Why The Colorado Rockies Offense Could Be MLB’s Best This Season

The Colorado Rockies offense led the National League in hits and batting average last season, with 1544 and .275. The Rockies have no doubt been one of the better offenses for quite some time now. However, they are in the midst of a seven-year playoff drought. Most of this blame goes to the pitching staff. However, there has always been room for improvement in the starting nine.

This season, the Rockies are primed to become a top 5 offense in the entire MLB. Heck, there is no reason they cannot be the best in baseball.

The addition of Ian Desmond was absolutely huge. The idea of him moving to first base is a high-risk, high-reward maneuver. However, he has proved he has the athleticism and versatility to play there so far this spring.

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With Desmond at first, this makes the outfield less crowded than it would’ve been had the Rockies not proposed the position switch to him. Had Desmond played in the outfield, this more than likely would mean benching David Dahl for another year. That’s a move that weakens the lineup, as opposed to the current lineup which shows strength up and down.

After being called up in June last season, Dahl posted a .315 batting average along with seven home runs and 24 RBI in only 63 games. Given that is only 1/3 of the season, the young outfielder for the Rockies is poised to have a really good year should he beat out Gerardo Parra for the starting role.

Keeping on the topic of young prospects, Trevor Story is one of the most exciting stories in the MLB. Story put on a historic performance during his rookie campaign. After suffering an injury to his thumb that kept him out for a major chunk of the season, Story is back.

He has a large responsibility, which is to take over the role left behind by Troy Tulowitzki. Story has always been on the MLB’s radar since Opening Day of last year. There is good reasoning behind why he should continue to break out with another spectacular season.

The Rockies offense will consist of MVP-caliber Nolan Arenado leading the lineup along with 2016 batting champion DJ LeMahieu. They will also have Dahl, Story, Carlos Gonzalez, Desmond and Charlie Blackmon. That is a lineup with seven of the eight position players being really good hitters … and playing their home games at Coors Field.

Catcher is the only position where the Rockies have unproven players, but Tony Wolters and Tom Murphy have had flashes of brilliance in their brief time in the Majors. If they can put together above-average seasons at the plate, Colorado’s offense should churn.

Next: Which Former Colorado Player Could Haunt the Rockies in 2017?

With the addition of Desmond, the re-appearance of Dahl, and solid seasons from Story and Arenado, the Rockies should be one of the best offenses in baseball. And, despite teams like the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Cubs, the Rockies can easily become the best offense in Major League Baseball.