Colorado Rockies: Top 10 all-time best Opening Day lineups

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 18: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with Charlie Blackmon #19 after hitting an eighth inning two-run home run against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on August 18, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 18: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with Charlie Blackmon #19 after hitting an eighth inning two-run home run against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on August 18, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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Vinny Castilla batting for the Colorado Rockies
DENVER – JULY 4: Vinny Castilla #9 of the Colorado Rockies against the Detroit Tigers on July 4, 2004 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

8. 2004: (Overall Batter OPS+ 100)

  1. Luis Gonzalez 2B
  2. Royce Clayton SS
  3. Todd Helton 1B
  4. Preston Wilson CF
  5. Vinny Castilla 3B
  6. Kit Pellow LF
  7. Jeromy Burnitz RF
  8. Charles Johnson C
  9. Shawn Estes P

You read that right, the eighth-best lineup in Rockies history has an overall batter OPS+  of 100, which means they almost never fielded a lineup that had a single below average hitter.

This lineup was led by Todd Helton in his prime. Helton had a 165 OPS+/NL-leading .347 average, three batters that hit 30+ homers, and four hitters with an OPS over .800. This was Matt Holliday’s rookie season where he replaced an ineffective and injured Preston Wilson later in the campaign.