Colorado Rockies Outfielder Brandon Barnes Fitting Right In

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After starting the year of with the Colorado Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes, Brandon Barnes finally got his chance to make an impression on the big club with the demotion of Drew Stubbs on May 20. He (Barnes) is making the most of it.

Barnes, 29, wasn’t exactly tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A, slashing at a line of .205/.266/.364 with 27 hits in 132 at-bats. However, Barnes has been making the most of his opportunity in the Majors alongside teammate Ben Paulsen. Paulsen, like Barnes, was hitting at a clip of .256/.340/.424 with 32 hits in 125 at-bats. Now, both players are producing and grabbing the attention of Rockies’ fans everywhere.

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Colorado made the right decision with the demotion of Drew Stubbs — something I begged and pleaded for. It wasn’t an easy choice for them, however. Colorado avoided arbitration with the 30-year-old prior to the 2015 season, owing him roughly $5.8 million and in order for a demotion, he would have to agree to it due to the fact he has more than five years of service time. Stubbs did in fact accept his assignment, and is currently with the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Back to Brandon Barnes, how good has he been in his limited time? It’s just a small sample size, but Barnes is hitting .700/.700/.900 in six games, collecting 7 hits in 10 at-bats. Just think, Barnes collected seven hits in just six games. Drew Stubbs on the other hand only had six hits in 24 games. Let that sink in a bit. Not bad for a guy who only made $501,000 last season.

One thing I like about Barnes is his approach and demeanor towards the game itself. In Saturday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants (Game 2 of a double-header), Barnes hit an RBI double in the left-center gap in the fourth-inning on a 1-2 count. Not only was it a clutch hit while trailing 1-0, but the emotion Barnes’ showed at second base was awesome to see — not something you expect from a guy on a club that is currently 15-26.

Barnes also had a perfect 4-for-4 game against the Phillies in his first start of the season, collecting a double and an RBI en route to a 7-3 victory.

As you can tell from the Vine of Brandon Barnes, he brings a certain energy and excitement to the game which the Colorado Rockies so desperately need. Hopefully his work ethic and attitude towards the game can rub off the team and provide results in the near future.