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Colorado Rockies: The 10 best players in franchise history

ByDaniel Wettstein II|
DENVER, CO - CIRCA 1996: Vinny Castilla #9 of the Colorado Rockies looks to make a throw to first base during aN Major League Baseball game circa 1996 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. Castilla played for the Rockies from 1993-99 and in 2004 and 2006. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - CIRCA 1996: Vinny Castilla #9 of the Colorado Rockies looks to make a throw to first base during aN Major League Baseball game circa 1996 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. Castilla played for the Rockies from 1993-99 and in 2004 and 2006. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
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Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 30: Ubaldo Jimenez #38 of the Colorado Rockies during a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on July 30, 2011, in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

7. Ubaldo Jimenez (Rockies Career Pitching WAR: 18.9)

I can already hear some screaming:  “He only spent 4 full seasons in Colorado, how can he be the best?” Simple, the Rockies pitching history is horrible.

But that’s the lazy reason, the real reason is that in those 4 short seasons he racked up a higher pitching WAR than the 14th player on this list Aaron Cook who spent 10 years in Denver (Cook had 17.1 Pitching WAR). His otherworldly 2010 single-handedly changed the perspective that you cannot pitch in Coors Field. That year he had a record of 19-8, a 2.88 ERA (2nd-lowest in Rockies history to Kyle Freeland’s 2.85 in 2018), and 214 strikeouts in 221.2 IP for an ERA+ of 161 (7.5 WAR).

He started the All-Star game that year, finished 3rd in Cy-Young (biggest snub in history), and 23rd in MVP voting. Watching his effective wildness (he lead the NL in wild pitches in 2010 with 16 and win percentage at 70.4 percent) and the unease of batters terrified of where that 100+ MPH fastball would land was beyond fun to watch. It was also the bright spot in an otherwise forgettable 2010 for the Rox.

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