David Dahl: Rookie Making Impact in Short Time with Colorado

When David Dahl stepped onto the grass at Coors Field before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers, it marked a big step in a journey four years in the making.

Prior to his first home game in Denver, Dahl fondly remembered taking batting practice at Coors Field in 2012 before being drafted by the Colorado Rockies with the 10th overall pick later that year. That was the last time Dahl had been in LoDo before returning in 2016 as one of Colorado’s talented rookie sensations.

Much like his good friend Trevor Story, Dahl has made an immediate impact on the Rockies, batting .370 in his first eight games in Colorado heading into Wednesday night’s action.

After being called up to join the team at the start of a critical seven-game road trip through Baltimore and New York, Dahl quickly proved his mettle, getting a hit in each of his first three games against the Orioles, including a homer.

That was just the start for Dahl, who had hits in each of his first eight games, helping provide a spark in left field where the Rockies were longing for consistent production.

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“Any time you can get players performing well like when David comes up, that helps,” Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. “There are many different ways to win a game. We’ve been grinding through at-bats and we’re pitching better. When you do that, you’re in position to win games.”

Dahl got his first taste of the Coors Field crowd on Tuesday night after playing his first seven pro games on the road. To the native of Birmingham, Ala., it didn’t matter if he was playing on the road or at home. He just wanted his chance to play for the Rockies.

“(Road or home) Doesn’t matter to me. Just being here is awesome,” Dahl smiled. “I’m glad I could come up and help the team in whatever way I can. It’s nice. I’m just trying not to think about it or put any pressure on myself. I just want to continue what I’ve been doing and go out and play the game.”

Dahl describes his first MLB week as, “crazy. It took a while for it to really set in. It still probably is.”

Not only is Dahl making an impact on the Rockies, he’s also contributing to a team that is fighting for the postseason. However, he says he’s trying to just take it all in stride.

“It’s great. This is a big moment for us. It’s a big series,” Dahl said. “We’re going to take it one day at a time and have fun. We just have to keep things going.

“Things are just kind of rolling together now. I’m just trying to not let it be too big of a moment. I’m just having fun and enjoying this.”

In the wide-open spaces of the Coors Field outfield, David Dahl says he not only needs to know how to chase down fly balls when he’s out there, but also learn how the outfield can help him when he’s at the plate.

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“I’m just going to let it all sink in and really work on knowing the outfield and how much (the ball) carries,” Dahl said. “Hitting is going to be fun to see how much the ball carries. Also, there’s the challenge of running balls down because of how they carry.”