski pitched 34 innings in 2016, going 5-2 with a 3.09 ERA and twenty-seven strikeouts. Dobbs only walked nine batters all season, but managed to hit eight as well. Not sure which stat is more impressive there.
Expect #5 to be in his natural position at second base to start the season, and earning his fair share of innings on the mound. As far as the lineup is concerned, his name will be there, but spring training will determine where.
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