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Colorado Rockies: Top Five Left Fielders In Franchise History

By Noah Yingling

PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 19: Carlos Gonzalez #5 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with Corey Dickerson #6 after hitting a two run home run in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the game at PNC Park July 19, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 19: Carlos Gonzalez #5 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with Corey Dickerson #6 after hitting a two run home run in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the game at PNC Park July 19, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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25 Jul 1999: Dante Bichette #10 of the Colorado Rockies drops his bat during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at the Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Cardinals defeated the Rockies 10-6. Credit: Brian Bahr/Allsport (Getty Images)
25 Jul 1999: Dante Bichette #10 of the Colorado Rockies drops his bat during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at the Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Cardinals defeated the Rockies 10-6. Credit: Brian Bahr/Allsport (Getty Images) /

Number 2: Bichette (4.8 bWAR, 6.7 fWAR, seven seasons as a Rockie)

Like Gonzalez, Dante Bichette split his Rockies career playing left field and right field. Also, by WAR, he should not be as high on this list. However, personally. I’m not completely sold on his defensive metrics in the Coors Field outfield. Was he a good defender? Probably not. Are they as bad as they seem to say he was? Probably not.

Also, he is hurt in the WAR department because he didn’t have a high OBP but that’s because he didn’t walk a ton.

In his seven seasons as a Rockie, he hit .316/.352/.540 with an OPS+ of 112. His first season as primary left fielder was 1995 and he led the NL in hits (197), home runs (40), and RBI (128) in the strike-shortened campaign. He also hit .340/.364/.620 (the slugging percentage led the NL) and had an OPS+ of 130. He was an All-Star, won a Silver Slugger Award, and came in 2nd in NL MVP voting.

He moved back to right field in 1996 as Ellis Burks took over in left field but Bichette was primary left fielder again from 1997 through 1999. The best of those three seasons was 1998, when he led the NL in hits (218), had 22 homers, 122 RBI, and hit .331/.357/.509. In ’98, he was an All-Star once again and came in 21st in NL MVP voting.

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