Top 5 players to play for the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates

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Well, I am sure that people will line up to watch the exciting matchup of the … *checks notes*… 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates and the 2021 Colorado Rockies. While this season might not be what either team’s fan bases would have wished for, both teams have shared skilled players in the past.

Why don’t we break down the top 5 players to play for each team?

Total Number of Shared Players: 60

Players to play exclusively for the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates:

Elias Diaz

Sam Howard

Honorable Mentions:

Tyler Anderson

Jeromy Burnitz

Shawn Chacon

Elias Diaz

Josh Fogg

Jason Grilli

Tony Womack

It really tempted me to put Tyler Anderson on this list because of how he was part of some of the best rotations that the Colorado Rockies have ever put together. Sadly, though, he has only just this season started playing for the Pirates, depending on how the rest of his time with the team goes he could be on in a future version of this series. The same goes for Elias Diaz, though I find that to be less plausible.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – CIRCA 1994: Charlie Hayes #13 of the Colorado Rockies goes down and ready to make a play on the ball against the San Francisco Giants during an Major League Baseball game circa 1994 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. Hayes played for the Rockies from 1993-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

5. Charlie Hayes

We have talked about the accomplishments of Charlie Hayes on a previous list, so we will try to keep this short. Charlie Hayes was one of the first Rockies league leaders, leading the league in doubles during the Rockies’ inaugural season in 1993. Hayes was only on the Pirates for one season and had middling success with the team before being traded to the Yankees just in time for their World Series run in1996.

The other reason Charlie Hayes makes this list is his son is currently playing for the Pirates and is the most exciting player on the club, absolutely lighting up his time with the team in 2020. The future of Ke’Bryan Hayes is one of the few bright spots on an otherwise middling roster.

4. Denny Neagle

Denny Neagle was a good pitcher who was out of his prime by the time he reached the Colorado Rockies. Pitching at Coors Field did not help him return to his Cy Young finalist form. While never fantastic for the Rockies, he was an integral part of the rotation during the rough Rockies teams seen in the early 2000s.

So, if Neagle wasn’t good for the Rockies, then why is he on this list?

Well, he was an All-Star on the Pirates, of course. Neagle saw success in his time in Pittsburgh, especially in 1995 when he was given one of his two All-Star nods and 1996 when finished 8th in Cy Young voting. He may have been on some of the worst rotations in Rockies’ history, but he was part of one of the Pirates’ best.

7 Apr 1998: Infielder John Vander Wal of the Colorado Rockies in action during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Cardinals defeated the Rockies 12-10. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport /

3. John Vander Wal

John Vander Wal was on the Colorado Rockies for five seasons from 1994 to 1998 and was always a bench player for the team, maxing out at 105 games in one season. The reason he makes this is he could be considered one of the forgotten Blake Street Bombers.

While Larry Walker, Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, and Andrés Galarraga dominated the headlines, John Vander Wal was quietly having one of the best seasons of his career. While his position as pinch-hitter did not garner many at-bats, Vander Wal would come in at critical moments and end the season with a .347 Batting Average and a solid 1.026 OPS off the bench.

His performance off the bench was one of many factors that helped propel the Rockies into the playoffs that fateful year. Vander Wal saw arguably his truly best season as a starter in 2000 with the Pittsburgh Pirates when he had career highs in Home Runs, Doubles, RBIs, Runs, and Steals, he batted .299 with a very respectable .972 OPS.

He spent two seasons with the Pirates and was a very productive starter for the team. Vander Wal has every reason to be a part of this list.

PHILADELPHIA – JULY 26: Shortstop Clint Barmes #12 of the Colorado Rockies warms-up before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 26, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 5-4. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

2. Clint Barmes

Ok, full disclosure, Clint Barmes was my favorite Rockie as a kid. In short, he played catch with me once outside Coors Field in like 2008 or 2009 when I was around 10 years old, and I became a superfan afterward.

It takes all of my power to not put Clint Barmes at number one out of pure nostalgia and missing my grandfather, but I must try to stay objective. Barmes is another one of those stories of what could have been.

Drafted in 2000 in the 10th round by the Rockies, he was in the Rockies’ system through the 2010 season. Barmes made his debut in 2003 but didn’t get a starting chance until 2005. He rocked the baseball world that year and was favorite for Rookie of the Year until a bizarre injury while hunting with Todd Helton took him out for an extended period. He returned that season but was not the same player he was before. His stats fell hard, but the Rockies had faith in him.

The team relegated him to Triple-A for a majority of the historic 2007 season but was a starter in 2009. Clint Hurdle was so impressed with Barmes during his time with the Colorado Rockies that he actively recruited him to his Pirates team in 2012. While his performance was never great for the Pirates, he was a great veteran presence in the locker room that the fans seemed to love.

He was a leader on the 2013 Pirates that made it to the Division Series, and he performed well in the playoffs, but it wasn’t enough to beat the World Series-bound St. Louis Cardinals.

DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 25: Corey Dickerson #6 of the Colorado Rockies warms up in the on deck circle during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field on September 25, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

1. Corey Dickerson

Corey Dickerson was an excellent player for both the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates. While he did not win any awards in a Rockies uniform, he rightfully earned the Gold Glove in 2018 with the Pirates, leading the NL across several fielding statistics for the full season, including 5 double plays turned as an outfielder, which is high, for the record. He did not waste his time in Colorado.

The Rockies drafted him in both 2009 and 2010, making his debut in 2013 and earned a starting spot in 2014. Dickerson was one of the few bright spots on the Rockies during his three seasons with them. He batted a great .314 in 2014 with a .931 OPS, both of which have been the highest of his career to this point.

He was a bright point on a poor team, something we have talked about a lot today, and he is worth the number one spot on this list.

Next. Top 5 players to play for the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets. dark

Note: Data for this article was found using Baseball-Reference

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