2010 Rockies Player Review: Jonathan Herrera

by Russ Oates on Jan 28, 2011 12:00 PM MST in Rockies Player Reviews

Prior to 2010, the last time Colorado Rockies fans saw second baseman Jonathan Herrera in Coors Field was back in 2008. He spent all of May and half of June with the Rockies because Troy Tulowitzki tore a tendon in his left quadriceps in an April game against the San Francisco Giants. You know the game, the one that saw Clint Barmes shift over to shortstop and Garrett Atkins to second base while Chris Iannetta entered as the third baseman. That really was an awesome game, one of the top three of the season.

Back to Herrera. He appeared in 28 games and played second base in 21 of them. There wasn't much offensively, hitting .230/.277/.279 with a double, a triple, and three RBI. Still, it was good exposure for the then 23-year-old Venezuelan. He spent all of 2009 in Colorado Springs, putting up a .692 OPS over 119 games.

Herrera was in Colorado Springs until the Rockies recalled him on May 31, 2010.

Herrera took on an increased role with the team when Troy Tulowitzki went down with a broken wrist on June 17. He manned second base while Barmes moved over to short for the duration. He did a somewhat respectable job by hitting .278/.333/.329 in June and July.

The highlight of that period came on July 19 when Herrera hit his first career major league homer. It was the top of the eighth inning in a game against the Florida Marlins. Ian Stewart hit a one-out solo home run off of Clay Hensley to deep right center field in Sun Life Stadium to narrow the score to 7-5 in favor of the Marlins. Clint Barmes managed a walk before Brad Eldred hit a fly out to center field. Seth Smith drew a walk to put Barmes into scoring position.

Jhan Marinez replaced Hensley on the mound and was ready to preserve the lead and end the inning.

Ball one.
Called strike.
Ball two.

On the fourth pitch, Herrera hit a line drive shot to deep right field (video) for a home run, putting the Rockies up, 8-7. As Drew Goodman remarked, "Do you believer that! ... I am flat shocked." Herrera finally broke out a smile while in the dugout, receiving congratulations from his teammates.

Unfortunately, Herrera's hero status for the game disappeared in the ninth inning with two outs. Huston Street entered in the bottom of the ninth inning and used seven pitches to get the first two outs. But then he walked Dan Uggla. Two pitches later, pinch-hitter Donnie Murphy, playing in only his fifth game this season, became the unlikely hero of the game when he hit the game-winning home run.

Herrera returned to Colorado Springs after August 1, but was soon recalled on August 21. In September/October, he played decently in 22 games (12 starts), finishing the month and two days with a .722 OPS.

2010 Grade: C. As Jeff wrote a few months ago, Herrera was the best of the no-better-than-average second baseman the Rockies had in 2010.

2011 Outlook: Presumably, second base is an open competition in spring training between Herrera, Jose Lopez, Chris Nelson, and Eric Young Jr. (And make what you will of all that Michael Young conjecture.) Should he not win the derby and Lopez becomes the starter at second base, Herrera could have the advantage in winning a spot on the bench because of his versatility.

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Comments

I agree with Jeff.

Russ I don’t think this counts as your usual Friday article though.

You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the goddamn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all. ~Earl Weaver
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by jrockies on Jan 28, 2011 12:24 PM MST reply actions

Mid-February

once the season starts, but it may move to another day.

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by Russ Oates on Jan 28, 2011 12:39 PM MST up reply actions

I feel like the article solely views Herrera as doing one thing right, which was hit a 3-run HR.

Which is incorrect. Herrera filled in admirably for a AAA call-up and I feel the C grade is underrated. Just my thoughts.

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by CentralCaliRox on Jan 28, 2011 1:35 PM MST reply actions

C grade is probably right in a vacuum

It’s not supposed to be “did Jonny outperform his own expectations”, in which case the answer may be a qualified yes. His performance satisfied, but the answer to the question “is JH good enough to consistently start on a contender” remains an easy no.

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by biondino on Jan 28, 2011 3:41 PM MST up reply actions

Give the kid some slack

On the grade, you need to ask: Can he hit consistently? For the most part yes. Can he hit under pressure? Yes. Can he hit for power? Yes. Can he handle the middle infield? Yes. Can he outplay Jose Lopez? Well, that is the only real question.

Give him a C+ for now. But we will be seeing more of this guy.

by Real Perspective on Jan 28, 2011 3:59 PM MST up reply actions

Can he hit for power? Yes.

Career SLG%: .329
Career ISOp: .057

Let’s not get carried away here.

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by Muzia on Jan 28, 2011 5:39 PM MST up reply actions

Sounds like somebody could use some Real Perspective

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by Andrew Martin on Jan 29, 2011 8:05 AM MST via mobile up reply actions

Hya cha cha cha cha

Is it ApRil yet?

Any number above zero is way too many days before Pitchers and Catchers Reports

by Mondogarage on Jan 30, 2011 9:36 PM MST up reply actions

Can he hit for power? Yes.

I’m probably the guy’s biggest fan here and even I’m shaking my head at this one.

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by UZ on Jan 29, 2011 7:55 PM MST up reply actions

Herrera is

so fundamental with the glove he’s going to use two hands while diving for the ball.

by jrockies on Jan 28, 2011 5:14 PM MST reply actions

I'm impressed

You know he slopped hogs in his youth.

Seriously, though, C+ for exceeding expectations and clutchiness.

by Yokel on Jan 28, 2011 7:57 PM MST up reply actions

I guess I'm expected here...

Jon should be our poster child for RBI in Denver. He has a winning personality, a winning attitude. He comes from poverty and shows how determination and hard work can allow you to achieve. He does everything so fundementaly right that he’s the perfect example. He knows how to be taught; the most overlooked tool of all. He achieves without the prodigious god given talent in his athleticism by paying attention to all the little details of the game.

Can you imagine how many times this guy has overcome a “NO” to get here? What better example can you name? Will Jon be a superstar? Probably not. Will he have a long career? Time will tell. I can see him hitting more doubles and hitting more line drives given the opportunity and a little fine tuning. I’m not worried about his lack of slug so long as he’s on base often and moving the runners in front of him. He doesn’t have to hit another home run to prove he belongs to me.

I can remember a time when nearly every team had a Jon Herrera. When it was a baseball normal. Call me nostalgic; In the time before steroids, in the pitchers era, the guys who did it by determination and will were valued. The names of many hall of fame managers are the exalted of the Jon Herrera’s. John McGraw. Casey Stengal, Leo Durocher, Billy Martin to name a few. Imangine how much poorer the game would have been without them having their day in the sun!

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by Oldfoagie on Jan 28, 2011 9:07 PM MST reply actions 5 recs

+1

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by hcubed on Jan 28, 2011 9:53 PM MST up reply actions

Very poetic Foagie

I guess both of us old farts feel the same about Hererra. He is way better than the numbers say he is. Makes contact, advances runners, catches everything he gets to, works the count…..I really like him in the 2 hole.

The young guns on the board don’t like him because they judge solely on the stat sheet but I am with you here. Some guys are just better than their stats Eckstein is a prime example of this.

by RoxandRoll on Jan 28, 2011 9:52 PM MST reply actions

I would beg to differ.

It’s not that we just look at the stat sheet and think that he isn’t good. As a member of the “young gun” generation I do not think stats are everything and that work ethic and improvement are critical. I can’t speak for everyone else but I can say that as I watch him play I enjoy it because you can tell he is working hard and putting everything he has into the game. There are a ton of players that given certain circumstances don’t do this and I can appreciate his drive and determination because every-once-and-a-while a hustle play pays off or diving for a ball gets an out.

As fans we are always wanting to improve the play of the team on the field and while Jonathan does hustle and learn I wonder if there is someone better than he is, but I don’t just limit that to Herrera as I wonder the same things about everyone not named Gonzalez, Tulowitzki or Jimenez on the team. Would he be ideal for a certain position in the batting order or position on the field? I can only speculate based on what I’ve seen and based on the other players around him, which changes constantly due to injury and roster turnover. I trust the management of the team to put the best team on the field, and if they don’t think Herrera is in the best 9 for a given day, week or season then let it be. I enjoy him and the assets he brings to the club, work ethic, good glove, high contact and so on but I also realize he really hasn’t had a great deal of batting success in the minors and lower success there typically indicates low success in the majors.

I appreciate this more than a lot of people, young and old, because that was how I had to play in high school. I worked my tail off to make the team and to play in general my senior year. I didn’t get a single start and I only got into games when our team was leading by 10. I had a decent glove and I think I could put the ball in play (I never had a consistent chance to show this) but I was mainly there for the team. This is why I like Herrera, he reminds me of me, he’s not the best but he does work hard and he gets the job done when he’s in there.

I like what he brings but if the team doesn’t think he’s the best then I have to trust them to make that decision.

by jrockies on Jan 29, 2011 12:00 AM MST up reply actions 4 recs

Hush, you’re undermining our entire generation’s “just look at the stat sheet and don’t watch the game” mantra! none of us are capable of witnessing hustle and pointing it out on a tv screen, we can’t let them know that!

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by Andrew Martin on Jan 29, 2011 8:11 AM MST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs

I realize

by Oldfoagie on Jan 29, 2011 12:56 PM MST up reply actions

power glitch... Before I was interupted; I was going to say I realize Jon is a Utility player.

I saw him wear down much as Spilly does. That does not mean he doesn’t have value. I don’t believe every player on a team has to be a slugger. I also believe not every player that slugs is a good player. I think the Rox are a better team with Jon now than without him.
He may not be as good as Barmes was with a glove; but he’s the best glove man we have left not named Troy on the infield. Lopez may hit better; but what will he give up on defense? EY2 may have speed ; will he ever learn the rest of the game? Yes Nelson has more hitting potential. I haven’t seen his defense. The reports and Links on PR say his glove at second and third are not as good. Alfredo Amezega is an Older Herrera with a bum knee. The less said about Wiggy at second the better.
So where does Jon fit.? In the old days I witnessed players like Jon be the late defensive Sub. He’s the guy who gives the primary infielders their days off. He’s the guy who comes in on the double switch late when you really need a base runner. He’s also the manager’s pet because he’s there to do will do what needs to be done.

by Oldfoagie on Jan 29, 2011 1:32 PM MST up reply actions

Lopez likely won't give up nearly enough of defense to take his bat out of the lineup.

That said, I wish people didn’t get stuck in intangibles in advocating for Herrera because he actually has a pretty solid case with actual, measurable evidence.

Because of the same high distribution of strikes that makes me advocate Lopez for the spot instead, I actually think that Herrera’s offensive game was hurt by the Rockies batting him second so much in 2010, and that had Tracy batted him eighth most of the time instead, we’d have seen Herrera get on base with an over .400 OBP for the season. If I get more time before the season starts, I’ll write more on this, but Herrera’s plate discipline and strike zone awareness is very high for somebody who makes as much contact as he does, and your Eckstein comparison isn’t too far off.

If Lopez does flop, which I doubt will happen if the Rockies use him right (meaning, bat him second, especially at home, or at least anywhere other than eighth) Herrera would still be an okay backup plan, but again, that’s conditional on Tracy using him correctly.

by Rox Girl on Jan 29, 2011 3:10 PM MST up reply actions

I'm sure Tracy would have loved to have batted him 8th

If he hadn’t had so many other prime candidates for the #8 spot. Most of Herrera’s regular playing time came when Tulo was on the shelf and Helton was slumping and not very healthy. For part of that time, Fowler was in AAA. So that does not leave a lot of candidates for the upper half of the order, unless you want it loaded with guys who either don’t run well or are prone to striking out.

by Rockpile Interloper on Jan 29, 2011 8:28 PM MST up reply actions

I thought I made a case for Jon statisticly last year. All I heard was he doesn't slug.

Not everyone has to hit home runs. Should he hit a higher proportion of doubles? Yes. He hit all over the field and he hit often. That counted for a lot in my book. He limited his possible mistakes which counted for more. He wasn’t stranding runners at the rate of some of our so called better hitters. He wasn’t getting middle of the order RBI’s; but last year’s team did not leave many from the bottom of the order in front of him.
Considering what he brings to the field in athletic ability I was very pleased. He walked at about 50% of his strike outs. He rarely had a less than 5 pitch AB. He saw a lot of pitches and allowed the whole team to see those pitches. His hit dispersion and plate coverage were impressive. Considering the way everyone not named Tulo or Cargo were hitting last year; He was a breath of fresh air. AS much as everyone sits with bated breath around here at the hope of what Lansford will do for CDI, Stewart , and Smith; I want to see what he can do for Jon.

by Oldfoagie on Jan 29, 2011 9:14 PM MST up reply actions

That does not mean he doesn’t have value

Who says he doesn’t have value?

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by Andrew Martin on Jan 29, 2011 3:36 PM MST via mobile up reply actions

Anyone every time Chris Nelson comes up?

by UZ on Jan 29, 2011 7:56 PM MST up reply actions

There have been some post of Jon being a no tool guy.

by Oldfoagie on Jan 29, 2011 8:36 PM MST up reply actions

I agree with everything you write here.

But I think we’re mistaking the absence in this review of his intangibles, the little things he did for the team to mean I discredit them. I don’t.

Let me put it this way: Sadly I never played little league when I was younger and only a few games in the school yard (PR baseball/softball game anyone?). My sport was soccer. I was never much of an offensive player. I was the smallest guy on the team, but as my coaches always told me, I had the most hustle.

I spent most of my time as the sweeper. That meant I controlled the flow of the defense. It was perfect for me because I needed to think strategy, but when I recall my time playing it’s always about telling stories of how I scored those three precious goals, those moments when my coach would shout loudly to everyone that I had scored a goal, something rarely done by him. (Mind you, the coach’s summary in the local newspaper would mention my defense).

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by Russ Oates on Jan 29, 2011 8:47 PM MST up reply actions