Colorado Rockies Countdown: Top Five Shortstops

1.  Troy Tulowitzki (2006-2015, fWAR 34.1)

We know you must be awfully surprised to see Troy Tulowitzki as our Rockies’ G.O.A.T. at short. The truth is that no-one even comes close to the greatness that was Troy Tulowitzki. Just as we talked about Walt Weiss fitting the Ozzie Smith prototype discussed in the introduction, Tulo fits that rare and highly sought after Cal Ripken Jr. prototype.

Standing at 6-foot-3, Tulo was by far away the greatest offensive and defensive shortstop Colorado has ever had. In a decade with the club, Tulo made five All-Star games, won two Gold Gloves, two Sliver Sluggers, and finished fifth in the MVP vote twice. The scary part is that this list could be even longer if not for major injuries.

Tulo leads all Rockies’ shortstops in every major category. Tulo ranks first in home runs (188), runs (660), RBIs (657), stolen bases (55), average (.299), and isolated power (.215). In regards to fielding percentage, Tulo ranks second to Royce Clayton, .985 to .986. Forgetting stats altogether, Troy was perhaps the greatest Rockie to ever watch play. The fierce competitiveness and leadership that he brought to the field every day made major impacts on teammates and fans alike. Troy was one of the great defensive wizards, and watching him field a ground ball in the hole, fire a jump-throw throw falling away from first base and nailing runners was one of the most mesmerizing feats in baseball.

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Tulo’s departure to Toronto is well documented. Making the playoffs only twice in ten years obviously took a toll on Tulo and led to the front office dealing the star for much-needed pitching prospects. Troy was very unhappy with the deal as he felt betrayed by the Rockies organization, but has recently changed his tone. The jury is still out on the Tulo trade, but it is clear that Troy will always be a part of Rockies fans.