Rockies Insider: Five silver linings to Colorado’s lost, last-place season | Denver Post ($)
It’s been a tough year for the Rockies, to say the least. With more than a few franchise-worsts, many of us are ready to say goodbye to the 2019 season. There are some silver linings to take into 2020, though. One has been the development of Ryan McMahon into something of a star. The young players has proven to be an everyday kind of guy, and he’s go the home runs and RBIs to show he can hit. Tony Wolters has been a boon this year, too. Catcher has been a question mark for the Rockies for a while, but Wolters has put in the work to be the clear winner behind the plate. Scott Oberg, despite his season-ending blood clot in his arm, was the saving grace in a bullpen that lagged all year. If he can recover well, he could potentially have a promising season next year. Kyle Freeland has yo-yoed his way through this season, but his struggles have allowed Peter Lambert to strut his stuff. Chi Chi Gonzalez and Tim Melville have also had a chance to get some playing time, and they’ve shown that we have some promising young talent. Our final bright spot is David Dahl. He’s been out of commission since August 3, but his hitting was phenomenal prior to his injury. As long as he can keep himself healthy, he’s going to be our guy.
Ryan McMahon and the Colorado Rockies’ second base strategy | Rox Pile
When the Rockies said goodbye to DJ LeMahieu at the end of last season, many fans were sad to see him go. LeMahieu had been a staple at second base for the Rockies, quietly holding the fort. As he’s now having a fantastic season with the Yankees, we’re even more wistful for him. That’s not to say that Ryan McMahon has had a bad year; in fact, the opposite is true. The biggest Rockies issue this season has been pitching, and not any flaw with infield position players. While McMahon is no LeMahieu, his home run and RBI numbers currently have him at second place among NL second basemen. The Rockies didn’t necessarily expect to have someone step into the role and find immediate success, but McMahon has been a pleasant surprise, and we can only hope that he’ll continue to develop into a star.
Colorado Rockies need to cut ties with their 30-year-olds | Rox Pile
The Rockies have a surprising number of players over the age of thirty. Of course, among these, you’ve got some to definitely hang onto, like Charlie Blackmon and Yonder Alonso, who’s got a promising MiLB deal. However, many of the others haven’t been able to contribute to much success for the Rockies. Ian Desmond, Bryan Shaw, Daniel Murphy, Chad Bettis, Wade Davis, and Jake McGee have all been more of a drain on the team than anything else. Their contracts take up a large chunk of the budget, and while a lot of them will expire in the next couple years, the Rockies might want to address the issue sooner rather than later. While it’s nice to have the veteran presence, the Rockies have many young players who could benefit from the major league experience. They’d also cost the team much less and give the budget some wiggle room to pick up another player if they need it.
On the Farm
The Isotopes had some successful offense in Thursday night’s game. They were able to score seven of their runs off just nine hits. Elliot Soto, Brian Mundell, and Drew Weeks each got two hits, with Soto and Weeks each also scoring two runs. Most of the rest of the order also got a hit in the game. Chris Rusin had a pretty dominant outing, allowing five hits but no runs.
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes , Las Vegas Aviators | MiLB.com
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 10, Harrisburg Senators 4 | MiLB.com
High-A: Lancaster JetHawks , Inland Empire 66ers | MiLB.com
Low-A: Charleston RiverDogs 10, Asheville Tourists 6 | MiLB.com
Short-Season A: Boise Hawks , Hillsboro Hops | MiLB.com
Rookie: Grand Junction Rockies , Ogden Raptors | MiLB.com