Purple Row - Ranking the Rockies, 2019Of, by, and for Rockies fans. Every day.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/32779/pr-logo-fv.jpg2019-11-15T07:00:00-07:00http://www.purplerow.com/rss/stream/206555162019-11-15T07:00:00-07:002019-11-15T07:00:00-07:00Ranking the Rockies: Trevor Story, superstar
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<figcaption>Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>But does he have yet another gear? </p> <p id="WrnvO0"><em>Welcome to the 2019 edition of Ranking the </em><a href="https://www.purplerow.com/"><em><strong>Rockies</strong></em></a><em>, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2019. 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 lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.</em></p>
<p id="lu6cBH">★ ★ ★</p>
<h4 id="6oQ3Kl">No. 1, <span>Trevor Story</span> (6.4 rWAR)</h4>
<p id="5HCnOP">In <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/2018/11/16/18081948/colorado-rockies-trevor-story-2018">last year’s Ranking the Rockies profile for Trevor Story</a>, I argued that we weren’t thinking big enough. Before 2018 incremental gains on offense and defense to become a complete player seemed to be an ideal outcome for Story. He exceeded those expectations by dramatically reducing his strikeout rate and making big gains on offense. It resulted in Story having the best season among position players on the Rockies — yes, even better than <span>Nolan Arenado</span>. He’s done that again in 2019, instead this time he also led the entire team in Wins Above Replacement. </p>
<p id="RgDJCY">Story did get us to think bigger once again, but it had more to do with the long game. As far as the 2019 season went, Story more or less replicated his breakout 2018 season. His walk rate improved to almost nine percent, which similarly boosted his on-base percentage. While his power numbers were mostly the same, league wide power was up on account of the baseball, which means his adjusted power line was down a bit. He once again played stellar defense and was a finalist for the Gold Glove award at shortstop. Story is one of the best position players in baseball, and probably the second best shortstop in baseball after <span>Francisco Lindor</span>. </p>
<p id="5aYKiR">It wasn’t Story’s season in isolation that is making us think bigger, but the season in context. of his career trajectory. On May 24th Story hit is 100th career home run. Later that night, he hit his 101st home run — a walk-off to give the Rockies the win. With that, Story became the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/rockies/news/trevor-story-hits-100th-career-home-run">fastest shortstop in baseball history</a>, doing so in 448 career games (that measuring stick is important, as we’ll see). Later in the season in August the <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2019/08/06/rockies-trevor-story-hall-of-fame-track/">Denver Post’s Kyle Newman wrote:</a> “Story will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame one day.” </p>
<p id="IvRco4">I’d say that’s thinking big. </p>
<p id="PFqwlS">But, is it right? I’m not one to shy away from early Hall of Fame talk. I have a long record of talking up <span>Nolan Arenado</span>’s Hall of Fame case, the first instance appearing in Rockies Magazine prior to the 2015 season. But based on Story’s first four seasons, I don’t see it for him just yet. Part of it has to do with age and a relatively slow start to his career. The “fastest shortstop to 100 home runs” fact is misleading because “fastest” is defined by career games. So, in that sense, Story got to 100 home runs “faster” than Álex Rodríguez. But when we’re talking Hall of Fame and longevity, number of games is less important than age. When Rodríguez was Story’s age, he had <em>298 </em>home runs (Story has 123). </p>
<p id="SojeDt">That doesn’t mean Story’s not in great company. It just means he’s in the company of Hall of Famers and not Hall of Famers. He’s one of 12 shortstops to hit 100 home runs through his age 26 season. Story’s 123 home runs isn’t far behind where Ernie Banks was (136 homers), but neither were Hanley Ramírez (124) and <span>Troy Tulowitzki</span> (122) through age-26. </p>
<p id="2f3knT">Wins Above Replacement, which takes defense into account, also puts Story on the cusp. Story’s last two seasons leading the Rockies in position player WAR have given him 17.8 for his career. If we rank Story through age 26 along with the 22 Hall of Fame shortstops, he’d rank 13th, behind Barry Larkin (19.3) and a smidge ahead of Luis Aparicio (17.7). </p>
<p id="hfkpJx">If we compare Story through age-26 to the Rockies’ other two Hall of Fame talents, <span>Nolan Arenado</span> and <span>Troy Tulowitzki</span>, he’s about 10 WAR behind. Tulo had 26.6 WAR, and Arenado had 27.4. </p>
<p id="VFsjlj">One of the reasons I started beating the Arenado-Hall of Fame drum so early on was because I want to be aware that I’m watching a truly great, Hall of Fame career unfold. I didn’t want to have to recognize it in hindsight. I’m not ready to jump on the “<span>Trevor Story</span>’s on a Hall of Fame trajectory” bandwagon, let alone lead it like I’ve done with Arenado. It’s very close though. Story showed us in 2019 that he can replicate an outstanding season. If he can find another level of excellence in 2020, then we might have the privilege of witnessing a Hall of Famer bloom. </p>
https://www.purplerow.com/2019/11/15/20933513/colorado-rockies-trevor-story-ranking-2019Eric Garcia McKinley2019-11-14T07:56:56-07:002019-11-14T07:56:56-07:00Ranking the Rockies: Jon Gray came back with a howling vengeance in 2019
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<figcaption>Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Another trip to Driveline, another success story</p> <p id="s7h1QQ"><em>Welcome to the 2019 edition of Ranking the </em><a href="https://www.purplerow.com/"><em>Rockies</em></a><em>, where we take a look back every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2019. 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 lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.</em></p>
<p id="FXlYCa">★ ★ ★</p>
<p id="uOg96M"><strong>No. 3, </strong><span><strong>Jon Gray</strong></span><strong> (4.0 rWAR)</strong></p>
<p id="YOm2Ax">The last time we saw <span>Jon Gray</span>’s name in 2018 was on the NL Wild Card roster against the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a>. The last time we saw <span>Jon Gray</span> pitch in 2018 was September 29 in a 12-2 rout by the <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a>. Going into that game, the Rockies had a one game lead over the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>; coming out of it, they were tied again. After being left off the NLDS roster, it could be safe to say that 2018 was arguably the roughest year of Gray’s career.</p>
<p id="CAt54d">However, Gray took charge to right the ship and booked a flight to Washington state -- <a href="https://milehighsports.com/reinventing-the-pitching-wheeland-rockies-righty-jon-gray/">home of Driveline</a>. Adam Ottavino <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/adam-ottavino-discusses-pitch-design-and-data-c301645978">also spent time at Driveline</a> after his disappointing 2017 season, which helped him become one of the best relievers in the league in 2018. After stripping down and rebuilding his game, Gray came back with a vengeance in 2019. He wanted to do that in 2018 after the disappointing Wild Card start in Arizona, but he was much more successful in 2019. </p>
<p id="jUoPic">Beginning as early as Spring Training, a new Jon Gray emerged. He struck out more batters and allowed fewer walks, only allowing two home runs that both came in his final start. He posted his lowest Spring Training ERA (3.48), WHIP (0.92), and opponent average (.208). He mentioned that he was <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/2019/3/25/18275038/colorado-rockies-jon-gray-is-pissed">“too pissed off to not be good,”</a> and Jon Gray was good.</p>
<p id="se3QUW">Gray made 25 starts during the regular season. He lost his first three decisions, but most of those came during the Rockies’ 3-12 start and he just wasn’t getting any run support. Two days after German Márquez threw his one hitter in San Francisco, Gray earned his first win against the <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">San Diego Padres</a>. He pitched seven innings and only gave up a solo home run, which seemed to be a signature of his. In fact, the first time that he didn’t allow home runs in back-to-back games came in June when he went four starts without allowing one. His final start on August 16 was his most dominant — eight innings, five hits, no runs, and seven strikeouts on 100 pitches. Unfortunately, Jon Gray’s revenge tour was cut short by a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/jon-gray-placed-on-injured-list-with-fractured-foot">fractured left foot</a>.</p>
<p id="AHHf84">In total, Jon Gray threw 150 innings and posted the best ERA amongst the Rockies’ starting pitchers (3.84). Only Scott Oberg (2.25) and Carlos Estévez (3.75) had better ERA’s, and the three of them were the only Rockies’ pitchers to post ERA’s under four. He also posted 150 strikeouts, second only to German Márquez’ 175 in 174 innings. While not necessarily career highs (career seconds in most cases), it was still a marked and noticeable improvement from 2018. The Gray Wolf was hungry in 2019 and he turned a corner, delivering almost every time he stepped on the mound. The lessons of Driveline seemed to really help Gray turn the corner from the 2017 Wild Card Game, so hopefully he will take the success of 2019 and keep howling in 2020.</p>
https://www.purplerow.com/2019/11/14/20964234/colorado-rockies-jon-gray-rankings-2019Samantha Bradfield2019-11-13T07:00:00-07:002019-11-13T07:00:00-07:00Ranking the Rockies: The many ways to be in awe of German Márquez
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<figcaption>Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>There were many reasons to be in awe of Márquez, but one stood out</p> <p id="7a4hcq"><em>Welcome to the 2019 edition of Ranking the </em><a href="https://www.purplerow.com/"><em>Rockies</em></a><em>, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2019. 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 lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.</em></p>
<p id="FB2nEa">★ ★ ★</p>
<h4 id="nPNCem">No. 4, <span>German Marquez</span>: 3.8 rWAR</h4>
<p id="2g11pz">Every time German Márquez took the mound in 2019, I was in awe.</p>
<p id="ZW0n2A">It wasn’t about his <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/2019/4/2/18292880/colorado-rockies-german-marquez-contract-extension">contract extension</a>, signed in early April, for five-years and $43 million with a $1.5 million signing bonus and a series of performance-based incentives that will keep him with the Rockies through 2023.</p>
<p id="rcMV10">It wasn’t even about his 2019 pitching, which, while still solid, wasn’t up to his 2018 standard. Márquez remained a workhorse, pitching 174 innings in 28 starts — for a time, the most in the National League. Before being placed on the IL on August 26 with right arm inflammation, Márquez had struck out 175, down from 230 in 2018. He went 12-5 with a 4.76 ERA and a WHIP of 1.201. (You can see his Baseball Savant Pitcher Visualization Report <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/player-scroll?player_id=608566#pitchTypes">here</a>.)</p>
<p id="8B7bMj">It also wasn’t about his complete game one-hitter (the first in Rockies history) on April 14 against the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a>. The lone hit was an <span>Evan Longoria</span> eighth-inning single. <span>Nolan Arenado</span>, despite all his skill, couldn’t get to the ball, throwing his glove into the dirt with frustration as Márquez lost the no-hitter. Later, <span>Arenado</span> <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/14/german-marquez-one-hitter-rockies-sf-giants/">said</a>, “I just wanted him to get it so bad . . . . He pitched so good and this year has been so tough, it was just good to see him go out and pitch that well. He did an unbelievable job.” </p>
<p id="TXSfbM">Still, the win couldn’t have come at a better time. It snapped an eight-game losing streak in the Rockies worst start ever in a season that was already doomed (though no one knew it yet). Márquez was a stopper. “I always go out there with my heart on my sleeve. I go out to compete,” Márquez <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F924466%2F2019%2F04%2F15%2Fgerman-marquez-finally-stops-a-rockies-free-fall-with-one-of-the-best-pitched-games-in-club-history%2F%3Fsource%3Dshared-article&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.purplerow.com%2F2019%2F11%2F13%2F20890802%2Fcolorado-rockies-german-marquez-ranking-2019" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">said</a>. “But I knew with the losing streak, the team needed me.”</p>
<p id="aipYRD">It wasn’t about hitting, either. Coming off his Silver Slugger 2018, Márquez was less effective with the bat in 2019, slashing .229/.229/.354. “I like my swing,” he <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F1002123%2F2019%2F08%2F13%2Fis-german-marquez-a-good-hitter-i-like-my-swing-he-said-do-the-rockies-agree%2F%3Fsource%3Dshared-article&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.purplerow.com%2F2019%2F11%2F13%2F20890802%2Fcolorado-rockies-german-marquez-ranking-2019" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">told</a> Nick Groke. “I’m thinking like a pitcher. So I can see them working. I think it helps. . . . I take it seriously.” Márquez and <span>Peter Lambert</span> were Silver Slugger finalists, but the award went to Zack Grienke.</p>
<p id="1casFP">These were all important accomplishments in a 2019 that failed to meet expectations. But I was mostly in awe of German Márquez because I wondered how he did it, how he cleared his mind and took the mound, completely focused on the game, with everything going on in Venezuela, given that his family is there while he plays baseball here.</p>
<p id="ifLH9s">The political situation didn’t get much attention in the baseball press. In a March 1 article, <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2019/03/01/rockies-venezuelan-players-hope-for-homeland/">Patrick Saunders noted</a> the concerns of the Rockies’ four Venezuelan players, Márquez, Senzatela, Daza, and Tinoco. <span>Márquez</span> said, “It’s sad to see everything really bad, and even though I enjoyed the time with my family there this offseason, it’s tough to see all the violence (and chaos).” He added, “My hope for Venezuela is for it to get better from all the crazy things that are happening, and soon. I don’t know if that will happen.” </p>
<p id="AIfkRF">Márquez’s Instagram captures his two lives. Among the baseball pictures are glimpses of his family. A holiday photo shows Márquez standing by a Christmas tree, holding his young son, with the caption “Mi mejor regalo” — my best gift. I am in awe that Márquez can do the work of baseball while separated from his family. Then again, playing baseball is a way in which he cares for them.</p>
<p id="3fSAPl">When the Rockies played their Coors Field opener, AT&T SportsNet did a quick promo before the game started. In it, players stated why they played. “I play for my country,” Márquez said, his voice breaking. I only saw that clip once, but I thought about it every time he pitched.</p>
<p id="KZFJqb">And I thought about a spring training photo session, the one where some players had pictures taken of themselves while wrapped in the flags of their home countries — Daza and Tapia and Estévez and Tinoco and Cuevas and Márquez — reminders of these players’ complicated lives beyond baseball. </p>
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https://www.purplerow.com/2019/11/13/20890802/colorado-rockies-german-marquez-ranking-2019Renee Dechert2019-11-12T07:00:00-07:002019-11-12T07:00:00-07:00Ranking the Rockies: Scott Oberg took two leaps for the Rockies in 2019
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<figcaption>Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Oberg filled Adam Ottavino’s absence, and then he became the closer</p> <p id="7a4hcq"><em>Welcome to the 2019 edition of Ranking the </em><a href="https://www.purplerow.com/"><em>Rockies</em></a><em>, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2019. 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 lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.</em></p>
<p id="FB2nEa">★ ★ ★</p>
<h4 id="nPNCem">No. 5, <span>Scott Oberg</span>: 2.4 rWAR</h4>
<p id="YF9roX">When Adam Ottavino (2.2 rWAR) left the Rockies for free agency in 2018, the team had been preparing <span>Scott Oberg</span> to take his spot as a much cheaper if less flashy eighth-inning bridge man. </p>
<p id="vqgnGq">For <span>Oberg</span>, it was a natural progression. As <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2019/08/04/rockies-scott-oberg-how-the-resilient-right-hander-became-a-closer/">he told</a> Patrick Saunders, “Get to the seventh-inning spot, where I got to last year. Get to the eighth-inning spot, which I got to this year. Those were steps. Hopefully, I can continue down that road where I can get the opportunity to be a closer on a consistent basis.” </p>
<p id="C0tZD9">As it turned out, he not only filled Ottavino’s spikes but also surpassed the Rockies’ expectations and met his own baseball goal as he proved a more able closer than <span>Wade Davis,</span> assuming that role on August 1. </p>
<p id="5kNz9t">In 2019, <span>Oberg</span> earned five saves with a 2.25 ERA (an improvement on his 2018 ERA of 2.45). At Coors Field, he had a 1.71 ERA in 28 appearances — and he did not allow a home run. His ERA+ was 236, easily the best of any Rockies relief pitcher. He did all of that in the launchpad of Coors Field. (Go <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/player-scroll?player_id=623184#pitch_break">here</a> to see his StatCast Pitcher Visualization Report.) Projections indicate that his $1.3 million salary will approach $2 million after arbitration.</p>
<p id="SqiPYu">Oberg’s very good season ended on August 18 when he developed an auxiliary artery thrombosis (blood clot) in his right arm, the same ailment he suffered in 2016. (Nick Groke has provided the <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F1172500%2F2019%2F08%2F31%2Fscott-oberg-dodged-serious-injury-so-whats-next-for-the-rockies-and-their-closer-job%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.purplerow.com%2F2019%2F11%2F12%2F20890803%2Fcolorado-rockies-scott-oberg-ranking-2019" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">best insight</a> into the procedures that removed the clot in Oberg’s arm and his thoughts on these events.) Oberg is confident it will not affect his offseason work and that he will be ready for spring training. Whether he will return to the closer spot is unknown.</p>
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</div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1wPuuXAFOK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Always tough to end the season hurt but looking forward to having a normal off-season and being ready spring training!</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/scottoberg45/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Scott Oberg</a> (@scottoberg45) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2019-08-29T16:01:08+00:00">Aug 29, 2019 at 9:01am PDT</time></p>
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<p id="sCHYch">Meanwhile, the Rockies’ former eighth-inning guy was burning up the Bronx. Adam Ottavino signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a>. Marc Carig<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F1291714%2F2019%2F10%2F15%2Fcarig-as-bullpen-faces-more-strain-yankees-need-swift-turnaround-from-adam-ottavino%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.purplerow.com%2F2019%2F11%2F12%2F20890803%2Fcolorado-rockies-scott-oberg-ranking-2019" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"> referred</a> to Ottavino as a “linchpin of a high-octane [Yankees] bullpen” given that he had a 1.90 ERA in 73 regular-season appearances. </p>
<p id="fe32x4">In the postseason, Ottavino struggled. He retired only nine of 21 hitters, earning an 8.10 ERA and a 3.00 WHIP over eight appearances. In two games, Ottavino was pulled to a chorus of boos. (For Rockies fans, it was a flashback to 2017 and the 2018 postseason when Ottavino gave up three runs in two outings.)</p>
<p id="53YZZb">Ottavino ended his year on a positive note, pitching a scoreless seventh inning the the Yankees’ elimination game against the <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a>. He <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/10/22/adam-ottavino-isnt-sugarcoating-his-sad-yankees-reality/">owned his struggles</a>: “It felt good to throw well in that game, but I wanted us to win . . . . It doesn’t take anything away from the tough times I had in October. It made me feel a little better, but ultimately, I know I have a lot to work on.’’ So it’s back to The Lab in the off-season.</p>
<p id="i39z9e">In addition to his pitching, Oberg emerged from Ottavino’s shadow in other ways. An enthusiastic amateur photographer, he began posting to Instagram ballpark pics with a decidedly Ottavinian style. (Witness his trek to catwalk of Tropicana Field with <span>Ryan Spilborghs</span>.) Then there was his <em>The Club</em> interview with UConn roommate <span>George Springer</span> when Oberg emerged as the responsible adult of his college team, up early every morning to drink coffee and read the <em>New York Times </em>while reminding <span>Springer</span> to take a pen and notebook to class. A local publication, <em>Tewksbury Today,</em> keeps up with Tewksbury’s favorite son, <a href="http://www.yourtewksburytoday.com/2019/01/12/187352/colorado-rockies-make-tewksburys-oberg-a-millionaire">reporting on his 2019 salary arbitration</a> (“Colorado Rockies Make Tewksbury’s Oberg a Millionaire”) and even predicting that Oberg was positioned to take <span>Davis</span>’s closer spot. And there was his adorable photo session with all those kittens for the “Rockies with Pets Calendar.”</p>
<p id="y9aWNT">The 2019 season found both Oberg and Ottavino ending successful seasons in on familiar but uncertain notes. In 2020, their returns will be key to their teams’ performances.</p>
https://www.purplerow.com/2019/11/12/20890803/colorado-rockies-scott-oberg-ranking-2019Renee Dechert2019-11-11T07:00:00-07:002019-11-11T07:00:00-07:00Ranking the Rockies: Carlos Estévez was a workhorse in 2019
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<img alt="Pittsburgh Pirates v Colorado Rockies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ujC__2zo58h7noEY5NuHbrQOzeQ=/0x5:2475x1655/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65675768/1172594174.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The right-hander established himself as a late-inning option for Bud Black.</p> <p id="pRegm4"><em>Welcome to the 2019 edition of Ranking the </em><a href="https://www.purplerow.com/"><em><strong>Rockies</strong></em></a><em>, where we take a look back every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2019. 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 lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.</em></p>
<p id="RNmSXO">★ ★ ★</p>
<p id="BdLPSu"><strong>No. 7, </strong><span><strong>Carlos Estevez</strong></span><strong> (1.6 rWAR)</strong></p>
<p id="mngiEl">Carlos Estévez had quite the reversal of fortune in 2019, after a 2018 season in which he did not make an appearance in the big leagues, the right-hander led the Rockies in appearances and led the team’s relievers with 72 innings pitched.</p>
<p id="smvuQX">Estévez took to the mound 71 times for the Rockies in 2019, posting a 3.75 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, he walked 23 and struck out 81 as opposing hitters batted .250/.306/.450 against him. Perhaps the biggest blemish for Estévez was the 12 home runs he allowed in the 72 innings he pitched.</p>
<p id="41P2xV">The basis for Estévez’s success in 2019 was his fastball, which he threw close to 70% of the time. Estévez’s fastball averaged 97.9 miles per hour, the fifth hardest in baseball among pitchers who pitched at least 50 innings. He also had a whiff rate of 30.5% on his fastball in 2019, registering 57 strikeouts with it.</p>
<p id="4DpPWZ">Estévez also thrived in the late innings, with a 2.02 ERA in 35 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings pitched in the 8th inning or later. Opposing hitters hit just .175 with two home runs in 126 at bats in those innings as well.</p>
<p id="ZamS4P">Going into 2020, Estévez has established himself as a reliable late-inning option for the Rockies. His 11 holds in 2019 were second on the team, just one behind Bryan Shaw. He was also second in rWAR and 4th in WPA among Rockies relievers this season. That should mean he will figure into Bud Black’s plans in the late innings once again next year.</p>
https://www.purplerow.com/2019/11/11/20958950/colorado-rockies-carlos-estevez-rankings-2019Jordan Freemyer2019-11-11T07:00:00-07:002019-11-11T07:00:00-07:00Ranking the Rockies: Charlie Blackmon is getting older, but still hitting at an elite level
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<img alt="MLB: Houston Astros at Colorado Rockies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gQf0CAdyMAuGPOEXXPoFCVVPHsE=/0x50:3000x2050/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65675776/usa_today_10985927.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Russell Lansford-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The defense is ugly at times, but Blackmon’s offensive ability more than makes up for it</p> <p id="7a4hcq"><em>Welcome to the 2019 edition of Ranking the </em><a href="https://www.purplerow.com/"><em>Rockies</em></a><em>, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2019. 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 lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.</em></p>
<p id="FB2nEa">★ ★ ★</p>
<h4 id="nPNCem">No. 6, <span>Charlie Blackmon</span>: 2.3 rWAR</h4>
<p id="Sm1UPg">Like a fine wine, <span>Charlie Blackmon</span> gets better with age. Or at least he has stayed a consistent power threat at the plate ever since turning 30.</p>
<p id="NdZ5WK">However, beyond the offensive ability and the luscious beard, we have Blackmon’s defense, which was not aged as well — more like a cheap IPA. Simply by being moved from center field to right in 2019, he wasn’t as detrimental in terms of defensive value, but he was still arguably the worst outfielder in the National League. According to <a href="https://library.fangraphs.com/defense/uzr/">Ultimate Zone Rating</a>, Blackmon was at -10.6 (worst in the league) and <a href="http://m.mlb.com/glossary/statcast/outs-above-average">Outs About Average</a> pegged him at -9, which was better than only <span>Kyle Schwarber</span>.</p>
<p id="Gybai9">This defense was on full display in the first homestand of the regular season as the Colorado Rockies embarrassed themselves on Sunday Night Baseball against the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Los Angeles Dodgers</a>.</p>
<div id="QuTums"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><video controls="" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;">Your browser does not support HTML5 video.<source src="https://cuts.diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2019/2019-04/07/4e134648-7c3ec0df-520f9d51-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source></video></div></div>
<p id="zhnVid">However, Blackmon’s contributions to the Rockies’ offense have been of vital importance. From 2016-2019, Blackmon ranks first in the NL in triples, batting average and runs scored, third in home runs, fourth in slugging percentage, OPS and <a href="https://library.fangraphs.com/offense/woba/">wOBA</a>, fifth in doubles and eighth in <a href="https://library.fangraphs.com/misc/wpa/">Win Probability Added</a>. We’re talking about one of the best hitters in the National League here.</p>
<p id="sM5BQC">After showing out in 2017 with 37 home runs and a .331 batting average, Blackmon took a step back in both departments in 2018, leading to concerns about a possible decline in his performance. He had just turned 32 after all.</p>
<p id="bwaEuC">In 2019, however, Blackmon showed he had plenty left in the tank, putting up a batting line of .314/.364/.576, with 32 dingers. His slugging percentage, homer and RBI (86) totals were the second best of his career after his otherworldly 2017 campaign.</p>
<p id="uQU6vf">With the Rockies facing a clogged payroll, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/rockies-trade-offers-charlie-blackmon">Blackmon saw his name pop up in trade rumors around the deadline in 2019.</a></p>
<p id="5pWB4F">When Jeff Bridich, Dick Monfort and Bud Black held a media briefing after the end of the season, Monfort mentioned a trade deadline deal that was nixed. This is just my speculation, but it’s easy to imagine it may have involved Blackmon.</p>
<p id="myexUG">It’s easy to envision Blackmon thriving in an American League environment because his defensive ability makes him an ideal designated hitter. And while trading Blackmon would free up payroll space for the Rox, it would also be the move of a rebuilding team. If the Rockies are looking to be competitive in 2020, they can’t afford to trade Blackmon because it’s difficult to envision his replacement being a more valuable hitter than the four-time All-Star.</p>
https://www.purplerow.com/2019/11/11/20887970/colorado-rockies-charlie-blackmon-review-ranking-2019Ben Kouchnerkavich2019-11-09T07:00:00-07:002019-11-09T07:00:00-07:00Ranking the Rockies: Ryan McMahon proved he belonged in the big leagues this year
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<img alt="Miami Marlins v Colorado Rockies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xx15VjR7IK2WxJAm4icCZxFOFDc=/0x0:3588x2392/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65667835/1170423292.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>He isn’t DJ LeMahieu, but he made the most of his first full season</p> <p id="pRegm4"><em>Welcome to the 2019 edition of Ranking the </em><a href="https://www.purplerow.com/"><em>Rockies</em></a><em>, where we take a look back every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2019. 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 lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.</em></p>
<p id="RNmSXO">★ ★ ★</p>
<p id="BdLPSu"><strong>No. 8, </strong><span><strong>Ryan McMahon</strong></span><strong> (1.6 rWAR)</strong></p>
<p id="4j2znn">After getting very familiar with I-25 between Albuquerque and Denver in 2018, <span>Ryan McMahon</span> proved that he belonged in Denver long-term in 2019 (or however long the Rockies choose to keep him in the organization). <span>McMahon</span> transitioned to become a primarily second baseman this year, which came with difficult task of trying to fill the enormous shoes left by <span>DJ LeMahieu</span>. He started off strong, slashing .424/.470/.763 with 13 extra base hits (nine doubles, one triple, and three home runs) in Spring Training. That led him to being awarded the <a href="https://www.9news.com/article/sports/mlb/colorado-rockies/ryan-mcmahon-named-rockies-spring-training-mvp/73-e202eff4-dffc-4e10-b87a-c49f08febbb0">Abby Greer Award</a>, which is awarded to the Rockies Spring Training MVP. </p>
<p id="2WduvP">McMahon did, however, have some growing pains and hit a few roadblocks this season. In early April, he landed on the Injured List for the first time in his career after running into by AJ Pollock trying to run out a throw to first base. That was also when <span>Daniel Murphy</span>, <span>David Dahl</span>, and <span>Jake McGee</span> were on the Injured List. In his first game back on April 18, he hit his first two home runs of the season and went 3-for-4 with five RBI and nine total bases. In May, <span>Brendan Rodgers</span> was called up, which meant he and McMahon split time at second base. It certainly meant another different role for McMahon, who has been floated around the infield, but he returned to being the primary second baseman once Rodgers was optioned and later put on the Injured List with a shoulder injury. </p>
<p id="8W0Ii4">Despite some of those roadblocks, McMahon made huge strides as a second baseman. He played in 141 games this year, after only playing in 91 in 2018. During those 141 games he hit 24 home runs and 83 RBI — both Rockies franchise records for a primary second baseman. The 24 home runs also ranked him fourth on the team behind <span>Nolan Arenado</span>, <span>Trevor Story</span>, and Charlie Blackmon. He also slashed .250/.329/.450, all career highs despite a September slump that cost him some points. McMahon finished 2019 as a Silver Slugger finalist at second base, but he ultimately lost to <span>Ozzie Albies</span> from the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a>. Defensively, McMahon finished with a .972 fielding percentage and committed 13 errors. As a first year full-time middle infielder, that’s not bad and will get better with more consistent reps and playing time in the middle.</p>
<p id="haHTvz"><span>Ryan McMahon</span> had a successful 2019 season even with some of the ups and downs. There’s room for improvement, sure, but hopefully he continues the upward trajectory into 2020 and beyond. He isn’t <span>DJ LeMahieu</span> by any means, but McMahon definitely proved he belonged in the big leagues this year.</p>
https://www.purplerow.com/2019/11/9/20956113/colorado-rockies-ryan-mcmahon-rankings-2019Samantha Bradfield2019-11-08T12:20:32-07:002019-11-08T12:20:32-07:00Ranking the Rockies: Myths, truths, and a mustache
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<img alt="Colorado Rockies v San Francisco Giants" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7bgZET7hFjtXG4GG-Sk1onu_I1w=/0x15:3600x2415/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65664207/1177297379.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Tony Wolters is good at baseball, but is he good enough?</p> <p id="WrnvO0"><em>Welcome to the 2019 edition of Ranking the </em><a href="https://www.purplerow.com/"><em><strong>Rockies</strong></em></a><em>, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2019. 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 lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.</em></p>
<p id="lu6cBH">★ ★ ★</p>
<h4 id="R7ZcW8">No. 9, <span>Tony Wolters</span> (1.4 rWAR)</h4>
<p id="eEr5ny"><span>Tony Wolters</span> started the 2019 season in possession of a thick new lip sweater and the starting catcher position. Even though Wolters had provided almost no offense the previous year, the Rockies were comfortable enough with his defense and game-calling that they DFA’d longtime prospect <span>Tom Murphy</span> before the season even started and pushed Chris Ianetta into the backup role, where he stayed until being DFA’d himself in August. By the time Wolters had caught his last pitch in September, he had accrued 1.4 rWAR, a huge gain from his 2018. And the snot mop was still safely intact. </p>
<p id="b0q0P1">So it was a happy ending for the Rockies, right? They have their catcher, finally. Our lovable, diminutive “Papers” has finally stopped the carousel of catching that’s been spinning for almost as long as the Rockies have been a franchise. Right?</p>
<p id="X1oiUj">The narrative that developed about Wolters in 2019 was built on two premises: 1) he is a great defensive catcher; 2) he made big improvements in his offense. These two claims meant to those making them that the Rockies could now move on to other, bigger concerns like pitching, first base, and outfield defense. But are both of those claims true? Is Wolters a great defensive catcher, and is he an adequate offensive player? Let’s take them one at a time.</p>
<h4 id="SseAkv"><strong>The truth about Wolters’ improved offense</strong></h4>
<p id="csJiaf">Here’s a simple question: did <span>Tony Wolters</span> improve offensively in 2019? And here’s a simple answer: yes. He raised his batting average from .170 to .262. That’s not insignificant. Up, too, were his OBP (.292 to a very respectable .337) and OPS+ (up 25%). So if the question is: did <span>Tony Wolters</span> do more on offense in 2019 than in 2018 to help his team win, the answer is yes. </p>
<p id="HCPc7J">But the real question should be this: did he do enough offensively <em>in comparison to the rest of the league </em>to justify his starting spot? </p>
<p id="TuRGHV">The answer to that question seems to be no. Of 207 hitters with at least 400 plate appearances, Wolters ranked in the bottom of the league almost across the board:</p>
<p id="UoQMc8">197<sup>th</sup> in OPS</p>
<p id="698LRv">202<sup>nd</sup> in fWAR</p>
<p id="YzK6sL">205<sup>th</sup> in wRC+</p>
<p id="IfKJvZ">207<sup>th</sup> in ISO</p>
<p id="CfiGAF">207<sup>th</sup> in HR</p>
<p id="aIo0q1">In isolation, some of his offensive numbers don’t look too bad. A .337 OBP is pretty good in a vacuum, for example. The problem comes with the type of offense he produces. Wolters only had 20 extra base hits out his 94 total hits. All those trips to first base don’t help all that much in the National League, when it’s on the pitcher to do something with that runner. </p>
<p id="Rd2YQc">To be sure, though, Wolters’s improvement on offense, which put him right at replacement level, was welcomed. If the Rockies are unable or unwilling to upgrade the catching position, perhaps Wolters can make another stride offensively next season to bolster his great defense. That brings us to the second premise: is he a great defensive catcher?</p>
<h4 id="Z0o6v9"><strong>The truth about Wolters’ elite defense</strong></h4>
<p id="eszpue">The story is a bit more complicated on defense. To be sure, Wolters is a capable catcher. His 2.0 defensive WAR was 2nd among all catchers in baseball, only behind Cleveland’s Roberto Pérez. He only had 1 error the entire season, good for a .999 fielding percentage, which is well above average. He also threw out runners at a much higher rate than league average. These numbers all seem to indicate that Wolters is, in fact, a great defensive catcher.</p>
<p id="kZogg3">The trouble comes with his framing, which is even more important for a catcher than how many errors are committed. Framing happens on every pitch and can be the difference between a 1-2 and a 2-1 count or between a walk and a strikeout. Pitch by pitch, framing has an important impact on the success of a pitching staff, and in this area, Wolters takes a hit.</p>
<p id="QLnz2s">According to Baseball Prospectus, Wolters is one of the worst catchers in baseball in a couple of key areas. By their metrics, he ranked 107<sup>th</sup> in MLB in framing runs, and 95<sup>th</sup> in a metric called “fielding runs above average,” which aggregates some adjusted defensive metrics. Those are obviously <em>not</em> elite numbers. This is especially problematic in the NL West, where the <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a>, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>, and <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> all have catchers in the top 12 in framing. </p>
<p id="RqJoJQ">So claims that Wolters is an elite defensive catcher ignore an issue he has that could be having a major impact on the success of Rockies’ pitching, which is their greatest weakness heading into 2020.</p>
<h4 id="fj9zkb"><strong>What the future holds for the Rockies’ starting catcher</strong></h4>
<p id="oTaNDG">The Rockies seem to be happy with Wolters’s growth in 2019. He made improvements on offense and remained an elite backstop behind the plate. But with the Rockies’ pitching woes derailing their 2019 season, the catching position may need to be reevaluated as part of that problem. Wolters is a fan and clubhouse favorite. He’s a likable player who brings it every game, prepares meticulously, and shows signs that he may not have reached his ceiling yet. The trouble is that his ceiling may not be good enough to justify starting him next season and beyond. </p>
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https://www.purplerow.com/2019/11/8/20955568/colorado-rockies-tony-wolters-ranking-2019Nick Hertzog