Colorado Rockies: 3 ways that Tony Wolters can improve to provide value for club

The Colorado Rockies are in the midst of a truly unique season that’s seen them find success, followed by a drought.

A big reason for the drought of late for the Colorado Rockies has been their dwindling production from their backstop, who needs several improvements to provide the team with value.

Take a trip down to the store for groceries. Pick up bananas, laundry detergent, and milk – the essentials, at least to you. For someone who relies on a laundromat and is lactose intolerant, those items hold a different value.

FanGraphs (fWAR), Baseball-Reference (rWAR or bWAR), and even Baseball Prospectus (WARP) all have their own ways to calculate the value of baseball players. A player with a zero WAR, no matter the site, is worth no more than a replacement-level player from the minors.

Look up Tony Wolters this year, and you’ll see his fWAR is -0.5. His bWAR is identical and WARP isn’t out yet for 2020. Purely based on numbers, the Rockies’ starting backstop is worth less than a guy the team may have sitting on their taxi squad.

The problem is the game isn’t played on a stat sheet, nor does it take place in a vacuum. Wolters’ production hasn’t reached the level of his 2019 season, but there are ways for him to make an impact.