Rays' Corey Dickerson: Leadoff homer in Monday's loss

Dickerson went 2-for-4 with a leadoff solo home run in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Orioles.

Analysis:

Dickerson isn't your traditional leadoff hitter, but it's impossible to argue with the results he's generated at the top of the order thus far. The left-handed slugger is now slashing .324/.367/.635 over his first 79 plate appearances and has five multi-hit efforts over his last eight contests. His power stroke is as potent as ever, with Dickerson now having gone deep twice in the last four games. The 27-year-old's offseason weight loss -- an endeavor intended to, among other things, boost his bat speed -- seems to be paying dividends in that regard, as his strikeout and contact rates (21.5 percent and 77 percent, respectively) have seen three-point boosts in the early going over last season's numbers.