Colorado Rockies: Wish List for the Miami, Chicago, New York road trip

Keep the Chip on the Shoulder

There are a lot of possibilities as to why the Rockies have looked more comfortable out on the road this year than at home, but one thing I’ve noticed is how the team plays with a bit of a chip on their shoulder away from home. The “Coors Field” mystique follows them everywhere and I think they love to get that first at-bat of the game and show the opposing crowd quickly that they can hit anywhere.

Wherever DJ LeMahieu, Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado find themselves in the lineup, leading off is a good place to be. First off, for leading off games, LeMahieu and Blackmon have combined to have a slashline of .348/.423/.522 in the leadoff spot. In addition, offensively, they have best in the first inning this year as the team has an offensive slashline of .290/.379/.551 in the first inning.

That “us-against-them” road mentality is a trait the Rockies had a year ago, when they went above .500 on the road for just the second time in team history. It’s a trait we will need again, as history shows a winning road record goes a long way towards helping any team reach the playoffs. This road trip includes trips to two pitcher-friendly parks in Miami and New York, so it will be important for the Rockies to jump out to early leads, as we have seen all year on the road, and keep the chip on their shoulder.