Colorado Rockies: Top 50 Rockies of All-Time 40-31

We started our Top 50 Colorado Rockies list yesterday and we continue with Players 40 through 31 today.

Welcome back to my top-50 All-time Colorado Rockies list. This, like my top-10 best lineups, will be highly subjective as I reiterate this is my list.

I only looked at each player’s Rockies career, so even though some players may have gone on to/had a great career before arriving/after leaving LoDo. Only those that excelled while in purple and black were considered. For example, Jason Giambi despite his late-game heroics in ’07/’08 will not be making an appearance on this list.

This is the second installment of 5 as we count down to the best Colorado Rockie of all-time. All stats are per Baseball-Reference.com, I leaned heavily on Rockies Career WAR, dWAR and OPS+/ERA+. The biggest factor, though, was personal eye-test to differentiate those clustered close by numbers.

I truly enjoyed delving into the best of the team I hold closest to my heart. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did putting it together. As always please comment below or hit me up on any of my social media accounts linked in the article to let me know what you think of my list and let me know what your list looks like.

You can view 50-41 here.

40. Rafael Betancourt (Rockies Career WAR 6.3)

Raffy was one of the best set-up men in MLB during his 6 years in Denver and 12 years overall. He only had 2 seasons with an ERA+ below 110. He arrived as a mid-season addition to shore up the bullpen for a playoff push.

He ended up completing his career in purple pinstripes with his best year as a Rockie coming in 2012 where he racked up 31 saves and a 2.81 ERA in 57.2 IP for a 166 ERA+.

39. Tyler Anderson (Rockies career WAR: 6.4)

I have heard many who wondered why Tyler was “allowed” chance, after chance. Little do they realize he has only pitched in 4 big league seasons.

Starting with a promising rookie campaign where he chucked it to the tune of a 3.54 ERA in 114.1 IP for an ERA+ of 137 in 2016. Only one season was below-average in any measurable way. Unfortunately, he is just one of many promising arms that have for one reason or another been beset by numerous injuries that have sapped a lot of that talent.

He was, however, still good enough to rank in the top-20 in Rockies Career Pitcher WAR in that short time. I would say he earned every opportunity.

37. Brad Hawpe (Rockies career WAR: 5.1)

Hawpe was a laser-armed, left-handed, power-hitting right-fielder. Another late-round hard-hitting outfielder in this installment as an 11th-round pick in 2000. He is, as many on this list are, part of the 4th best lineup in Rockies‘ history.

2006 was his best all-around season though slashing .293/.383/.515 with 22 HR and 84 RBI for an OPS+ of 120. He added 16 assists with 3 double-plays from the outfield. For a cumulative 2.9 WAR.

36. Garrett Atkins (Rockies career WAR: 5.3)

Rocktober is strongly represented in this installment. He was a bat-first third-baseman that like the last player on this list had his career year in 2006. He slashed .329/.409/.556 with 29 HR and 120 RBI for an OPS+ of 136. Showing flashes of stardom when he was just supposed to be keeping the seat warm for top prospect of the time Ian Stewart.

He didn’t let go of his hold on the position until he fell off a cliff in 2009 and was out of baseball by 2010. We can always look back fondly on the first 6 years of his career in the Mile-High City though.

35. Bruce Ruffin (Rockies career WAR: 6.8)

Bruce was a high-round reclamation project that went from below average to All-Star level after being moved from the rotation to the bullpen. The only above-average season he had as a starter was his rookie year with the Phillies. He tried one last time in 1993, his first year in Denver, and failed to stick in the rotation.

From 1994-1997 though, he was one of the most valuable bullpen arms at Don Baylor’s disposal. His career year came in 1996 where he won 7 games, saved 24 games, and racked up 79 strikeouts in 69.1 IP for an ERA+ of 130 and 3.23 FIP showing that 4.00 ERA was quite a bit unlucky.

34. Curtis Leskanic (Rockies career WAR: 6.8)

This is the first real ranking that caused me some consternation. Curtis and Bruce Ruffin were pretty similar in value per numbers, but when you look at the fact that Curtis was one of the first bullpen arms that didn’t have a true role, but excelled in every situation you threw him in, it gives him the slight advantage.

He would be the perfect “Opener” in today’s game. I believe his affable nature and easy-going personality are what enabled him to do this. He never pitched less than 57 innings in a full season in pinstripes. HIs career year came in 1995 when he lead the league in games pitched at an unreal total of 76 games, won six, saved 10 more, and struck out 107 batters in 98.0 IP for an ERA+ of 158.

That is unreal production for a bullpen arm in any era, he is what you call a rubber-armed workhorse. This is what tipped the scales to push him to this spot over Bruce Ruffin.

33. Kevin Ritz (Rockies career WAR: 7.3)

Kevin made it this high on the back of 2 really good years and 5 overall solid ones. More longevity at a Mile High than all but 2 on this list so far. So goes for a franchise that is barely old enough to have its insurance premium dropped.

His most productive year came in 1996 where he won 17 games, completed 2 of them, and pitched 213.2 innings accumulating 2.3 Pitcher WAR. He was the workhorse a team in its infancy needed.

32. John Thomson (Rockies career WAR: 7.9)

I know exactly how that kid in the picture feels. This picture was taken almost exactly 2 months before I got the same pleasure of shaking John’s hand and getting him to autograph my glove on my birthday May 8, 1998.

He and number 48 on this list, Juan Pierre, made my 13th birthday one to remember. It’s not pure nostalgia that places him here on this list though. All but one year in LoDo was above average with his best year as a sinker-baller was 2004 when he won 14 games with a 3.72 ERA in 198.1 IP for an ERA+ of 115.

31. Chris Iannetta (Rockies career WAR: 7.0)

The blocky catcher affectionately named SpongeBob by teammate Ryan Spilborghs, is the last catcher on this list. Also, the only homegrown catcher as well, which shows the ineptitude the Rockies organization has been at developing and signing at this position.

He was drafted in the 4th-round of the 2004 draft. But at least fans have this brick-wall of a man to look back on fondly. His best year came in 2008 where he slashed .264/.390/.505 with 18 HR/65 RBI producing a 125 OPS+ and 3.2 WAR.