Colorado Rockies: Nolan Arenado talks about facing his pitching teammates

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is facing pitchers on his own team for the first time. But you wouldn’t think it considering his success.

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado has started Summer Training off hot as in the Rockies first intrasquad game (that was only six innings), Arenado hit two home runs plus four more home runs against live pitching before.

You might think that Arenado would know the Rockies pitchers well since he’s in the dugout and clubhouses for well more than half of the year during a regular season. That’s where you’d be wrong.

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Particularly against most of the competition he will face this year, Arenado told the media, including Rox Pile, that he thinks he knows other pitchers than those that he’s teammates with.

“Honestly, I think I know pitchers on other squads better than I do my own pitchers,” said Arenado. “I’ve never faced my own pitchers so, as far as that, I think I’m facing somebody different. Going into every game so far, when I face other teams, I do my homework, I watch video, I watch old at-bats that I had [against pitchers].“[Now] I’m facing these guys on my own team and I’m just going up there and winging it, in a way, and that’s not usually how I prepare [for games]. Now, obviously, I know them on a personal level but I don’t know how it feels to step in the box against them…Obviously, you want to face other teams but this is a totally different thing so you just gotta deal with it and find ways to get better and get ready.”

Last Sunday, Arenado faced German Marquez and Arenado was brushed back by Marquez on a fastball. Rockies radio broadcaster Mike Rice happened to catch it on video and posted it on Twitter.

When Arenado spoke to the media after that “it was good to checked” up in and in like that. He was happy about it because he was able to recognize the pitch early enough to get out of the way, which is something that Arenado said that he thought he was a bit behind on.

The Rockies’ third baseman and the rest of the offense will be facing their own teammates as pitchers throughout the week and in some intrasquad games. Some of those games may even be streamed and/or broadcast but we will have continuing coverage from Coors Field with interviews from players and coaches as well as some video as well. For that video, check out @RoxPileFS on Twitter.