Colorado Rockies - Who’s Hot, Who’s Not? (Week 8)
Colorado Rockies - Who’s Hot, Who’s Not? (Week 8)
Noah Spirek
The Rockies are 16-10 since April 30.
@NoahSpirek | May 29, 2023
This week, the Rockies finished a seven-game homestand with a 5-2 record. They won three of four against the Miami Marlins and followed up by taking two of three from the New York Mets. They are playing good team baseball, but let’s look closer at the individual level and evaluate who has been playing especially well, and others who are struggling a bit.
Who’s Hot?
Elias Díaz
Elias has been the MVP of this team through 54 games and nobody else is even close. On both sides of the ball, he has been dominant, but his offense in particular has been very beneficial for the Rockies. So far this season, he is hitting .333 with 6 homers and a team-leading .906 OPS. The batting average of .333 is good for third in the National League. This week, he hit three homers and added 5 RBI to his total, bringing him to 27 which led the team before Ryan McMahon’s 5 RBI day on Sunday. (link to Tweet below)
Ryan McMahon
He’s back. In what had been an underwhelming season for McMahon’s standards, he seemingly got it all figured out and was red-hot this weekend against the Mets. In the three games, McMahon went 6-12, homered three times, and drove in eight runs. The strong series raised his average to .238, and he now leads the Rockies in homers (7), RBI (27), and doubles (15). If McMahon is able to continue this hot streak, the Rockies lineup becomes that much more potent. (link to Tweet below)
Randal Grichuk
Since returning from the injured list on April 29, Randal Grichuk has been a hit machine, and the Rockies have benefited. They were 8-18 when he returned, and they are 16-12 since. On the season, Grichuk is hitting a ridiculous .366 with an OBP of .424 and an OPS of .936. Is that any good? Over the past week, he continued his success by going 11-24 (.458 AVG). Even while only hitting one home run, his return to the lineup has meant so much to the Rockies, and the winning record reflects his impact.
Charlie Blackmon
The man just does not stop hitting. Over his last 15 games, the veteran presence of the Rockies is hitting for a .327 average and has clocked two homers and driven in 10 runs. On the season, “Chuck Nazty” is second on the team in batting average, OBP, and hits (.287/.369/51). (link to Tweet below)
Cooling Off
Kris Bryant
“KB” is mired in a slump that has seen his average plummet to .268. He is just 11 for his last 58, and has seemingly been unable to find barrels. On the year, he has an OBP of .351, yet somehow just a .385 SLG. The cause of this? A lot, and I mean a lot, of singles. Of Bryant’s 49 hits, 38 of them are singles. He has six doubles and five home runs, and he hasn’t homered since May 7. Shockingly, his OPS+ is now 90 (where 100 represents the average hitter in baseball).
Pierce Johnson
The Colorado native is 11 for 11 in save opportunities, but they have been seldom stress-free. While his 11 saves puts him third in the NL in that category, his 6.23 ERA is hard to ignore and he has a 1.80 WHIP across 21.2 innings. It’s been a rough go recently as well, as over his last seven appearances, he has an 8.53 ERA after giving up 6 earned runs in 6.1 innings. I would not be surprised if Bud Black makes a change at the closer position in the future, as the rest of the arms in the bullpen have fared quite well so far this season.
Looking Ahead
This week, the Rockies continue their stretch of playing 17 games in 17 days as they go on the road for seven games. First, they visit Chase Field and the 30-23 Arizona Diamondbacks for a four-game series. This will be a good test for the Rockies, as the D-Backs have played great baseball all season long so far and currently sit in the postseason field as the top NL Wild Card team. Then, the Rockies travel to Kauffman Stadium to take on the 16-38 Kansas City Royals in a three-game series starting on Friday.
Story by Noah Spirek.