Troy Tulowitzki: 2014 Colorado Rockies Player Grade

This was supposed to be the year that Troy Tulowitzki was going to stay healthy all season and have an MVP season for the Colorado Rockies.

During the 2013 season, Troy Tulowitzki was able to play 126 games, a huge improvement after only playing 47 total in 2012 due to injuries. He was coming off of his third All-Star appearance, while finishing ninth in average at .312 and ninth in home runs with 25 in the National League.

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The 2014 season started off so well for the Rockies and Tulowitzki. During the month of April he hit .381 with seven home runs and 22 RBI’s, making him the player of the month in the National League. In addition he was seeing the ball better than he had in a long time as he drew 21 walks during the month and posted a .495 on base percentage.

The Rockies started off hot with Tulowitzki leading the way; they posted a 16-13 record in the month of April. Then on May 7^th, after beating the Texas Rangers on the road, Colorado was eight games above .500 for the first time since April of last year. The Rockies looked like they would finally compete for the division again.

Over the next 25 games, the Rockies only won six times and just like that, they were five games below .500. However, Tulowitzki continued to hit, with another seven home run month in May while posting a .341 average. Overall he was batting .352 with 14 home runs after the first two months of the season.

The Rockies continued to lose and found themselves 12 games under .500 on June 30th and were looking at another losing season. At the same time Tulowitzki was still playing like a player in a pennant race. He posted another good month with a .354 average, with a season high 35 hits for the month.

Tulowitzki is considered one of the best players in baseball, and quite possibly the best shortstop in all of baseball.

At this point the annual, “the Rockies should trade Tulowitzki” talk began. On June 30^th he was batting .353 overall with 18 home runs and 47 RBI’s. He was leading the National League in almost every hitting category and was the top vote getter in the NL for the upcoming All-Star game.

It seemed as though everything was coming together for Tulowitzki this season. Then on July 20^th, he injured his left hip, and this caused him to miss the rest of the season as he needed surgery to repair it. He ended up only playing in 91 games total, but finished with some great numbers as he batted .340 and hit 25 home runs.

This season marked the fifth time since his rookie year in 2007 that Tulowitzki has failed to play at least 130 games. Tulowitzki is considered one of the best players in baseball, and quite possibly the best shortstop in all of baseball. However, too many times injuries have caused him to miss considerable time, and many wonder if he will every stay healthy for a full season again.

This offseason is a big one for the Rockies and Tulowitzki, as there is much speculation that he could be traded. He is under contract until 2020 and just turned 30 years old. Colorado has said all along that they will not trade Tulowitzki, but that was before they named a new GM in Jeff Bridich. Therefore, Tulowitzki being traded is something to keep an eye on for the next few months, while the Rockies decide what to do with this roster.

Grade: B

It is hard to not give Tulowitzki an A for the way he played this season, however, he only played 91 games. Health will define his career if he does not find a way to stay on the field.

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