Colorado Rockies: Selecting the All-Time 25-Man Roster

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May 10, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; General view of a Colorado Rockies glove and hat during the seventh inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. The Dodgers defeated the Rockies 9-5. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Crafting together the all-time 25-man roster for the Colorado Rockies was no easy task. There were certainly times I thought about pretending it was September and bumping it up to a 40-man roster … but ultimately decided to comb through the annals and record books to try to select just the 25 players we would put together on an all-time Colorado roster.

Again, the process certainly wasn’t easy and there will be plenty of discussion about who’s included on the roster … and who isn’t.

Much of the work done for this article was put together by James Keating, who has gone through the history books time and time again to put together our list of the five greatest Rockies at every position. If you haven’t checked these articles out, you absolutely should. You can find the links below…

Colorado Top 5 Left-Handers

Colorado Top 5 Right-Handers

Colorado Top 5 Catchers

Colorado Top 5 First Basemen

Colorado Top 5 Second Basemen

Colorado Top 5 Third Basemen

Colorado Top 5 Shortstops

Colorado Top 5 Right Fielders

Colorado Top 5 Center Fielders

Colorado Top 5 Left Fielders

There’s plenty of history to dive into in those links. We’re also guessing long-time Rockies fans will have many of these names bring back plenty of memories of some great days at Coors Field and even Mile High Stadium.

So which of the men from those above lists made our all-time Colorado Rockies 25-man roster? Let’s dive in and find out.

Apr 5, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Chris Iannetta (33) yells at Texas Rangers relief pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen (not pictured) after being hit by a pitch from Wilhelmsen during the eighth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Mariners defeated the Rangers 10-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The Catchers

We’ll put two catchers on the roster and we’ll select Jeff Reed and Chris Iannetta.

Reed played three full seasons with the Rockies from 1996-1998 and part of the 1999 season. He would start in 90 games or more in all three full seasons he spent with the club. In 365 games played with Colorado, Reed hit for a .286 average and posted a .373 OBP. Both of those statistics are impressive considering his career average was only .250 and his OBP was .334.

Reed’s career average OPS was .695, but during his Colorado tenure, Jeff’s OPS was at a very impressive .829. That is good enough to rank first all-time for a Rockies catcher. Reed never averaged an OPS above .700 with any other team.

In 458 games played (most all-time for a Rockies catcher), Iannetta only hit for a .235 average, which by all accounts is pretty ugly. However, he did two things better than any other catcher in Colorado Rockies history.

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First, was his extraordinary ability to draw walks. Iannetta drew 241 walks over 1,429 plate appearances. To put that into perspective, Yorvit Torrealba (the catcher Iannetta replaced) only drew 91 walks over 1,247 plate appearances.

Second, even though Iannetta didn’t make contact a lot, when he did, it usually went for pretty far. That’s a fact evident by his 63 career home runs for Colorado.

First base

A pair of pretty lofty names comprise our the two spots on our all-time 25-man roster set aside for first basemen … Andres Galarraga and Todd Helton.

Galarraga (also known as “The Big Cat”) was a member of the first Rockies team and holds the distinction of having the first hit in Colorado history (a single off Dwight Gooden). He’s also the first Colorado player ever to hit three home runs in a game, and he holds a Major League record for hitting home runs in three consecutive innings.

In Colorado’s inaugural 1993 season, Galarraga finished with a .370 average on his way to winning the first batting title in Rockies history.

During his 19-season MLB career, he put up some impressive numbers. Galarraga was a five-time All-Star (twice with Colorado), two-time Gold Glove winner, and a two-time Sliver Slugger (once with the Rockies). In his five seasons with the Rockies, Galarraga led the league at least once in average, strikeouts, home runs, and RBI (twice). He finished his Rockies career with a .316 average.

Now let’s talk about the Toddfather, who played 17 seasons in purple pinstripes. Helton is the Rockies all-time leader in offensive WAR, games played, at-bats, runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, home runs, runs batted in, walks, singles, extra base hits, sacrifice flies, and runs created. Helton is the only Colorado player with 300+ home runs, and the only Rockies player to have his number retired. Do you know what his career batting average was? Just like Galarraga, it was .316.

Helton’s best individual season came in 2000 when he led the league in hits (216), doubles (59), RBI (147), batting average (.372), on-base percentage (.463), slugging percentage (.698) and total bases (405). That year, Helton would make his first of five All-Star games, finish fifth in the MVP vote (a career-best), and win his first of four Silver Slugger awards.

Second base

The past meets the present at second base where we’ve selected Eric Young and DJ LeMahieu as our second sackers.

Five seasons into his Colorado career, LeMahieu already has a number of impressive credentials to his credit. He finished as last year’s MLB leader in batting average at .348 and posted career-highs in homers (11), RBI (66), OBP (.416), slugging percentage (.495) and OPS (.911).

He is only one of two Rockies’ second baseman to make an All-Star appearance, and he is the only Colorado second baseman to win a Gold Glove.

Young, meanwhile, was the club’s first second baseman and was one of the premier base stealers in his day. He is Colorado’s franchise record holder in steals with 180. He will always be long remembered for hammering a leadoff home run in the Colorado’s first-ever franchise at-bat in Denver.

In Colorado’s 1995 playoff season, Young led the league in triples. He then followed it up by making the All-Star Game in 1996. That 1996 campaign would be his greatest in purple pinstripes as he led all of MLB in stolen bases and won the Silver Slugger award.

Among Colorado second baseman, Young is the all-time career leader in runs (378) and RBI (227).

Shortstop

While history-making Trevor Story is the present and future for the Rockies at the shortstop, two of his predecessors made our all-time Colorado 25-man roster. Looking at statistics and accomplishments, Clint Barmes and Troy Tulowitzki hold down the shortstop spot on our list.

Barmes makes our list partially because of his accomplishments but also because of his versatility. During his time eight seasons with the Rockies, Barmes could play second base just as easily as shortstop.

Barmes ranks second all-time among Colorado shortstops with 61 career home runs. Certainly Story has that number in his sites as he gets ready for his second season with the Rockies.

Of his 61 homers, 23 came during Colorado’s playoff season of 2009. That would be a career-high for him as would the 76 RBI he logged that campaign.

Regarding Tulowitzki, while the end of his Colorado career was a bit awkward, there’s no denying the impact he had at 20^th and Blake during his time with the Rockies. 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.

Tulowitzki leads all Rockies’ shortstops in every major category. He ranks first in home runs (188), runs (660), RBI (657), stolen bases (55), average (.299), and isolated power (.215).

Third base

We marveled about the two names on our 25-man roster occupying first base (Galarraga and Helton). How about the two we’ve selected at third base in Nolan Arenado and Vinny Castilla? Wow.

Arenado is a joy to watch, both at the plate and in the field. If there’s a defensive honor at third base, it goes to Arenado. There are just certain things you can count on in life and that’s one of them. In four seasons, he has four Gold Gloves and two consecutive Fielding Bible Awards.

At the plate, just look at his numbers over the last two seasons. Arenado has put together 93 homers and 263 RBI during back-to-back All-Star campaigns. He also has 706 total bases during those two seasons. You can talk about Coors Field and thin air all you like, but it’s an undeniable fact that Arenado can mash at any altitude.

Castilla made his way into the hearts of Colorado fans as a middle of the order anchor during the days of the Blake Street Bombers. In nine seasons with Colorado, Castilla mashed 30-plus home runs six times, and 40 or more on three separate occasions.

Interesting enough, when the Rockies selected Castilla in the expansion draft, he played mainly at shortstop. However, once Charlie Hayes was no longer at third, Castilla took over the hot corner permanently in the 1995 season. Castilla would make the 1995 All-Star squad, which proved to be the turning point of his amazing Rockies career.

Castilla would have three total stints with the club over a stat-filled 16-year career. His best season for the Rockies came in 1998 when he played in all 162 games while batting in 144 runs and belting 46 home runs with a .319 average.

Sep 5, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez (5) walks back to the dugout second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

The outfield

We’re selecting six players to take up the outfield slots of our all-time 25-man roster.

Charlie Blackmon

Coming off his first-ever Silver Slugger, Blackmon had his best-ever season in 2016. His 29 homers and 82 RBI were both career-highs and established him as one of the best leadoff hitters in MLB today.

He also eclipsed the century mark for career stolen bases last season and has double-digit steals in the last three seasons. That includes a career-high 43 in 2015.

Ellis Burks

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 RBI to go with a .306 average and .378 on-base percentage. Based on those stats, Burks is the most powerful center fielder in Rockies history (Blackmon has 74 homers in purple pinstripes).

The best year of his career came in 1996 when he hit for a .344 average. Burks would make the second of two career All-Star games and finish third in the MVP vote. That season, he led the league in runs (142), slugging percentage (.639), and total bases (392).

Michael Cuddyer

At the age of 34, Cuddyer had the best hitting season of his career while with Colorado in 2013. During that campaign, Cuddyer hit 16 first-half home runs, earning him a spot on the National League Home Run Derby squad. Cuddy’s 15 total bombs in the derby were good enough to earn him a third-place finish. That was the best finish in a Derby by a Rockie since Larry Walker‘s 1997 second place finish in Cleveland.

Cuddyer went on to finish 2013 with a .331 average, which earned him the National League Batting Title, a 20th place finish in the MVP vote, and also the only Silver Slugger award of his career. He would hit in 27 consecutive games that season, which was at the time a franchise record.

Carlos Gonzalez

In eight seasons in Colorado, CarGo has 197 homers and 628 RBI. He hit the 40-homer mark in 2015 and has triple-digit RBI in two separate campaigns, including last season’s 100 RBI.

Three All-Star Game appearances and three Gold Glove awards not only speak to CarGo’s prowess at the plate but also in the field. His arm is one of the most respected in Major League Baseball.

Matt Holliday

Spending only five seasons in Denver, Holliday pulled in a lot of hardware in a short time. Holliday represented the Rockies on three separate occasions at the All-Star Game while winning three Silver Sluggers and finishing second in one of the tightest MVP races since the early 1990s. He will forever be known for “the slide” in Game 163 that pushed the Rockies into the 2007 postseason.

Larry Walker

Walker’s 1997 season is the greatest individual season by a Rockie, and one of the greatest all-around performances of the last half century. Walker hit for a .366 average to accompany a National League-leading 49 home runs, 130 RBI, 33 stolen bases and 409 total bases. Prior to 1997, the last time an NL player eclipse 400 total bases happened in 1948. To this day, Walker is the only player in Major League history to steal 25 or more bases and have a slugging percentage over .700. Walker’s 1997 season would produce the only MVP award in Rockies history.

Jul 25, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa (29) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

Pitchers

We’ll finish up our 25-man roster with nine pitchers.

Pedro Astacio

Astacio once led the league in innings pitched, and holds the Rockies record of most complete games in career with 14. Astacio also struck out 170 batters or more in a season three different times, making him one of the best strikeout pitchers in Colorado history. He finished his Rockies career with a 53-48 record (including 17 wins in 1999) in 827.1 innings pitched.

Jhoulys Chacin

Chacin is one of the best starting pitchers Colorado has ever developed. Named the organizations top prospect in both 2009 and 2010, Chacin is only one of two Rockies to ever post a sub-3.50 ERA in a season more than once.

Not many pitchers in Colorado history have had better individual seasons than the one Chacin had in 2013. After starting 31 games, Chacin won 14 games and posted a 3.47 ERA for a Colorado team that lost 88 games.

Aaron Cook

Cook has pitched more innings than anyone else in Colorado Rockies history. You’ll find Cook’s name toward the top of a lot of Rockies leaderboards. Most notably, Cook is second in career wins and complete games in club history. Cook will be remembered by Rockies fans not for having any one spectacular season, but for his consistency and almost decade-long stint in Colorado’s rotation.

He also finished his Rockies career with a 36-32 record at Coors Field.

Jorge De La Rosa

Hip hip Jorge! De La Rosa is Colorado’s all-time winningest pitcher, posting an 86-61 mark in nine seasons with the Rockies. In 2013, the southpaw went 16-6 with a 3.49 ERA in 30 starts. He was also instrumental in Colorado’s 2009 playoff run, posting a 16-9 record and 4.38 ERA with a career-high 193 strikeouts.

Jeff Francis

Francis is the third-winningest pitcher in Rockies history. In a magical 2007 season, Francis led the team with 17 wins, which was tied for the most in Rockies history at the time. He also became the first Rockies pitcher to start in a World Series game.

Brian Fuentes

Fuentes occupies the top spot for the Rockies in career saves. In a seven-year career with Colorado, Fuentes closed a total of 115 games for the club.

After five straight losing seasons and making two All-Star appearances, Fuentes was rewarded for his patience in 2007 when he would make an All-Star Game and appear in the playoffs for the first time. Fuentes is only one of six pitchers to ever make an All-Star Game appearance for Colorado.

Ubaldo Jimenez

Jimenez’s finest moment as with the Rockies came on April 17, 2010. Facing off against the Braves in Atlanta, Jimenez became the first Rockie to ever pitch a no-hitter. On that night, Jimenez struck out seven Braves and frequently touched 100 MPH on his fastball.

Jimenez would go on to have the greatest individual pitching season in Rockies history that year, setting single-season records for most wins (19) and most strikeouts (210). Jimenez would also become the first Rockies pitcher to ever start an All-Star Game. Jimenez finished in third for the National League Cy Young award in 2010.

Steve Reed

At 461 games, Reed holds the Colorado Rockies record for most games played in club history. In a strike-shortened 1994 season, Reed led the Majors in games played with 61. In seven collective seasons with Colorado, Reed appeared in 60 or more games each campaign.

He is also second in Rockies history with 66 runs prevented.

Next: Remembering What Key Rockies Players Were Like at Double-A

Bruce Ruffin

Ruffin tied a Major League record as Ruffin is the only Rockies player ever to strike out four batters in one inning. One of those strikeouts happened to be Sammy Sosa. You might also recognize Ruffin’s name because he is fourth on the Rockies career saves list, two saves ahead of a guy named Rafael Betancourt. The fact that Ruffin is among the Rockies leaders in saves is a bit surprising considering he came into the league as a starter with the Phillies. Ruffin started a total of 152 games over a 12-year career.

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