Colorado Rockies: Nolan Arenado’s numbers mask his rough season

This may be blasphemy to say but I am going to say it anyway. Colorado Rockies All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado has been bad. And not just of late, but this season overall.

Before I get any nasty messages or get accused of creating clickbait, hear me out. I have some reasons for saying such a horrific thing about the face of the Colorado Rockies.

A quick look at the numbers and it would be crazy to call what Nolan Arenado has done this season as bad. Entering play Monday, he is hitting .302 with 22 home runs, 77 RBI and 65 runs scored while providing his usual great defense. The problem is if it wasn’t for his unbelievable month of May, he has put up some pretty pedestrian stats offensively.

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For those who don’t remember, Arenado was robbed of May’s Player of the Month award after posting a ridiculous 45-for-106 (.425) with nine homers, 29 RBI with 25 runs scored while hitting safely in 23 of 26 games. In those 26 games, the Rockies’ record was 16-10.

Take away that month and Arenado has not lived up to his franchise record seven-year, $260 million contract. In the other 80 games this season, he has hit an un-Nolan-like 75-for-292 (.257) with 13 homers, 48 RBI and 40 runs scored. In those 80 games, the Rockies are 14 games under .500 at a disappointing 33-47.

To make matters worse, in the Rockies’ two big losing stretches (the one to start the season and this current one), Arenado has practically been a non-factor in the lineup. In the 3-12 start to the season, he struggled out of the gate, batting .246 and didn’t collect his first homer until the 16th game.

During the current freefall where the Rockies have lost 18 of 23, Arenado is 18-for-80 (.225) with only a pair of homers, 12 RBI and five runs scored. These are stats that shouldn’t be expected coming from one of the highest-paid players in all of baseball.

Time is running short on the Rockies’ 2019 playoff hopes. In order to have any shot of getting back into the race, Arenado will have to string together back-to-back Player of the Month caliber performances. The way this season has gone, that seems highly unlikely.