Colorado Rockies: The top 10 Rockies killers of the past decade

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DENVER, CO – JULY 13: Yasiel Puig #66 of the Cincinnati Reds runs the bases after a sixth inning two-run homer off of Jairo Diaz #37 of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 13, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Right Fielder: Yasiel Puig

It’s the bottom of the seventh. The Rockies are 1.5 games behind the Dodgers for the NL West lead. It’s late September and the Rockies need a streak to win the division for the first time in history. This game’s important. Runners are on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out and Scott Oberg‘s in the game. Then Yasiel Puig comes in to pinch hit. You already know what happens next and yes, that basically cost the Rockies the division in 2018.

It should hurt you more to know that the Rockies are the only team in the NL West he was ever really that good against. Here’s his tOPS+ by NL West opponent (sans the Dodgers):

Rockies- 122
Padres- 93
Giants- 90
DBacks- 86

Part of that is Coors since tOPS+ isn’t park adjusted. But a lot of it is he just kills the Rockies. And he does it defensively too. Remember him throwing out Story at third with a rocket from basically the warning track? I do and I hate it.

Center Fielder: AJ Pollock

You probably hadn’t noticed as much because Paul Goldschmidt was tearing things up left and right, but AJ Pollock has quietly been doing some of his best work against the Rockies. And if you didn’t hate him before then you should because not only does he shred against the Rockies, his full name is Allen Lorenz Pollock and NOWHERE IN THERE IS THERE A J!

With 93 games against the Rockies, he’s checking in with an OPS of .924, giving him a tOPS+ of 128. That’s the highest for any team he’s played more than 30 games against. He kills us.

So it’s only right that instead of keeping him with the lowly D-Backs that he’d switch over to the Dodgers where he will almost certainly bury us with a walkoff double down the right field line at Dodger Stadium, assuredly ending any playoff hopes we had. Stupid made up initials.

Left Fielder: Matt Kemp

You’re shocked he’s on this list, I know. Probably the biggest Rockies killer of the past decade, Matt Kemp has built up a stat line that literally could make him an MVP favorite.

In 178 games against the Rockies, his stat line reads as follows:

BA: .314
OBP: .365
SLG%: .611
OPS: .976
HRs: 46

All that for a tOPS+ of 134, his highest against any National League team. It’s just expected he’ll destroy us no matter who he plays for. Remember how Wil Myers was the second Padre to hit for the cycle? Matt Kemp was the first and he did it against the Rockies, of course. Probably did it as a Dodger too and will do it with the (checks notes) …. uh … Marlins this year? As long as there’s a season, he’ll find a way to haunt us.

Matt Kemp is the MVP of this Rockies Killers team and I absolutely loathe it.

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