The weekend is a great time to kick back and reflect. This Week in Purple is the place to catch up on the news from our team at Purple Row. You’ll find links to Rockpiles and other content below as well as a platform for community discussion in the comments.
★ ★ ★
The 2023 offseason is two weeks old and the LCS’s are upon us. Four teams remain: the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Philadelphia Phillies represent the NL and the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros represent the AL. The Diamondbacks have yet to lose a postseason game, the Rangers swept the Orioles, and the Phillies and Astros are looking for a 2022 rematch (they each won their division series 3-1, respectively). Who will take the crowns?
Meanwhile, here’s what’s going on with the 59-103 Colorado Rockies in the offseason!
To Read (Rockpiles)
The greatest postseason careers of former Rockies players | Kenneth Weber
With the playoffs upon us, Kenneth took a trip down memory lane with some of the greatest Rockies’ postseason performances. He cited Matt Holliday (2007, Rockies), Joe Girardi (who served as the Yankees backup catcher in the 1990’s) and Craig Counsell (1997, Marlins; 2001, Diamondbacks). What are some of your favorite postseason moments of former Rockies’ players?
Can the Colorado Rockies replicate the success of the Arizona Diamondbacks? | Renee Dechert
On Wednesday, the Arizona Diamondbacks swept the might 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers out of the 2023 playoffs. The D-Backs were a surprise team in 2023, and much of it is due to their young stars such as Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno. For the Tuesday Rockpile, Renee took a look at the D-Backs to see if perhaps the Rockies, who are also now filled with young talent, could replicate the success of this NL West foe. Her conclusion: not in 2024, but perhaps 2025? We can certainly dream!
Arbitration leaves room for improvement in 2024 | Skyler Timmins
MLB Trade Rumors released their arbitration projections for the 2023 offseason and for his Wednesday Rockpile, Skyler made the case for each of the seven players who are eligible: position players Brendan Rodgers, Harold Castro and Austin Wynns (who were outrighted off the 40-man yesterday), and pitchers Austin Gomber, Peter Lambert, Lucas Gilbreath and Ty Blach. Which of these players do you think will come back in 2024, and which do you think will be non-tendered?
The gulf between the upper and lower levels of the Rockies farm system | Evan Lang
For the Thursday Rockpile, Evan wrote about a seemingly huge gap between the upper and lower minors in the Rockies’ system. Between Low-A Fresno and High-A Spokane, 12 total awards were handed out: eight All-Stars, two league MVPs, a league top prospect, and a league Manager of the Year. In Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque, there were only two post-season All-Stars. What does that say about the Rockies’ minor league system, and the Rockies as a major league team?
Rockies attendance is up, but not as much as MLB. Will it matter? | Joelle Milholm
For the Friday Rockpile, Joelle looked at attendance for the Rockies and Major League Baseball as a whole, especially with the new rule changes. Across the league, attendance was up and passed 70 million for the first time since 2017 with an official total of 70,747,365. That was up 9.6% (by 6 million fans) since 2022, and the largest single-season jump since MLB expanded to 30 teams in 1998. The Rockies totaled 2,607,935 fans (13th) and averaged 32,196 fans per game (14th). Considering they didn’t even win 60 games this year, what does that mean for the future of this team?
To Read (Ranking the Rockies)
On October 2nd, we started our 2023 “Ranking the Rockies” series. Here are the entries so far:
Lackluster defense and offense led to Profar’s release in August
Despite favorable success in the minors, Toglia has yet to translate it to the Major League level
Harold Castro lasted the entire season and did not live up to his nickname
The veteran right-hander struggled as both reliever and starter in 2023
Bounced between reliever and starter, Seabold never found his sea legs in his first year as a Rockie
The hype that we felt when KB first signed is gone, and now all that remains is anxiety
Karl Kauffmann’s rookie season was full of ups and downs in limited playing time, but there is hope for the future.
The lone free agent starting pitcher lasted one month in Colorado
Injuries and misfortune derailed what should’ve been an extended look as a big league starter, but Davis has the tools to make a jump in 2024.
Hunter Goodman flashed his potential at the plate in a brief MLB stint
To Listen
Affected by Altitude: The 2023 Rookie Roundup
In what was supposed to be a more all-encompassing episode about the positives from the Colorado Rockies’ 2023 season, Skyler and Evan end up doing a whole episode on the stellar rookie campaigns belonging to Brenton Doyle, Nolan Jones, and Ezequiel Tovar. These three young players made the team infinitely more watchable during a tough season and help the future feel much more bright for the organization.
Every Rockie Ever Podcast: Brandon Barnes
In this new episode, former Rockies outfielder Brandon Barnes joins the show! He discusses his mentality and preparation for big league ball games, some of his top moments as a Rockie, the experience of playing with some legendary players, his thoughts on current rookies with the Rockies, and also what he has been doing in his post-playing days, plus much more!
Weekend Discussion Topics
Who are you rooting for in the 2023 playoffs? Sound off below!
★ ★ ★
Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!
Loading comments...