5 changes to make the Colorado Rockies lineup better right now

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 14: Brendan Rodgers #7 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after a two-run homer in the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 14, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Through their first six games of the 2022 season, the Colorado Rockies have had a decent lineup. Entering Friday, they are hitting .267/.339/.405, which is 4th, 7th, and 11th in baseball. So, overall, their offense is doing well. That’s something that couldn’t be said in 2021.

Their main problem this year has been hitting with runners in scoring position. They are hitting .212 (14-for-66) with runners in scoring position so, in other words, they are getting hits but they aren’t getting the clutch hits that they need.

Part of that is because of the construction of their lineup. There are five changes that the Colorado Rockies should make to their lineup right now to maximize the players that are hot right now.

1) Keep Brendan Rodgers in the lineup … but drop him lower in the lineup

There are no two ways about it: Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers has been one of the worst hitters in baseball to start the season.

Entering Friday, he is hitting .087/.185/.087 with two singles and three walks in 26 plate appearances. That’s, obviously, not an ideal start to the season when Rodgers is healthy and in the majors for the first time to start a season in his career.

But the Rockies cannot and should not give up on him after just one bad week at the plate. They could put less pressure on him, though.

For the first three games of the year, Rodgers was put in the third spot in the lineup and in the three games since, he has been in the fifth spot in the lineup.

Until he heats up, the Rockies need to put a little bit less pressure on him by putting him lower in the lineup than that. They need to keep playing him every day to see if he can produce as he did last year (102 OPS+) or better but, in the interim, he needs to be in a lower pressure spot in the lineup.

ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 11: Charlie Blackmon #19 of the Colorado Rockies connects for a single in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers during Opening Day at Globe Life Field April 11, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Wade/Getty Images) /

2) Charlie Blackmon needs to be lower in the lineup …

To start the 2022 season, Charlie Blackmon hasn’t been as bad as Brendan Rodgers but that isn’t saying much. Blackmon is hitting .130/.167/.174 with two singles, a double, and a walk.

In the first two games of the season, he led off for the Rockies. After an off day in game three, he has been in the two spot since. He needs to be lower in the lineup, at least in the interim.

And in addition to this…

3) … and Sam Hilliard needs to see some more playing time instead of Blackmon

Sam Hilliard, on the other hand, has only appeared in three games and only started one game. Hilliard could be part of their future in the outfield and Blackmon is not just by their ages (Hilliard is 28 and Blackmon will be 36 in July).

Hilliard has shown glimpses of some great power in the lineup but he hasn’t shown the consistency with contact in the majors. But it’s hard to see that consistency come when you have had five plate appearances in a week.

If Blackmon was hitting well or a great defender in right field, it would be more understandable but Hilliard needs to get some more consistent at-bats and even some ABs against lefties (Hilliard actually had an OPS that was 113 points higher against lefties in 2021 despite only facing lefties in 24 percent of his ABs).

DENVER, CO – APRIL 10: Elias Diaz #35 of the Colorado Rockies points to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the seventh inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field on April 10, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

4) Elias Díaz needs to move up in the lineup

As an avid Colorado Rockies fan knows, Elias Díaz had an awful start to the 2021 season but since early June, he was phenomenal for the club at the plate. That has continued in 2022 … but he is still hitting seventh or eighth in the lineup.

Since the beginning of this season, Elias Díaz is hitting .333/.333/.571 with two doubles, one homer, and three RBI.

Since June 3 last year (and including this season), Díaz is hitting .288 with an OPS above .900. His wRC+ in that span is 127. That is second-highest on the team after C.J. Cron.

Maybe Díaz shouldn’t be hitting third or cleanup in the lineup but he surely shouldn’t be hitting eight and he probably shouldn’t even be hitting seventh.

5) Randal Grichuk needs to move up in the lineup and play more regularly

As we discussed when the Colorado Rockies traded for him, Randal Grichuk, for some reason, seems to hit really well in even years and slump in odd years.

If his first week in 2022 is any indication, it looks like the same might happen. Grichuk is hitting .286/.412/.357 with an OPS+ of 128, a double, and two RBI.

The Rockies should consider moving him up in the lineup. He has hit sixth twice (which is about right) and hit seventh twice as well (which is a bit low).

And that’s the other thing: Grichuk has already received two off days when, as we mentioned earlier, Charlie Blackmon has only had one.

During the course of the season, everyone should get a few off days but especially with the DH and the way he has started thus far, Grichuk needs to be in the lineup more often, especially over Blackmon.

So what does the ideal lineup look like for the Colorado Rockies right now?

Here’s the ideal lineup for the Colorado Rockies right now.

Connor Joe
Kris Bryant
Ryan McMahon
C.J. Cron
Elias Díaz
Randal Grichuk
Charlie Blackmon/Sam Hilliard
Brendan Rodgers
José Iglesias

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The defensive positions for these players could change nightly depending on who would be the DH and whether or not Blackmon or Hilliard would be in the lineup (Blackmon should DH more and Hilliard should be in the outfield more) but this lineup construction may lead to the Rockies getting some more clutch hits and more production, overall.

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