Colorado Rockies: Is Ian Desmond turning things around at the plate?

Maybe it’s time to put away the pitchforks and torches for the moment, Colorado Rockies fans. Ian Desmond is seemingly finding his groove at the plate and it’s making a difference in the Rockies offense.

In Tuesday night’s 6-3 road win over the Cincinnati Reds, Desmond went 1-for-2, blasting a two-run homer and drawing a pair of walks. It continued a recent hot streak for him as he has pieced together a .292/.433/.583 slash line over his last seven games, going 7-for-24 with a pair of home runs and six RBI. During that stretch, he’s also recorded as many RBI as strikeouts.

Yes, the term “hot streak” is still in the eye of the beholder, I know. Desmond is still hitting below .200 for the season heading into Wednesday’s series finale in Cincinnati. Still, there are signs that perhaps he is turning the corner … and could be above that .200 mark very soon.

Desmond’s plate proficiency isn’t just over the last week either. He’s also hitting .245/.349/.491 over his last 15 contests. No, the numbers aren’t eye-popping … but they are certainly better than what we were seeing from him earlier in the season, part of the reason why his current season slash line sits at .196/.264/.402.

More from Colorado Rockies News

Also, while his numbers are on the uptick, maybe it’s a good time to look at the contributions Desmond has made this season, now that we’re 61 games into the season and the Rockies enter Wednesday tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the top spot in the National League West.

On the season, Desmond’s 11 home runs on the season are tied for third on the team and sit just one behind Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon for the lead spot. His 33 RBI are also third on the squad while his six stolen bases rank second. Desmond has done some good things this season. Unfortunately they are often shadowed by inopportune strikeouts or yet another ground ball hit to an infielder. They are also overshadowed at times by Desmond’s learning curve in the field at first base as well.

Let’s be honest … Rockies fans want and need Desmond to succeed. They want him to earn his big paycheck and be a key part of the Colorado offense. The more he succeeds, the better the Rockies will be, up and down the lineup.

Next: Could these players help the Rockies at the trade deadline?

If Desmond’s upward trend continues, maybe, just maybe, Colorado fans will be rewarded for their patience through his weeks of struggles over the last season-plus. Another bat to boost the Rockies lineup would be a welcome sight as Colorado tries to recapture its mojo at Coors Field this weekend when the Diamondbacks come calling.

Home/Colorado Rockies News