Future Colorado Rockies: Grand Junction Rockies August 9 Update

Apr 10, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; General view of Colorado Rockies hats and gloves during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. The Rockies defeated the Cubs 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Trending up (Todd Helton): That’s right, Todd Helton!

The Colorado Rockies honored him this past week in Grand Junction:

So good for him — and the Baby Rox! This is a good get for Grand Junction, and something that the kids in the stands (and probably the kids in the Rockies’ dugout – heyooo!) will never forget!

Trending down (Brendan Rodgers): This one deserves a bit of an asterisk — he’s not really trending down, per se, though the first round draft pick back in June hasn’t had a monster season in Grand Junction or anything.

Rather, it seems he’s dealing with some general fatigue issues and trying to figure out how to navigate that in his first season of pro baseball after a long high school career that included tons and tons of showcases, an unbelievable amount of pressure, and a daily grind that all led up to the draft.

This is pretty normal for a newcomer to pro baseball, especially from high school, where the daily grind is very different in the Pioneer League than it is for a high school team. Not too much to worry about here — but it is worthwhile to make a note of it, as we’ll all have to see how he does next year when he really begins his professional career in earnest.

Next: GJ Rockies Notes