Jordan Patterson has been a bit of a forgotten man this season. After a strong 2016 season in Triple-A (where he slashed .293/.376/.480), he made a brief cameo in the majors, hitting .444 in 19 plate appearances across 10 games. Despite the several disabled list stints for outfielders Ian Desmond, Carlos Gonzalez, and Gerardo Parra, Patterson hasn’t seen time in the majors, with Mike Tauchman apparently being designated the call-up outfielder in Triple-A.
Last night, Patterson launched two home runs in Albuquerque’s 7-2 over Las Vegas, after having done the same thing in Thursday’s 8-4 win. His 18 home runs this season are a career high, and he’s now hitting .288/.357/.556, which leads to his 129 wRC+ matching his mark from last season. Patterson, while not a can’t-miss prospect, has never had a wRC+ below 121 in his professional career, which dates back to 2013.
The Rockies are full in the outfield, especially with David Dahl’s return on the horizon. That said, there’s a chance that Patterson becomes a valuable left-handed corner outfielder/first baseman for the major league club, perhaps in a bench/platoon role. He could also be a valuable trade chip, desired by an organization that might place more emphasis on his excellent minor league numbers than his less-than-stellar scouting reports. Either way, Patterson continues to do everything within his power to prove his utility, and hopefully his efforts are soon rewarded with time in the majors.
Special Note: Midseason PuRP Voting
Don’t forget: it’s PuRP season again! Help contribute to our community crowd-sourced top-30 prospects list. See here for an explanation of how to cast your ballot.
Top 30 Purple Row Prospects (PuRPs)
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 7, Las Vegas 51s 2
Jordan Patterson (No. 13 PuRP): 4-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI
David Dahl (Rehab Assignement): 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB
Ryan McMahon (No. 7 PuRP): 2-for-5, R, 2B, RBI
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 2, Trenton Thunder 1
Brian Mundell (PuRP HM): 2-for-4, RBI
Jack Wynkoop (PuRP HM): 7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Shane Broyles: 1 IP, 2 K, Save
High-A: Lake Elsinore Storm 9, Lancaster JetHawks 1
Garrett Hampson (No. 22 PuRP): 0-for-5
Roberto Ramos: 2-for-4
Mylz Jones: 2-for-4, RBI, SB
Low-A: Hickory Crawdads 6, Asheville Tourists 3
Jose Gomez (No. 30 PuRP): 0-for-3, RBI, BB
Tyler Nevin (No. 23 PuRP): 1-for-4. 2B
Bobby Wernes: 0-for-2, RBI, BB
Short-Season-A: Boise Hawks 3, Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 2
Sean Bouchard: 1-for-5
Daniel Jipping: 2-for-5, R, HR, RBI
Rico Garcia: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, BB, 7 K
Rookie: Billings Mustangs 7, Grand Junction Rockies 1
Shael Mendoza: 0-for-4
Chad Spanberger: 0-for-4, 2 K
DSL: DSL Rockies 5, DSL Nationals 4
Cristopher Navarro” 2-for-4, RBI, BB
Daniel Montano (No. 21 PuRP): 1-for-4, R, 2B
Eris Filpo: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 9 K
Saturday probables:
Triple-A: Barry Enright
Double-A: Parker French
High-A: TBD
Low-A: Riley Pint (No. 3 PuRP)
SS-A: TBD
Rookie: TBD