Colorado Rockies: The greatest players to ever wear uniform numbers (51-60)

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DENVER, CO – AUGUST 27: Relief pitcher Jake McGee #51 of the Colorado Rockies delivers to home plate during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at Coors Field on August 27, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

We continue our countdown of the best Colorado Rockies to wear each uniform number with numbers 51 through 60.

Throughout the history of the Colorado Rockies, there have been 76 different uniform numbers that have been worn by players. We have been counting down the lists in the past few months and there were some battles and some anomalies, which is why we have been consulting Baseball-Reference, Baseball Almanac, and the 2019 Rockies media guide.

You can check out number 0 through 10 here, 11-20 here, 21-30 here, 31-40 here, and 41-50 here.

For today’s list, a lot of Rockies that are still on the team currently are on this list and if they aren’t on the team, a lot were on the team in the last few years, which is unlike most of the lists thus far. Also, unlike every other list thus far, this list is completely compromised of pitchers.

Let’s dive into numbers 51 through 60.

Number 51- Jake McGee

Jake McGee has had a rough few years but he is still the winner at number 51 because his longevity at the number. There are over a dozen other players to wear the number as a Rockie but the only players to wear it for more than one season are Sun-Woo Kim, Juan Morillo, Matt Reynolds, and Brooks Brown so McGee is the clear winner.

In 225 games as a Rockie, McGee pitched to a 4.78 ERA (104 ERA+), a 4.65 FIP, a 1.37 WHIP, and a 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His best season as a Rockie came in 2017 when in 62 games, he pitched to a 3.61 ERA (140 ERA+), a 2.93 FIP, a 1.099 WHIP, and a 3.6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

MILWAUKEE, WI – OCTOBER 04: Chris Rusin #52 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during Game One of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on October 4, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Number 52- Chris Rusin

Like McGee, Chris Rusin seemed to fizzle out quickly after pitching well for the Rockies in 2017. Rusin was, arguably, one of the best relievers in the National League until his stock dropped quickly.

Overall as a Rockie, he pitched to a 4.52 ERA (106 ERA+), a 1.396 WHIP, a 2.5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio but in 2017, he pitched to a 2.65 ERA (3.64 FIP) and a 191 ERA+ in 60 games (85 innings).

Number 53- Christian Friedrich

Christian Friedrich didn’t have a particularly sparkling career as a Rockie but he’s the clear winner at number 53 over guys that you probably haven’t heard of, like Randy Flores (the only guy to wear the number for more than one season other than Friedrich), Gary Wayne, Bruce Walton, Mark Hutton, Mark Rath Jr., Cory Vance, and Manny Delcarmen (to name a few).

In his Rockies career, Friedrich went 5-16 with a 5.81 ERA (4.33 FIP) in 100 games (19 starts). He had an ERA+ of 76, a WHIP of 1.596, and a 2.25:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Number 54- Carlos Estevez

Tommy Kahnle gave Carlos Estevez the best run for his money for number 54 but with Estevez’s 2019 season, he is the winner here.

Estevez has spent part of three seasons with the Rockies and in 169 games, he has an ERA of 4.63, an ERA+ of 109, and FIP of 4.10.

2019 was his best season as he pitched to a career-best 3.75 ERA in a career-high 75 games. His FIP was slightly above his career average of 4.10 but his average walk rate was a career-low and his strikeout rate was a career-high as well, as he averaged 2.9 walks and 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings last season.

DENVER, CO – JULY 17: Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning of a game at Coors Field on July 17, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Number 55- Jon Gray

Unless you think that Danny Ardoin or Mark Redman are serious challengers for Jon Gray at number 55, no one else really holds a candle to Gray at number 55.

In part of five seasons as a member of the Rockies starting rotation, Gray has put himself in the discussion as one of the best Colorado Rockies starters in their franchise history.

He did have a bit of a hiccup in the 2018 season when he was sent down to Triple-A Albuquerque for a short period but in 2017 and 2019, he was one of, if not, the Rockies best starting pitchers.

Gray has an ERA of 4.46 in 115 games (114 starts) with an ERA+ of 110 and a FIP of 3.77. 2017 was his best season when he pitched to a 3.67 ERA (3.18 FIP) in 20 starts. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was best in this season and his average home run rate was lowest in 2017 as well.

Number 56- Greg Holland

Franklin Morales is the only one that really gives Greg Holland any competition here considering Morales spent six seasons with the Rockies and Holland was only a Rockie for a season but Morales was mediocre in his six seasons and Holland was very good in his only season.

In that season (2017), Holland was an All-Star and he led the National League in games finished (58) and saves (41). He had an ERA of 3.61 but that was largely due to his disastrous month of August. Entering August 6 (when he had 42 of his 61 appearances), he had an ERA of 1.56 and his ERA in his last 11 games was 1.69. In those middle eight games, though, his ERA was 19.69.

He allowed 14 earned runs in those eight appearances and just nine earned runs in the other 53 appearances.

11 Mar 1998: Pitcher Darryl Kile #57 of the Colorado Rockies in action during a spring training game against the Anaheim Angels at the Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw /Allsport /

Number 57- Darryl Kile

Darryl Kile was the first player to wear the number 57 for the Rockies when he signed with the team before the 1998 season and after he came in 5th in NL Cy Young Award voting with Houston in 1997.

However, in the thin air of Denver in the pre-humidor era, the right-hander known for his big curveball struggled mightily as a Rockie as in two seasons, he pitched to a 5.84 ERA in 68 games (67 starts). After he left the Rockies, he went to play for St. Louis and in his first season there, he finished 5th in the NL Cy Young Award voting again, contributing to the “Coors” notion.

The only other player that wore 57 for the Rockies was Jason Jennings, who wore it in 2001 for his seven starts before switching to 32 in 2002.

Kile died of a heart attack at the age of 33 while with the Cardinals and while his number has never been retired by the Astros, Rockies, or Cardinals (the three teams he played for), none of the three teams have reissued his number after his death.

Number 58- Yohan Flande

Dom Nunez has an opportunity to overtake Yohan Flande here as Flande wasn’t particularly good but his competition (Dan Miceli, Juan Rincon, and Jordan Pacheco) aren’t great either.

In parts of three seasons as a Rockie, Flande went 3-9 with an ERA of 5.15 in 37 games (20 starts). He had a FIP of 4.92, a WHIP of 1.374, and a shaky 1.75:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 18: Wilton Lopez #59 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles on August 18, 2013 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimoe, Maryalnd. The Orioles won 7-2. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Number 59- Wilton Lopez

Wilton Lopez is a Rockies reliever that you probably forgot about from yesteryear but he actually pitched well for the awful 2013 Rockies team. He pitched to a 4.06 ERA (3.57 FIP) and a 110 ERA+ in 75 games out of the Rockies bullpen that year.

He spent most of the 2014 season in Triple-A Colorado Springs, though, as he was not good in only four appearances in 2014 (11.37 ERA).

Number 60- Manny Corpas

Bringing up the rear in this installment is Manny Corpas. He, Justin Miller, and Zac Rosscup are the only players to ever wear number 60 so, again, this is another easy one.

In parts of six seasons as a Rockie, Corpas pitched in 311 games with an ERA of 4.01 (112 ERA+) and a FIP of 3.89.

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Far and away, his best season was the Rockies’ best season as a franchise: 2007. He had a career-low ERA of 2.08 in his career-high for appearances (78). He also had his career-high for saves in a season (19), his best season for hits allowed per nine innings (7.3), his lowest home runs allowed per nine innings (0.7), and his strikeout and walk rate per nine innings were both better than his career average.

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