Evaluating the Talent: Charlie Blackmon

The next Rockies player up for offseason evaluation is Charlie Blackmon. It’s no secret that I’m a Blackmon apologist. And lest you think I’m being shallow, his looks have very little to do with it. No, my love for Charlie is entirely about the mojo he brought to the Rockies when he came in June. There’s no way to know if that would have continued if he hadn’t broken his foot, but in some ways that just elevates his short time with the club to legendary status. I think he has what it takes to be a very good player for a very long time. Though sometimes his Twitter feed is a little TMI.

So let’s get down to the numbers. Due to his short tenure with the Rockies prior to injury, they don’t tell us much. In 27 games, he hit .255 with 1 home run and 8 RBI. He also recorded just one double and no triples. But the thing I liked about Blackmon was his ability to make contact. 23 of his 25 hits were singles. He only struck out 8 times in 98 at-bats. He gets on base, and he moves runners over. He’s also a smart baserunner, and goodness knows we need as many of those as we can get. Plus, supposedly he has all this power potential that we haven’t even seen yet, so the ceiling is high.

Blackmon is always going to fall into that column where I put homegrown players I don’t ever want to lose, but I also think it’s in the Rockies’ best interest to keep him. He’s solid offensively and defensively, and he’s also cheap and under team control through 2014. Though his name has been mentioned here and there as possible trade bait, the Rockies aren’t aggressively shopping him. His role next year will be in the outfield coming off the bench, depending on what happens with Seth Smith, and that’s a fine place to start.

Where should Blackmon be in 2012? Colorado.

Where will Blackmon be in 2012? Colorado.