Colorado Rockies: Why Charlie Blackmon should not hit leadoff

Colorado Rockies center fielder and MVP candidate Charlie Blackmon had one of the best seasons for a leadoff hitter in the history of baseball. And one could argue that he should never hit leadoff again.

I should start this with a caveat, because I myself have not jumped fully onboard this train. That being said, there are several reasons why this is a change the Rockies should at least consider implementing.

Let’s first look at what the bushy-bearded fan favorite did in 2017.

Blackmon led the National League with a .331 batting average, 213 hits, 137 runs, 14 triples and 387 total bases.

He also smashed 37 home runs, posted a sparkling 1.000 OPS, and drove in 104 RBI. An astonishing 103 of those RBI came from the leadoff spot, shattering the record for most runs driven in from the top spot in a single season.

I know this record-breaking stat has been repeated over and over, but it’s for a good reason.

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If Blackmon was a part of an American League lineup, those RBI numbers would be beyond impressive. But Blackmon is part of a National League lineup.

That means that night after night he hit behind the pitcher and he still managed to drive in the eighth-most runs in the league.

Contrast Blackmon’s abundant production with the lack of production the Rockies saw from their cleanup spot last season.

In the National League, the Rockies ranked 12th ahead of only the Padres, Pirates, and Giants with 90 combined RBI’s from their fourth-place hitters.

Once again, their cleanup hitters bested only the Giants and the Pirates with a meager 20 collective home runs.

Additionally, their .762 OPS ranked 11th and their .416 slugging percentage was dead last.

Those numbers should scare Rockies fans.