Obviously, Jermaine Dye's ridiculous breakout season at 32 caught everyone by surprise. Some may have suspected that a healthy Dye would have been able to put up a solid season, but nothing that he had done in the past prepared us for a season that was truly great across the board. If the White Sox had made the playoffs, there is almost no question that Dye would have been AL MVP.
So the question is, was Dye's 2006 a spectacular aberration or the beginning of something big--that rare player who finds a way to stay healthy and maximize his talents for the first time well into his 30s? Most people are being very cautious about Dye going into 07. A repeat of his numbers would make him a first round slam dunk. But in most drafts, he is going in the 4th or later. Are people being too skeptical or is Dye really unlikely to approach his 06 numbers? Has anyone done a statistical analysis that helps explain his unexpected monster season and gives a hint as to the future?