Aided by the mile-high air in Denver, plenty of Rockies sluggers are always producing some golden moments at Coors Field.
From Larry or CarGo to Charlie, there’s never a shortage of star sluggers in Colorado to take your breath away.
Manager: Clint Hurdle
The best season in Rockies history came with Hurdle in the dugout. After taking over during the 2002 season, Colorado posted five losing seasons before a then-franchise-record 90-win 2007 campaign that saw the franchise make the playoffs for just the second time. The Rockies then proceeded to sweep both the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks before getting swept by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Colorado fired Hurdle during the 2009 season. The Rockies went 534-625 under Hurdle from 2002-09, with his 534 managerial wins ranking second in franchise history. Hurdle is currently back with the Rockies as their interim bench coach and hitting coach.
(Photo by Tim DeFrisco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X78799 TK2 R1 F49)
Jimenez spent the first five-plus seasons of his career with the Rockies (2006-11) and was one of the better pitchers in the sport over that span. His best season for the Rockies came in 2010, posting a career-best 2.88 ERA, 19 wins and 214 strikeouts over 221.2 innings pitched (33 starts), helping him get the starting nod for the NL in the 2010 All-Star Game. The right-hander pitched deep into games, evaded trouble and pitched well for the Rockies in the 2007 postseason, posting a 2.25 ERA over three starts (16.0 innings pitched). Jimenez is first in Rockies history with a 3.66 ERA and an 18.9 WAR among pitchers, tied for first with three shutouts, is third with eight complete games, fifth with 773 strikeouts and seventh with both 56 wins and 851.0 innings pitched.
(Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
Reliever/closer: Brian Fuentes
Fuentes was a pillar in Colorado’s bullpen from 2002-08 and one of the best relievers in the sport. A three-time All-Star with the franchise, the southpaw struck out batters at a high clip and recorded 28 saves per season from 2005-08. Fuentes, who posted a 3.38 ERA over his seven seasons with the Rockies, is first in franchise history with 115 saves.
(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Catcher: Yorvit Torrealba
Colorado signed Torrealba for the 2006 season, with him serving as its primary catcher for the run to the 2007 World Series. Torrealba was a respectable hitting catcher, batting .258 across his four seasons with the Rockies (2006-09), while posting 8 DRS behind the plate in 2007. He returned to the Rockies in 2013, his final MLB season.
(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
1B: Todd Helton
Helton is Mr. Rockie. The first baseman was stellar at the corner-infield position, winning three Gold Gloves, and was one of the best hitters of his generation, having a great eye and consistently getting on base at a high level while possessing notable power. In 2000, Helton led the NL with 216 hits, 59 doubles, 147 RBIs, an 8.9 WAR and a slash line of .372/.463/.698. Spending his entire 17-year career with the Rockies (1997-2013), Helton, a four-time Silver Slugger and five-time All-Star, is first in franchise history with 2,519 hits, 369 home runs, 1,406 RBIs, 1,401 runs scored, 1,335 walks, 4,292 total bases and a 61.8 WAR. He’s also second with a .414 on-base percentage, tied for third with a .316 batting average and is seventh with a .539 slugging percentage.
(Photo By John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
The 6-foot-3 LeMahieu was one of the most consistent infielders in MLB across his seven seasons in Colorado (2012-18). Crisp at second base and one of the premier contact hitters in the sport, LeMahieu earned three Gold Gloves and two All-Star honors with the Rockies, while winning the 2016 NL batting title and posting a combined 60 DRS at second base. LeMahieu is sixth in Rockies history with an 8.6 defensive WAR, seventh with 31 triples, tied for eighth with a .299 batting average, is ninth with both 1,011 hits and 498 runs scored and 10th with both a 16.6 overall WAR and 75 stolen bases.
(Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
The best third baseman in baseball resided in Denver last decade. Spending the first eight seasons of his MLB career with the Rockies (2013-20), Arenado was spectacular, making absurd plays at the hot corner and swinging as dangerous of a bat as anybody in the game. Arenado led the NL in home runs three times. The third baseman earned a Gold Glove in each of his eight seasons in Colorado, while also earning four Silver Slugger awards and five All-Star nods. Arenado is first in Rockies history with a 15.3 defensive WAR, third with a 39.7 overall WAR, fourth with 235 home runs, fifth with 760 RBIs, a .541 slugging percentage and 2,227 total bases, tied for sixth with 1,206 hits and is seventh with 649 runs scored.
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Tulowitzki was extraordinary for the Rockies, with whom he spent the first nine-plus seasons of his career (2006-15). An impact hitter from the right side, Tulowitzki was superb in the field and arguably the best shortstop in the NL in the early portion of his career. He earned each of his two Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger awards and five All-Star honors with the Rockies. Tulowitzki is fourth in Rockies history with a 39.6 WAR, sixth with 660 runs scored, eighth with 1,165 hits, 188 home runs, 657 RBIs, 2,001 total bases and a .371 on-base percentage and tied for eighth with a .299 batting average.
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OF: Larry Walker
Walker was great for the Montreal Expos, but he was an MVP-caliber player for the Rockies. Across nine-plus seasons in Colorado (1995-2004), Walker was a terror from the left side of the plate with blazing power and impressive plate discipline. Walker won three NL batting titles and led the NL in slugging percentage twice. All the while, he won five Gold Gloves at first base in Colorado. Furthermore, in 1997, Walker totaled an NL-high with both 49 home runs and a 9.8 WAR, while posting 208 hits and, in doing so, winning the NL MVP Award. Walker is first in Rockies history with a .334 batting average, a .426 on-base percentage, a .618 slugging percentage, second with 258 home runs, 848 RBIs and a 48.3 WAR and third with 1,361 hits, 892 runs scored, 126 stolen bases and 2,520 total bases.
(Photo By Rich Pilling/MLB via Getty Images)
“Cargo” delivered shipments over the outfield wall in all directions at Coors Field. After an auspicious and efficient debut season with the Rockies in 2009, Gonzalez had a breakout 2010 campaign in which he won the NL batting title and totaled an NL-high 197 hits while finishing third in NL MVP voting. The left-handed slugger was a consistent power plug who did damage and slugged at a high level, made some noise on the basepaths early in his career and was a plus outfielder at all three positions. Playing 10 seasons with the Rockies (2009-18), Gonzalez earned three Gold Gloves, three All-Star nods and two Silver Slugger awards. Gonzalez is fourth in Rockies history with 1,330 hits, 769 runs scored, 118 stolen bases and 2,366 total bases, tied for fifth with 227 home runs, is sixth with both 749 RBIs and a 24.0 WAR and 10th with a .516 slugging percentage.
(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
There was most definitely power at the Holliday Inn. Spending the first five seasons of his career in Colorado (2004-08), Holliday was both a three-time Silver Slugger and three-time All-Star, showing out in the team’s 2007 NL pennant campaign, totaling five home runs and 10 RBIs, while posting a .289/.319/.622 slash line in the 2007 postseason. The 6-foot-4 Holliday was an imposing hitter from the right side, swinging for power, being an extra-base hit machine and driving in runs like nobody’s business. In the 2007 regular season, Holliday won the NL batting title, while also leading the NL with 216 hits, 50 doubles and 137 RBIs. Holliday is second in Rockies history with a .319 batting average, third with a .387 on-base percentage, fourth with a .550 slugging percentage, eighth with an 18.6 WAR and 10th with 486 RBIs.
(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
A career-long Rockie (2011-24), Blackmon was one of the best outfielders of his era. A steady presence in both center and right field, Blackmon was a consistently potent left-handed bat for Colorado, hitting for average and slugging with his long, compact swing. A four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, Blackmon won the 2017 NL batting title, while also leading the NL with 213 hits, 137 runs scored and 14 triples in said season. Blackmon is second in Rockies history with 996 runs scored, 2,956 total bases and 148 stolen bases, fourth with 801 RBIs, tied for fifth with 227 home runs and is seventh with a 21.7 WAR.
(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Honorable Mentions:
- Jorge De La Rosa (starting pitcher)
- Aaron Cook (starting pitcher)
- Rafael Betancourt (reliever/closer)
- Justin Morneau (1B)
- Andres Galarraga (1B)
- Eric Young Sr. (2B)
- Trevor Story (SS)
- Vinny Castilla (DH)
- Dante Bichette (DH)
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