Colorado Rockies: The future is carrying the team right now

It goes back to the idea of having all 25-plus guys on the team step up in big moments to help the team win … and, right now, the focus is on the Rockies’ inexperienced but talented young players who have been thriving in their opportunities to receive regular playing time.

Most notably, it was because highly-touted rookie infielder Ryan McMahon got a chance to play in Arenado’s absence and had a clutch weekend the likes of which Major League Baseball has not seen in 11 years.

The 23-year-old crushed a two-run homer in the seventh inning of Friday night’s game, lifting the Rockies to a 5-4 victory. And on Saturday, he deposited a 1-0 pitch just over the right field scoreboard for a three-run walk-off home run that scored the Rockies’ only runs in their 3-2 win. The last player to hit game-wining home runs in the seventh inning or later on back-to-back nights was Arizona’s Chris Young in 2007.

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?

After watching him stun the Dodgers the last two nights, L.A. manager Dave Roberts was not about to let McMahon beat him again. Intentional walks to McMahon and fellow youngster David Dahl loaded the bases for Chris Iannetta with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Iannetta walked, bringing home the winning run and sending the Dodgers trudging to the clubhouse yet again in what was a brutal weekend of blown opportunities that lead to three dejecting, close losses for L.A.

While the Rockies’ veterans’ offensive struggles continue, players like McMahon (whose versatility allows him to play second base and first base in addition to third) and Dahl are making the most of their opportunities. McMahon is hitting .348 in August and has two home runs and five RBI in the three games in place of Arenado. Dahl has recorded five homers and 16 RBI despite losing two months to a broken foot and not really receiving consistent playing time until recently.

With more young bats waiting in the wings at Triple-A and Double-A, ready to complement a talented young rotation, Rockies fans have a lot of reasons to be excited about the future of this team. And as we watch guys like McMahon and Kyle Freeland & Company carry the team to the brink of first place, it seems that excitement might come a little early.