Colorado Rockies: Nolan Arenado discusses the first 40 games

After Saturday night’s 4-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies are at the quarter-mark of the season. Through the season’s first 40 games, the Rockies are 22-18 and sit 2.5 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West standings.

Certainly, there are some numbers for the Rockies to be somewhat concerned with. Through the first quarter of the season, Colorado sits 22^ndin team batting average (.232) and 24^thin on-base percentage (.309). The Rockies have lived and died this season by the long ball (their 51 homers rank sixth in Major League Baseball), as was the case in Saturday’s win when Trevor Story hit a pair of home runs to account for three of Colorado’s four runs.

Two of those runs scored on Saturday night came from Nolan Arenado, who is once again putting together an All-Star-caliber season. A .315/.409/.598 split and 1.008 OPS goes along with a team-leading 21 walks shows just why Arenado has reached base in 22 consecutive games heading into Sunday’s series finale at Coors Field.

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Long after the game was over, I had the chance to ask Arenado how he would grade Colorado’s first quarter of the season.

“I don’t know. It’s been an interesting start,” Arenado said. “Guys are feeling like they’re not doing what they’re capable of doing, yet we’re still playing good. It shows what this team is about. We haven’t really hit our stride yet. Hopefully, we will. I don’t know when but hopefully we can do it soon and carry it on.“We’re doing a good job right now. We’re winning ball games and that’s all that matters.”

I also asked Arenado how he personally judges the team’s success and what he uses to measure that success? Does it go by series or homestand/road trip or other mile markers during the campaign?

“I judge off who we play against. How good these teams are or who is throwing those days and how we can compete,” Arenado said. “It’s also a long season. If we lose a series, it’s doesn’t mean it (the season) is over.“The Brewers are a good test for us. They’re a really good team, just like the Cubs were in Chicago or the Mets were in New York. They’re all good tests for us and we know we can compete with any of them.”

While the Rockies haven’t found their stride yet, they’ve still been able to stay close in the race for the National League West lead. Part of that is due to the injuries that have plagued the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. As I was talking to Arenado, the television behind me was showing the Cincinnati Reds pin a 5-3 loss on the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.

So how does what’s going on in the division affect the Rockies? Arenado was asked this, especially knowing the team leaves a nine-game road trip to San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco right after they finish the series with the Brewers on Sunday.

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“We watch it. You see it. You see what’s going on. But, at the same time, I think it’s extra motivation for us to get after it and start winning ball games,” Arenado said. “We have to take care of business. But it’s still May and a lot of these other teams want to get going, just like we want to get going.”