Colorado Rockies: 8 Albuquerque Isotopes players you may not know but should

Relief pitcher Chad Smith

Of the eight players on our list, Chad Smith is the only one that has actually played for the Rockies at the MLB level this year but you still might have missed him since he only made two appearances before being sent back to Albuquerque.

Smith, 27, was added to the 40-man roster a few weeks ago and called up to the majors to provide some relief at the end of May but for Albuquerque, he has been their closer.

Smith has converted all nine save opportunities that he has had and he has a 1.80 ERA in 18 appearances. Batters are only hitting .180 against him and he has a WHIP of 1.000.

Relief pitcher Zach Lee

Colorado is Zach Lee’s ninth organization since he was the Dodgers’ first round pick back in 2010. They ended up trading him to Seattle in 2016 for Chris Taylor in a deal that worked out very well for Los Angeles.

Lee, 30, has only appeared in four games at the MLB level in parts of two seasons and he struggled with allowing so many hits, as he has allowed at least 9.8 hits per nine innings in each season in the minors from 2016 through 2021 (with the exception of 2020 since there was no MiLB season).

That problem has reversed this year (.209 opponent average) but his walk rate has skyrocketed to 5.7 BB/9. However, he has still pitched well in the league (relatively speaking) as he has a 4.56 ERA in 25 games with two saves.

Utilityman Tim Lopes could help on Colorado’s bench when he’s healthy

Tim Lopes is currently on the 7-day IL with the Isotopes but he could be someone that the Rockies look to use in the majors when he’s healthy again.

Lopes, 27, has spent parts of three seasons in the majors with Seattle and Milwaukee and he has played second, third, shortstop, and left field for the Isotopes this year. He has hit .295/.347/.462 with four homers, 21 RBI, 10 doubles, and eight stolen bases.

Outfielder Wynton Bernard has, arguably, been the best bat for the Albuquerque Isotopes in 2022

Wynton Bernard is a bit older than most minor leaguers considering that he has never made his MLB debut and he’s 31 years old. However, the Colorado Rockies signed him last year at the recommendation of manager Bud Black, who saw Bernard train in the offseason in their mutual hometown of San Diego.

Colorado is Bernard’s fourth organization but for the Albuquerque Isotopes in 2022, he has hit .323/.365/.567 with seven home runs and 32 RBI, the latter of which is second on the team. He also has 11 doubles and four triples, both of which are tied for the team lead. He also has 12 stolen bases, which leads the team.

Colorado has a lot of outfielders at the MLB level but if they trade one or two away at the trade deadline and/or cut some of the ones who aren’t playing well, Bernard could see some time with them.

First baseman Sean Bouchard

Sean Bouchard spent part of May on the injured list but before and after for the Isotopes, Bouchard has been in company with Wynton Bernard as the team’s best hitter.

Bouchard, 26, is another San Diego product (born and raised in San Diego but went to college at UCLA) and was drafted by Colorado in the ninth round of the 2017 draft.

This is his first season in Triple-A and he is hitting .302/.407/.611 with nine homers, 27 RBI, and seven stolen bases.

C.J. Cron and fellow Isotopes teammate Elehuris Montero have him blocked at first base but Albuquerque also has played him in left and right field and in Hartford last year, he played a little bit of third base.

Even then, though, Kris Bryant (when he’s healthy), Charlie Blackmon, Ryan McMahon, and C.J. Cron are about as cemented in their positions as any player on the Rockies is going to be.

But for a prospect that still isn’t in the top 30 for the team, let alone most top 50 lists, Bouchard could be a name that Rockies fans see come up later this year, depending on who they trade and/or decide to move on from. If not, Bouchard could even be a trade chip himself.

Catcher Carlos Pérez

The Colorado Rockies signed Carlos Pérez to a minor-league deal this offseason to give them some depth at the spot but, primarily, he has actually been a DH for the Isotopes since they have three catchers on their roster.

Pérez, 31, has spent parts of four seasons in the majors with the Angels, Braves, and Rangers from 2015 through 2018 so he has some MLB experience. For Albuquerque, he has hit .247/.324/.513 with nine home runs and 27 RBI, which are tied for second and tied for third on the team. He can also play first base and left field in addition to catching.

Outfielder Scott Schebler

Scott Schebler has spent part of seven seasons in the majors with the Dodgers, Reds, Braves, and Angels, seeing the most playing time and success with Cincinnati.

In fact, in 2017 and 2018, he averaged 124 games per season with Cincinnati with an average of 24 homers, 58 RBI, a .243/.321/.464 slash line, and an OPS+ of 104.

However, Schebler, 31, has struggled a bit in Triple-A for the Rockies. He is hitting .241/.314/.434 in the hitter-friendly league with six homers and 22 RBI. However, he does lead the team with five triples.

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