Colorado Rockies hoping Ryan McMahon follows Cody Bellinger’s path?

Are the Colorado Rockies looking to acquire another bat for their lineup or are they counting on youngsters to make a big splash alongside seasoned veterans for the 2018 season? That is the question currently being debated in Rockies circles.

The Rockies have been linked to numerous free agents throughout the offseason. However, the vast majority of the money spent so far by the Colorado offense has come in the bullpen, thanks to the signings of Bryan Shaw, Wade Davis and Jake McGee. Only the inking of Chris Iannetta behind the plate has kept this offseason from being all about Rockies pitching.

It has been reported that Ryan McMahon has been “penciled in” to start at first base for the Rockies in 2018. If that report is true, it frees up Ian Desmond for the outfield, joining Gerardo Parra and Charlie Blackmon as the likely Opening Day starters.

Handing the first base reins over to McMahon makes sense in some respects. The Rockies have been looking for their next franchise first baseman since Todd Helton retired. They thought they might have found him when they signed Desmond to a lucrative deal last season. However, injuries and a hot start by Mark Reynolds changed Colorado’s plans.

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Now, the 23-year-old McMahon may be the next in line to try to grab the position and hold onto it for the long term. It may seem like a risky move but it worked well for the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers last season.

After being called up in late April, Bellinger blasted 39 homers and drove in 97 runs on his way to earning an All-Star nod and Rookie of the Year honors, playing 93 games at first base. He gave a huge boost to the Dodgers as they captured Major League Baseball’s best regular-season record. However, he struggled to a .219 average in the postseason as the Dodgers eventually fell to the Houston Astros in a seven-game World Series.

Could how well things worked for the Dodgers and their rookie first baseman last season provide a bit of a nudge for the Rockies and their plans in 2018? McMahon has the tools to make it happen. He batted .300 or better at Class A, Double-A and Triple-A. He also has totaled double-digit homers every year in the minors since being drafted by the Rockies in the second round of the 2013 draft.

He hit just .158 in 17 games last season with the Rockies, but that covered just 19 at-bats after being called up in mid-August and being called up again on September 1. Getting consistent playing time wasn’t a priority last season it seems at the Major League level. This year, McMahon could likely be on the field when it matters most for Colorado.

Last season, Bellinger put together a slash line of .267/.352/.581 with an OPS of .933 in 132 MLB games. In 70 Triple-A games, McMahon logged .374/.411/.612 with an OPS of 1.023. The numbers show that McMahon has the skills to step in at first and produce for the Rockies at a position where offensive production is certainly needed. Is Major League pitching comparable to Triple-A? On the whole, no. However, McMahon produced last season at a high level when given regular at-bats, no matter at what level.

As an aside, Bellinger hit .343/.429/.627 in 18 games (67 at-bats) at Triple-A Oklahoma City before being called up last season.

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Even if McMahon doesn’t produce in 2018 what Bellinger did in 2017, a solid bat with the ability to drive in runners on a consistent basis will be a plus for a Rockies lineup that needed a jumpstart at times in 2017 and has yet to add much offensive spark in the offseason leading up to the 2018 campaign.