Colorado Rockies: It’s time to shake things up
From all the talk about how much the Colorado Rockies’ offense is struggling, it’s easy to forget that they’re sitting in first-place in the National League West.
That being said, if they want to stay atop the division they have to figure some things out. Currently, the Rockies team batting average (.230) is 12th in the NL. Their .694 OPS is 11th. They are 10th in runs scored.
The pitching has carried the Rockies thus far and the offense has come through with some clutch hits, but the overall production has been disappointing at best and maddening at worst.
All Star second baseman DJ LeMahieu will help when he comes back from the DL, but the bottom of the order still needs to get going.
To find a solution to their offensive woes, the Rockies need look no further for inspiration than the Atlanta Braves. The Braves lead the NL in runs scored and lead the NL East by a game and a half over the Philadelphia Phillies. And they’ve gotten there by trusting their young talent.
The Rockies should follow their example.
Of course, the young guys have to produce. The Braves’ season would look different if players like Ozzie Albies weren’t hitting like they have been. But what’s important is that the Braves gave them a chance and so far they have not disappointed.
If the Rockies want to solve their offensive dilemma, they need to take a page from the Atlanta Braves and give some of their younger players a chance.
First and foremost, David Dahl should be playing every day. This season he’s only hitting .254 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI’s in 25 games, but those numbers should improve with regular playing time.
Dahl has seen most of his at-bats against right-handers, and that’s justifiable considering he’s struggled against lefties.
But Dahl isn’t a platoon player and he’s hit southpaws reasonably-well throughout his minor league career. Dahl’s numbers on the season will get better and his right/left splits will even out, but that won’t happen by sitting on the bench.
Inconsistent playing time will not help Dahl figure things out.
It would be different if the Rockies’ offense was hitting on all cylinders, but it’s not. I’d rather see the Rockies offense struggle because they’re giving young guys like Dahl a chance to find their footing than because they’re clinging to aging veterans.
Dahl isn’t the only guy who deserves a chance at regular playing time.
Fellow outfielder Noel Cuevas has played fairly well since being promoted (.294/.345/.353 slash line) and has earned more playing time as the team searches for offense. He is also the only right-handed hitter in the Rockies outfield.
But let’s take this a step further.
More from Rox Pile
- A Colorado Rockies Thanksgiving
- Colorado Rockies: What if Todd Helton had played football instead?
- Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon out for the season
- Colorado Rockies: Injuries shift look of roster ahead of Dodgers series
- Colorado Rockies: Has Sean Bouchard earned a second look in 2023?
Right now at AAA Albuquerque, outfielder Raimel Tapia is hitting .306 with 6 home runs, 30 RBI’s and 7 stolen bases.
Tapia has seen big league playing time and done well over a small sample size. He hit .288 in 70 games with the Rockies last season with 2 home runs, 16 RBI’s and 12 doubles.
He might just provide the spark the Rockies are looking for and could hit leadoff with the Colorado experimenting with hitting Charlie Blackmon in a traditional RBI spot.
Right now, the Rockies’ outfield might look best with Blackmon flanked by some combination of Dahl, Cuevas, and Tapia.
That doesn’t mean we have to leave out Gerardo Parra, who has quietly put together a pretty good season, hitting .284 with 3 homers, 11 RBI’s, and 5 stolen bases.
Against righties, he is even better, hitting .302 with 2 of his home runs and 8 of his RBI’s.
Parra has some experience at first base (1.000 fielding percentage over 25 games) and while I’m not thrilled about the idea of putting him over there, drastic times call for drastic measures.
Considering Ian Desmond‘s batting average is considerably better (but still not all that great) against lefties (.226) than righties (.156), maybe the Rockies should think about employing some sort of quasi-platoon at first base to give Desmond an occasional day off against a right-hander and let some of the young outfielders get more playing time by sliding Parra to first base.
Maybe this won’t work, but the Rockies need to do something before they miss out on perhaps their best chance to win the division in their 25-year history.
Next: A look back at some of the 1st round draft picks from the Dan O'Dowd era
The Rockies need to take a look at the Atlanta Braves and realize that if they are going to make the playoffs, it’s going to be because their young guys stepped up and came through. Now they just need to give them a chance.