Colorado Rockies: Three breakout candidates for 2019

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 16: Ryan McMahon #24 of the Colorado Rockies drives in a run during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on August 16, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 16: Ryan McMahon #24 of the Colorado Rockies drives in a run during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on August 16, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
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The Colorado Rockies are going to look different next year. I’m not talking about a complete overhaul, but there will be some new faces. The question is, who will be the guy or guys who break out and have big seasons for the Rockies next year?

Kyle Freeland, Trevor Story, Adam Ottavino, and Scott Oberg were guys who stepped up in 2018 and helped the Colorado Rockies make the playoffs for the second year in a row, so let’s dive into some options of guys poised to break out in 2019.

Ryan McMahon

McMahon is poised to explode in 2019. He’s going to play and he deserves to. With the likely departures of Carlos González and Gerardo Parra, Ian Desmond could end up shifting to one of the outfield spots and that would leave first base open for McMahon to fill.

I want McMahon to play, and if he can accomplish anything close to what he did in 2017 between Double-A and Triple-A, the Rockies will be in good shape. His playing time hasn’t been consistent since early in his minor league career where, in 510 games from 2014-17 between A, A+, Double-A, and Triple-A, he hit a combined .295/.364./.501 with 565 hits, 301 runs scored, 68 home runs, 345 RBI, and 241 total extra base hits. And his best season was in 2017 between Double-A and Triple-A where he hit .355 overall and .374 (.374!), in Triple-A in 74 games.

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He’s also still going to be just 24 years old in December, and has room to grow at the plate.

The lanky left-handed-hitting McMahon also isn’t too shabby with the glove. In 1,626 career innings at first base between the majors and minors, he has posted a .988 fielding percentage.

If the Rockies decide that Ryan McMahon is their everyday first baseman next year, then expect him to have a breakout year and be a big part of Colorado’s offense in 2019.