Rockies’ Second Half: Things To Look Forward To

The Rockies won’t make the playoffs in 2015, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the season has to be a total drag.

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I am not an optimist by nature, but I have found that it’s very hard to stay interested in sports teams, even the ones I love most, without a little bit of hope.

Of course, I’m most devoted to the Rockies, which means that it’s nearly always foolish to hope for anything substantial, like, say, a division title, much less something more. Luckily, division titles aren’t the only thing fun about baseball. To wit, a few things about the second half that I am excited about.

Trade Deadline

I’m just as sick as you are of hearing everybody and their mom talk about how the Rockies should trade Troy Tulowitzki. It’s such a nonsensical proposition at this point, it’s become something of a shibboleth to separate those who know/care about/follow the Rockies from those who pretend to. So I am definitely not talking about Tulo. But there’s always crazy stuff that happens those last couple days of July, and who knows just what Jeff Bridich will do? Many have declared that this will be the true litmus test of how he’s doing so far as a GM, more so than the offseason or the draft.

Everybody knows this is not the Rockies’ year, and they have a variety of players that other, more successful teams, would find quite useful in the stretch run. Seeing how Bridich takes advantage of the opportunities he’ll have to improve the team, or doesn’t, will tell us a lot.

Nolan Arenado’s Continued Dominance

It’s just going to get better with Arenado. He’s already the best third baseman in baseball and is quickly becoming one of the best anythings in anything. He has also gotten significantly more consistent; instead of record-breaking hitting streaks followed by down months, he has hit well all season long (no month lower than .275), while continuing to play his signature Gold Glove defense. He is one of the most exciting players in the game, and he is ours. As long as Arenado is at the hot corner, going to Coors Field is still worth it to me.

Corey Dickerson Returns

One of my biggest 2015 disappointments has been Dickerson’s frequent absences due to plantar fasciitis. On a scale of 1 to Carlos-Gonzalez-finger-tentacle, this is not a serious injury, but it has persisted, and it’s kept him out of the lineup for all but a handful of games since mid-May. Unfortunately, it’s still unclear when he’ll return, but I hope it will be soon. Once he’s back to mashing, this team has no choice but to get better.

September Call-ups

Some teams are looking forward to the hot prospects that will swoop in and be heroes during the run up to the playoffs. The Rockies are not that team, but that doesn’t mean we won’t get to see some exciting players make their MLB debuts when rosters expand. It goes without saying that we’re all ready to see Jon Gray yesterday, and maybe we’ll finally get to in September. The #freekyleparker movement certainly hopes their champion will make a more permanent move to the big league club.

It will be a real tragedy if we don’t see Cristhian Adames at some point, and a Trevor Story sighting would be fun too (though that might make for a crowded infield). Story isn’t on the 40-man roster yet, but Rosell Herrera is, and while it’s a long shot to think he might get called all the way up from Class A Modesto, it’s not an impossibility.

So there you have it–all is not lost for the Rockies in 2015, even though the playoffs are out of the picture.