Colorado Rockies morning after: Are we overlooking Charlie Blackmon?

By Kevin Henry | Aug 5, 2020

DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 31: Charlie Blackmon #19 of the Colorado Rockies circles the bases after hitting a 2 RBI home run against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Coors Field on July 31, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Ten games into the 2020 season and Charlie Blackmon is showing that he is just as good (and as important) for the Colorado Rockies as ever.

Remember not all that long ago when we were wondering about Charlie Blackmon and if he was going to be ready for the season after testing positive for COVID-19 and missing the first part of the spring training reboot? Well, you can call this the Charlie Blackmon COVID comeback story or whatever you like because Blackmon is (dare we say quietly?) having a tremendous start to the 2020 campaign.

There have been plenty of storylines for the Rockies to start this season, starting with the team moving to 8-2 on the young season after a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Coors Field. Whether it’s been the starting rotation’s impressive stats, Nolan Arenado struggling at the plate through the first eight games but making highlight-reel plays in the field, or Matt Kemp and Chris Owings rediscovering their own versions of LoDo Magic, we’ve talked about a lot already in just 10 games when it comes to the Rockies.

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One thing we haven’t talked about all that much has been Blackmon, who hit a seventh-inning RBI single on Tuesday night, part of a 2-for-3 performance, to raise his average for the season to .390.

Maybe, just maybe, the quiet nature to Blackmon’s start from a public perspective needs to start changing.

Quietly, methodically, Chuck Nazty has been tearing apart opposing pitching in 2020. That RBI single on Tuesday night that expanded the Colorado lead (and an earlier sacrifice fly) gave him 11 for the season, the only Rockies player to be in double-digits through the first one-sixth of the schedule. He leads the team in hits with 16 and, after we wondered about his health to start the season, the 34-year-old has seen action in all 10 games, and nine of those have been holding down right field.

Currently in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak, Blackmon is batting .485 (16-for-33) over that span with seven runs scored.

"“Charlie’s getting on base at a high clip. That’s just kind of what he does. It’s typical Charlie,” Arenado said about Blackmon, who hits just before him in the lineup, after Tuesday’s win. “He’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen.”"

There may not be fans inside Coors Field to finish the “toniiiiight” line to his now-iconic walkup music, but that seems like about all that has changed in the early part of the schedule for the four-time All-Star who has seamlessly slid down the Colorado order after a historic run as the leadoff batter.

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Through the years, Blackmon’s offensive output has become a part of Colorado’s fabric. Maybe that’s why his hot start has largely gone under the radar. However, in a season where every game is arguably under a larger microscope, Blackmon’s contributions are playing a vital role in the Rockies’ success, even if they aren’t grabbing the headlines.

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