You’re reading the 2018 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at the season had by every player to play for the Rockies in 2018. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the least amount of rWAR and end up with the player with the most.
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No. 30, Jerry Vasto (-0.2 rWAR)
Jerry Vasto had two states of being for the 2018 Colorado Rockies. First, he was a June call-up for the bullpen. Vasto appeared in just one game for the Rockies, and it wasn’t a good showing. In 2⁄3 of an inning, he gave up three hits and walked a batter, leading to three runs against. It’s totally unfair to cite a guy’s ERA after getting just two outs, but his ERA as a member of the Rockies was 40.50. The Rockies sent him back dow to Triple-A shortly after his appearance.
Vasto’s other state of being was as a trade chip. The Rockies sent Vasto to the Kansas City Royals before the August 31 deadline in exchange for catcher Drew Butera. Butera will have his own article, but it’s safe to say here that the Rockies didn’t have to give up a team asset to acquire him. Vasto, in his existence for Royals, only gave up one run in five September appearances.
We settled a long simmering question in 2019. Yes, Jerry Vasto existed for the Colorado Rockies. But just like that, he no longer did.