Colorado Rockies Countdown: Top Five Center Fielders

1.  Ellis Burks (1994-1998, fWAR 11.0)

Burks leads all Rockies center fielders in most offensive categories including home runs and RBIs. Behind Fowler and Blackmon, Ellis has only played in the third-most games at the position. Consequently, that fact makes Burks’ offensive output even more impressive.

In five years with the Rockies, Burks performed spectacularly on the offensive side of the ball. Burks finished his Colorado career with 115 home runs, 337 RBIs to go with a .306 AVG and .378 OBP. Burks is the most powerful center fielder in Rockies history. As stated by Fangraphs’ ISO statistic (communicates a hitter’s extra bases per at bat), Burks scores a .273. The next closest is Preston Wilson with a score of .228.

The best year of Burks’ career came in 1996 when he’d hit for a .344 average. Most noteworthy, Ellis would make the second of two career All-Star games and finish third in the MVP vote. As a result of that unforgettable season, Ellis led the league in runs (142), slugging (.639), and total bases (392).

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In line with his WAR, Burks’ 1996 season is the fourth-best by any Rockie in the club’s history. As of now, Burks ranks second in club history with a career .957 OPS. Burks mashed a home run every 15.8 at-bats, that’s the same as Larry Walker.

Next: Rockies Five Biggest Games in 2017

Burks enjoyed an 18-year big league career, playing a significant role in the history of several organizations.