Rox Pile
Fansided

Colorado Rockies: The top 10 best hitting pitchers in franchise history

ByNoah Yingling|
Colorado Rockies starter Mike Hampton pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning 01 July 2001 in Phoenix. AFP Photo/Mike FIALA (Photo by Mike FIALA / AFP) (Photo by MIKE FIALA/AFP via Getty Images)
Colorado Rockies starter Mike Hampton pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning 01 July 2001 in Phoenix. AFP Photo/Mike FIALA (Photo by Mike FIALA / AFP) (Photo by MIKE FIALA/AFP via Getty Images)
3 of 6
16 Apr 1997: Pitcher Roger Bailey of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Rockies won the game 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
16 Apr 1997: Pitcher Roger Bailey of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Rockies won the game 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport

Number 8: Roger Bailey (26 OPS+, 114 plate appearances)

Roger Bailey only played in the majors for three seasons but all three were with the Rockies. On those three teams (1995-97), Bailey hit .206/.252/.268. He had 20 hits including a double, a triple, and a home run. He also had eight RBI.

He had the most plate appearances in 1997 since he started 29 games for the Rockies but his best offensive season came in 1996 when in 25 plate appearances, he actually had an OPS+ of 113.

Number 7: Chris Rusin (29 OPS+, 95 plate appearances)

This one was another one that I was surprised by when I researched this.

Chris Rusin got more plate appearances as a Rockie earlier in his career due to being a starting pitcher for parts of the first two seasons in his five in a Rockies uniform.

While he was with a Rockie, though, he hit .227/.227/.284 with an OPS+ of 29. He went for 10-for-46 in his first season as a Rockie with an OPS+ of 27 but in his final two seasons as a Rockie (as a reliever), he had an OPS+ of 92 in 15 plate appearances.

Not bad if you don’t want to go through all of your pinch hitters or if you’re already out of them in extra innings.

Home/Colorado Rockies All-Time Lists

Schedule