Rox Pile
Fansided

Colorado Rockies: Who Was the Most Improved Player in 2016?

By Tim Engquist

Oct 2, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Fans watch in the seventh inning of the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Fans watch in the seventh inning of the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies
Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /

Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado is the popular pick for MVP of the Rockies in 2016, and it is easy to see why. His power numbers remained essentially the same from 2015. He hit 41 home runs, and drove in a MLB-leading 133 RBI. He compiled these numbers while manning the hot corner for the Rockies in almost every game, as he appeared in 160 of 162 contests. That durability is a facet of his game that cannot be ignored.

Also hard to ignore was the biggest weakness of Arenado in 2015. He didn’t get on base as much as you would expect from a guy putting up such gaudy power numbers. He was a very aggressive hitter, walking only 34 times in 665 at bats. This left his SO/W ratio at 3.24 and his OBP was only .323, leading to criticism from those outside the Rocky Mountain region.

Nolan clearly made this a focus in 2016 and the statistics show just how much he improved this part of his game. He doubled his walk total in 2016, aggregating 68 in his 696 at bats. He walked in 9.8% of his plate appearances, well above the league average of 7.9 and almost double of his percent of 5.1 in 2015.

This also led to him slashing his SO/W ratio, lowering it to 1.51 this season. This added patience also showed in his OBP and OPS. His OBP improved from .323 to .362 and his OPS rose from .898 to .932. This was good for 10th in baseball, a hundredth of a point less than his teammate, Chuck Nazty. Like Charlie, Nolan also saw more pitches during his plate appearances in 2016, inflating it from 3.49 to 3.94 this season.

Arenado, of course, continued to produce unforgettable web gems at third base this season, and may add to his Gold Glove collection. His value increased from a WAR of 5.8 to 6.5 on baseball reference and from 4.5 to 5.2 on fangraphs. These values are the highest of any Rockies players, and he has to be considered the cornerstone for the Rockies to build around for years to come.

Home/Colorado Rockies News