Colorado Rockies: Is the Holliday coming to an end in Albuquerque? | Rox Pile
It’s now likely a question of when — not if — the Colorado Rockies will call up Matt Holliday. Holliday has been solid in Triple-A with the Albuquerque Isotopes. In his first 46 plate appearances, Holliday has produced a .256/.370/.487 slash line, good for a 125 wRC+. Holliday is likely a defensive liability at any position at this point in his career, but he won’t be joining the team for his glove.
Rox Pile’s Michael Parnell wonders if the time has come for another hero to emerge on the bench. While Parnell writes that no one else in Triple-A has the “cachet” of Holliday, perhaps it is time to give players like Raimel Tapia, Mike Tauchman, Jordan Patterson, Tom Murphy, or Josh Fuentes the chance to be a hero.
Colorado Rockies: Staying put at the trade deadline working out | Rox Pile
Despite only making two minor moves at the non-waiver trade deadline (the signing of Holliday and the acquisition of Seunghwan Oh), the Rockies find themselves right in the thick of the race for the postseason. While the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Pittsburgh Pirates made significant moves to improve their rosters, the Rockies believed in the current roster, including the young talents of Ryan McMahon, David Dahl, Kyle Freeland, and German Marquez. As Kevin Henry of Rox Pile writes, the deadline for the Rockies was not “splashy or sexy,” but the method is working.
Ryan McMahon, pulled from the bench with Charlie Blackmon’s help, arrived just in time for the Rockies | The Athletic ($)
McMahon’s recent resurgence at the plate can be partially credited to wise words from Charlie Blackmon. Before his second demotion to Triple-A this season, McMahon was having trouble hitting fastballs. Blackmon was aware that big league fastballs don’t come around often in the minors, and he took it upon himself to answer whatever questions McMahon had about what a pitcher was offering on a given night. Nick Groke of The Athletic writes that Blackmon has helped McMahon with his composure at the plate— even if that didn’t transfer to a very composed celebration from the two after McMahon’s walk-off three-run home run against the Dodgers on Saturday night.
Colorado Rockies: The home run that saved the season | Rox Pile
The home run that saved the season wasn’t either of McMahon’s home runs in last weekend’s series against the Dodgers. It wasn’t Raimel Tapia’s grand slam against the D-Backs or Nolan Arenado’s 11th inning blast against the Milwaukee Brewers or Blackmon’s walk-off solo shot against the Houston Astros. Luke Mullins of Rox Pile believes that DJ LeMahieu’s go-ahead two-run home run to propel the Rockies to a 9-8 victory over the San Francisco Giants on June 27 was the bomb that saved the season.
After starting the month of June in first place in the National League West, the Rockies freefell for the rest of the month, landing closer to the last place San Diego Padres than to the first-place Diamondbacks. Since LeMahieu’s big homer, however, the Rockies have the best record in the National League. In conjunction with Arenado’s “headline-grabbing comments” about all the losing, LeMahieu’s big hit might take the credit for the season’s turnaround.
Ringolsby: Never Settle | Baseball America
Arenado is drawing rave reviews from former players. Rene Lachemann never thought anyone could replace Brooks Robinson as his favorite player, but Arenado is making him wonder. Larry Bowa finds himself watching the Rockies just to get a glimpse of Nolan doing something he has never done before on a nightly basis.
It wasn’t always going to be third base for Arenado. Because he entered the Rockies’ organization “a little out of shape,” there was always the chance that he would be sent back to his initial position of catcher. But with his own work ethic and help from Class-A Modesto Manager Jerry Weinstein in 2011, Arenado put in the effort to become the phenomenal third baseman we’ve all come to know and love. At Baseball America, Tracy Ringolsby profiles Arenado’s journey and the hard work and determination that will keep him in the big leagues.
Nolan Arenado hates being a DH, but his first time in the role was huge for the Rockies | The Athletic ($)
Despite a go-ahead two-run homer off Justin Verlander on Tuesday night, Designated Hitter is not a role that pleases Arenado. Being the DH was “awful,” says Arenado, and something he hopes he “never” must do again. The Athletic’s Nick Groke details the grueling experience that Arenado endured of not being able to play in the field.
BSN Rockies Podcast: Colorado winning against the best despite not playing their best | BSN Denver
In the latest episode of the BSN Rockies podcast, Drew Creasman focuses on the impressive stretch of beating teams with above .500 records that the Rockies are producing.
Bowden: Five prospects who are ready for The Show right now | The Athletic ($)
Jim Bowden of The Athletic profiles five prospects in baseball who are ready to make the jump to the big leagues. For the Rockies, Bowden believes infielder Brendan Rodgers is ready to make the leap. Rodgers has struggled to begin his first go-around at Triple-A and was recently placed on the Disabled List with a hamstring injury. With LeMahieu struggling offensively in the second half, Rodgers might get himself a look with the Major League club before the season is over.