Colorado Rockies: Carlos Gonzalez’s return to form

After an ice-cold start at the plate, Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies looks to have found his All-Star caliber bat back.

On May 10, the Colorado Rockies had just won 3-0 against the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs. It was a good day for the team, taking a series from the World Series favorites. However, for Carlos Gonzalez, it was a rough day at the plate.

Gonzalez went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts that day. He had dipped under the dreaded Mendoza line. Another hitless effort had CarGo at a disastrous .188 average, with only two home runs through the first six weeks of the season.

There were early question marks about the right-fielder but then something changed. The Los Angeles Dodgers came to town for a four-game series and Gonzalez started the series with his first back-to-back multi-hit games of the season. The longest tenured Rockie has continued to keep a hot bat.

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Since May 11, CarGo has had an average of .392. According to FanGraphs, that number would put him seventh of players with at least 40 at-bats in the past two weeks. He is also hitting for more power, doubling both his totals of doubles and home runs on the year.

What changed for the former Sliver Slugger? The quality of contact he was making and a little bit of luck. Gonzalez has started hitting the ball harder, more line drives, more fast ground balls through holes of the infield. In baseball, the harder the ball is hit, the more likely it ends up being a base hit. During this two-week hot streak, Gonzalez’s percentage of hard hit balls peaked to 37%.

At the same time, you have to incorporate the luck factor of baseball. The lining a ball right at the first basemen for an out and hitting a roller down the third base line for a hit factor. With the BAbip (Batting Average on Balls in Play) stat, we can get a sense of a player’s luck. Carlos Gonzalez’s career BAbip is .335. This year, however, it is only at .298 … but has risen over this stretch. The hot streak has been a combination of better contact and better fortune for CarGo.

What does it mean for the Colorado Rockies?

Gonzalez has always been a streaky hitter, Rockies fans can testify to that. Although, if he can stay around his current slash line of .256/.323/.393 for the rest of the season, it would be big. CarGo is the only current Rockie that was on the roster the last time the franchise made the postseason.

Next: Was CarGo named to our all-time Colorado 25-man roster?

The Colorado Rockies season has been filled with early success and are on a path back to playing meaningful baseball in September again. Ultimately, Gonzalez needs to keep a good bat, but with guys like Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon in the same lineup, he doesn’t have to be an All-Star hitter anymore.