Colorado Rockies: If MLB’s greatest hitters had played at Coors Field

SAN DIEGO, CA - JUNE 26: A statue memorializing and celebrating Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, Sr.'s life and career as a San Diego Padre at Petco Park on June 26, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent C. Horner/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - JUNE 26: A statue memorializing and celebrating Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, Sr.'s life and career as a San Diego Padre at Petco Park on June 26, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent C. Horner/Getty Images)
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Two of the greatest things about baseball are the statistical side of the game as well as the age-old question of, “What if?” We decided to merge those pieces into this article, looking at what some of the game’s greatest hitters would have done if they had played as members of the Colorado Rockies for their careers.

To run this simulation, we looked at how hitters would have performed throughout their careers using the characteristics of Coors Field in 2017. In this simulation, thanks to Baseball Reference, all seasons are converted to 162-game seasons and the average team scoring of 853 total runs (5.27 R/G). No, this was not the most offensive-laden season at Coors Field but we felt it gave us a good feel for how playing in Denver might have boosted the numbers of some of the game’s greatest hitters.

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Thanks in part to the statistical analysis of Baseball Reference, we were able to look at some pretty intriguing numbers. Hey, if we are all going to hear “Coors” every time we mention the Rockies and their offense, why not play devil’s advocate in this article and see exactly how some of the greatest numbers ever produced in the history of baseball might have gone up just a touch more at 20th and Blake?

Please note that there are a few things that aren’t taken into account with this statistical journey and you can read those by clicking here.

Let’s start by looking at Tony Gwynn, one of the game’s best hitters and someone who actually played at Coors Field during his later years with the San Diego Padres. The first set of numbers will be if Gwynn had played his career with the Rockies at 2017 Coors Field conditions while the second set of numbers are his actual Hall of Fame statistics.

Tony Gwynn (1982-2001)

Career numbers at Coors under 2017 conditions

Slash — .372/.424/.503

OPS — .927

HR — 159

RBI — 1463

K — 444

Real numbers

Slash — .338/.388/.459

OPS — .847

HR — 135

RBI — 1138

K – 434

It was interesting to see that while many of Gwynn’s numbers would have shown a significant increase, his total strikeouts would have only risen by 10. Just another testament to just how great Gwynn was at the plate.

Let’s take a look at some other great names in Major League history and their hypothetical and real statistics…

ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 13: Designated hitter Edgar Martinez #11 of the Seattle Mariners hits a two run home run in the first inning as catcher Bengie Molina #1 of the Anaheim Angels can only watch on April 13, 2004 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 13: Designated hitter Edgar Martinez #11 of the Seattle Mariners hits a two run home run in the first inning as catcher Bengie Molina #1 of the Anaheim Angels can only watch on April 13, 2004 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

Wade Boggs (1982-1999)

Career at Coors under 2017 conditions

Slash — .351/.440/.475

OPS — .916

HR — 138

RBI — 1224

Real numbers

Slash — .328/.415/.443

OPS — .858

HR — 118

RBI — 1014

Barry Bonds (1986-2007)

Career at Coors under 2017 conditions

Slash — .326/.475/.661

OPS – 1.137

HR – 881

RBI – 2477

Real numbers

Slash — .298/.444/.607

OPS – 1.051

HR — 762

RBI – 1996

Edgar Martinez (1987-2004)

Career at Coors under 2017 conditions

Slash — .333/.442/.551

OPS — .992

HR – 349

RBI – 1503

Real numbers

Slash — .312/.418/.515

OPS — .933

HR — 309

RBI — 1261

Mike Schmidt (1972-1989)

Career at Coors under 2017 conditions

Slash — .296/.414/.584

OPS — .998

HR – 646

RBI – 2043

Real numbers

Slash — .267/.380/.527

OPS — .908

HR — 548

RBI — 1595

Ted Williams (1939-1960)

Career at Coors under 2017 conditions

Slash — .358/.498/.660

OPS – 1.158

HR – 582

RBI – 2108

Real numbers

Slash — .344/.482/.634

OPS – 1.116

HR — 521

RBI – 1839

Babe Ruth (1920-1934)

Career at Coors under 2017 conditions

Slash — .360/.496/.734

OPS – 1.230

HR – 726

RBI – 2243

Real numbers

Slash — .342/.474/.690

OPS – 1.164

HR — 714

RBI – 2214

Joe DiMaggio (1936-1951)

Career at Coors under 2017 conditions

Slash — .338/.414/.602

OPS – 1.106

HR – 398

RBI – 1773

Real numbers

Slash — .325/.398/.579

OPS — .977

HR — 361

RBI – 1537

Ty Cobb (1905-1926)

Career at Coors under 2017 conditions

Slash — .405/.472/.567

OPS – 1.039

HR – 133

RBI – 2432

SB — 1094

Real numbers

Slash — .366/.433/.512

OPS — .945

HR — 117

RBI – 1944

SB – 897

Note: Cobb’s stats jump up to even more significant levels using the Coors effect with the Hall of Famer gaining almost 500 more RBI and swiping almost 200 more bases.

Rogers Hornsby (1915-1933)

Career at Coors under 2017 conditions

Slash — .393/.463/.617

OPS – 1.080

HR – 230

RBI – 1433

Real numbers

Slash — .358/.434/.577

OPS – 1.010

HR — 301

RBI – 1584

Note: This is one of the more interesting cases I found. Hornsby’s slash and OPS go up but his home runs and RBI go down. Perhaps he would find more room in the gaps to hit but wouldn’t clear the fences in Denver.

Next: 5 stats that must improve for the Rockies in 2018

In my next installment, I will look at 10 of the greatest pitchers who ever took the mound and what their stats might look like under the same environment as we explored here.

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