Purple Row Rockies Madness: No. 2 Jason Jennings vs. No. 3 Brian Fuentes

Due to the cancellation of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, Purple Row is hosting our own Rockies Madness Tournament this year. We selected the 36 best players in Rockies history to determine the best player in franchise history. We sorted them into four regions to force the most interesting matchups: Infielders, Outfielders, Mile High (for relievers and starting pitchers who began their career before the humidor), and Humidor (for starters who began their career after the humidor). All stats are from Baseball Reference.

Today is the Sweet 16 matchup in the Mile High Region: No. 2 Jason Jennings vs. No. 3 Brian Fuentes.

Jason Jennings, Starting Pitcher

2001-2006

Awards

• NL Rookie of the Year (2002)

Notes

• Jennings was a three-time All-American baseball player at Baylor University, and earned Division I Player of the Year honors during his senior season (1999).
• He played on the 1999 Asheville Tourists along fellow future Rockies standouts Matt Holliday and Aaron Cook.
• In his Major League debut, Jennings hit a home run and threw a complete game shutout — the first major leaguer to do so.
• His Rookie of the Year Award in 2002 was the first major award won by a Rockies pitcher, and USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale said that he “might be the best arm to hit Colorado since John Elway.”

Brian Fuentes, Relief Pitcher

2002-2008

Awards

• 3x All Star (2005-2007)

Notes (courtesy of Renee Dechert)

• Brian Fuentes was the first reliever and third pitcher in Rockies history to be named an All-Star (unfortunately he never appeared in the actual game).
• Fuentes pitched sidearm, which is unusual for a left-handed pitcher and difficult for hitters to pick up.
• In 2006 Fuentes was chosen to help represent the United States in the inaugural World Baseball Classic.
• In the Rockies 2007 run, he pitched in all three games against the Phillies and was the winner of the deciding game.

★ ★ ★