Passion, self-belief driving Brewers prospect Dickinson

When Daniel Dickinson won the Midwest League player of the week award for the week ending July 12, it was no small accomplishment in his mind.

“I would say that it was a testament to a lot of hard work, a lot of determination, a lot of work ethics,” Dickinson said. “The beginning of the season – my first pro season – was a lot of learning, a lot of failure and I am just very proud of myself for working through that and finally seeing all those changes and adjustments that I had been previously making come to fruition.”

It was an outstanding week for the 22-year-old Wisconsin Timber Rattlers infielder, who was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round of the 2025 MLB Draft with the 185th overall pick. He was 9-for-20 with seven walks, three home runs, seven stolen bases, 10 runs scored and nine RBIs. His OPS was 1.593.

April and May were months of struggle for Dickinson, who batted .230 in April and .182 in May. He started to turn things around in June, batting .258, and has a .300 batting average in July.

How did Dickinson not get down on himself and wonder about his future in the game during the first two months of struggle?

“I think it’s just a passion for the game of baseball,” said Dickinson, who grew up in Kennewick, Washington. “I love this game. I believe I’m a future Hall of Famer. I believe everything in the game of baseball I’m able to accomplish. It’s just having that high level of self-belief knowing that I will get through it and just continuously work on my craft to get there.”

Dickinson described the changes he made to his swing as going from a college-level approach and stance to a very pro-like swing.

What does that mean to the average fan watching Dickinson?

“You’ve got more hit-and-runs, putting the ball in play, moving runners and bunting [in college] to a pro-level swing where you’re trying to do damage, trying to put balls in the air, trying to hit balls hard every single time you go up to the plate,” he said.

Dickinson also could be considered somewhat of a clutch hitter, batting .375 with runners on first and second and .500 with runners on the corners. He has a .268 average with runners in scoring position.

“I think the biggest thing for me in that situation is if I come up with a runner on third or on first and second or on the corners, I just try to simplify everything,” Dickinson said. “I believe that I’m a very good hitter and if there’s a runner on second or third, they might be trying to walk me or pitch around me to get to the next hitter. I just make sure I get my pitch in those situations.”

As impressive as some of Dickinson's splits are, there is one that couldn't be more different.

At Neuroscience Group Field, the right-handed hitter is batting .292, while on the road he has a .187 average.

“I think that’s just kind of how the game is going,” Dickinson said. “I would be lying if I haven’t seen that.”

Dickinson’s theory on the difference is interesting.

“I think a lot of things come from me having an ability to drive,” he said. “I love driving. I love being on my own schedule to get to the field. I’m working on ways to be on my own schedule on the road, because I do think that helps having my vehicle or having a way to just get in the zone. I don’t know what it is, but when I have my vehicle, I play a lot better.”

Before becoming a member of the Timber Rattlers, Dickinson was playing for the LSU Tigers, the team that won the NCAA baseball championship in 2025.

“It was extremely fun,” he said. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be there. I remember I went on my visit, and I didn’t go on any other visits. That was the place I wanted to be. It was extremely fun. The fans, the culture, the coaching staff, the teammates, it was all very, very fun.”

Dickinson playing for LSU is quite an accomplishment, given that coming out of high school he had zero NCAA Division I scholarship offers.

“I wanted to get out of my hometown,” Dickinson said about Kennewick, which has a population of about 84,000. “It was something I grew up wanting to do. I know a lot of people that stay in their hometown and it kind of like traps them from exploring and seeing what is out there in the world. I wanted to explore.”

Given the lack of offers, he committed to an NAIA school but then changed his mind.

“I went to a school in Utah as a walk-on,” he said. “Then I went from Utah Valley to LSU. I was just trying to explore other opportunities outside of Washington.”

During his 2025 season at LSU, Dickinson batted .315 with 14 doubles, 12 home runs, 49 RBIs and 67 runs scored.

What has he found to be the biggest difference between the pitching he faced while at LSU and the pitching he is facing in the Midwest League?

“I would say it’s pretty similar, to be honest,” Dickinson said. “There’s different tiers [at the college level] like Friday nights are going to be future big leaguers, first-rounders like Liam Doyle or Kade Anderson. The Saturday and Sunday starters are probably going to be like second-to-fifth rounders, guys who are going to have a chance to get to the show. The midweek starters are probably where you want to get your stats.

“Not everyone [in the Midwest League] is going to be a Friday night starter, but you’re not going to be a Tuesday night starter. I would say it’s harder because it’s more consistent.” 

Getting to know Daniel Dickinson

What’s a big night out in Kennewick, Washington?

“I played a lot of sports in high school, so it would be just kind of a game somewhere and then hit a late night food spot like Denny’s or Dairy Queen with all our guys just hanging out.”

What sports have you played besides baseball?  “Basketball and football, but I’ve played everything growing up. I played one season of soccer. Competitive bowling. I won a bowling tournament. I like beach volleyball.”

You like being by the water. What do you enjoy about it?  “Boating and beaches. I like chilling at some points. I like going wakeboarding, slalom [water] skiing."

When you signed with the Brewers, what did you do with your first check?  “I have a lot of it in the stock market, but I did buy a truck.”

Are you a dog guy, a cat guy or something else?  “I had two cats but now I actually have my own dog. He’s a chocolate lab named Oakley, like the sunglasses.”

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Passion, self-belief driving Brewers prospect Dickinson