Rockies Mailbag: Will Colorado make moves to bolster the bullpen? | The Denver Post
Patrick Saunders doesn't have an answer to the question asked in the headline, not being a decision-maker for the Rockies and all. But he does believe that the Rockies should strengthen the bullpen with a trade. He names Brad Hand, Ryan Madson, Pat Neshek, and Tony Watson as potential gets for the Rockies. A hallmark of the Dan O'Dowd era was that no prospect was ever traded ever. For the Rockies to get better in a contending year, they're going to have to do just that. And they should.
Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu look to attack | MLB.com
Thomas Harding writes that Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu approach their roles at the top of the lineup with a clear strategy: make opposing pitchers challenge them. The approach is great because it works. Both Blackmon and LeMahieu tell Harding that they don't go into a plate appearance with the goal of taking a walk. That could very well be true now, but it hasn't always been the case, at least for Blackmon. Blackmon was the most passive hitter in all of baseball in 2015 due to an explicit effort to see more pitches and walk more. It worked, and it helped turn him into a better baseball player.
Charlie Blackmon hits lowest-pitched HR of '17 | MLB.com
Daniel Kramer has a lot of details about Charlie Blackmon's home run yesterday. First of all, the dang ball was less than a foot off the ground (0.84 feet to be exact). That's the lowest pitch hit for a home run this season. The homer was also the first time this season Zack Godley allowed a home run off of his curveball. It was a good pitch that had no business being hit with authority, but, as Blackmon said, he " was able to hit it just well enough." It was a 433 foot homer.
“We have a shortstop catching”: Rockies athleticism is off the charts | BSN Rockies
Drew Creasman talked to several Rockies players about the overall athleticism found on the club's roster, and how that is translating to success on the field. A couple keywords here are flexibility and versatility.
Eyewitness Accounts: June 22, 2017 | Baseball Prospectus ($)
Wilson Karaman of Baseball Prospectus has scouting reports for Brendan Rodgers and Sam Hilliard from the California League. Of Rodgers, Karaman writes that he's "as high a probability to develop into a first-division player as you'll find in High A." We already had a good sense of that though. The more compelling report is of Hilliard, who is having a bit of a prospect breakout in Lancaster. In short, Hilliard has some pop and can handle a corner outfield spot, but he doesn't have a great hit tool. The left-handed outfielder could become a "strong-side corner platoon" player. It might not sound like much, but it's more than most people were expecting of the 14th round pick.
The Rockies’ Road to Success on the Road | FanGraphs
A winning baseball team means more articles about the Rockies on FanGraphs. This one is from Craig Edwards, and he looks at how the Rockies have been so successful on the road. Basically, he writes, it comes down to the bullpen, defense, and that beautiful baseball element, luck. The problem with luck is that it tends to either run out or reverse without notification. But that's not terribly important for the Rockies. In order to achieve the best road record in team history, all they'd need to do from here to the end of the season is go 17-26. The wins are banked, and while the luck is real, the conditions for it to make this much of a difference is a talented baseball team.
Purple Row
The Colorado Rockies and defensive efficiency | Purple Row
And here's something about that quality defense the Rockies have been fielding.
Colorado Rockies activate Tyler Anderson from DL, option Carlos Estevez | Purple Row
The Rockies activated Tyler Anderson yesterday, and there still aren't any answers as to what will happen to the rotation because of it.
Celebrate Nolan Arenado’s walk-off cycle in style with a pair of t-shirt options | Purple Row
Buy one of these shirts. Or, buy both of them.