Colorado Rockies: 18 things we are looking forward to in 2018

Number 17: What will Charlie Blackmon do next?

Speaking of Charlie Blackmon, how in the world is he going to top last year’s historic season? One of the game’s best leadoff men, Blackmon has established himself as an offensive threat from the time the first pitch is delivered. He might not be able to top last year, but even coming close and pairing that with typical seasons from Nolan Arenado and DJ LeMahieu, plus better seasons from Ian Desmond, Trevor Story and Gerardo Parra can make the Rockies a team few pitchers want to face.

If there is any area where Blackmon might be able to up his game, it is in the stolen base category. Last season, he swiped just 14 (his lowest since 2013) while being caught 10 times. We had to dig deep to even find that, just showing the type of year Blackmon had last season and the type of season Rockies fans hopes he can produce in 2018.

Chuck Nazty talked about what will motivate him for next season in this interview with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.

Number 18: The many emotions of Bud Black

Colorado’s manager is one of a kind. We in the media are lucky enough to often hear his baseball stories and jokes, but even those in the stands can see the charisma that he brings to the dugout on a nightly basis.

Of course, there are times when Black isn’t the most jovial person on Earth. Just ask Kyle Freeland, who saw it first-hand … as did the rest of the world … on July 4 at Coors Field.

Next: The 5 most memorable moments from Colorado's 2017 season

All of the emotions go into making Black the ideal manager for a young Rockies team and one of the best skippers in Major League Baseball today.