Colorado Rockies morning after: Wynton Bernard more than a good story

With his call-up to the Colorado Rockies on August 12, Wynton Bernard received plenty of local and national attention because of his story of perseverance after 2,882 at-bats in the minor leagues over 10 seasons. However, just over a week after that emotional call-up day, Bernard is showing that he is more than just a good story. He’s a player who can make a difference at the Major League level.

Wynton Bernard is putting up statistics with the Colorado Rockies to go along with his great human interest story

Bernard went 1-for-4 on Saturday night against the San Francisco Giants, but that one hit (and RBI single to right-center) was a big one as it gave the Colorado Rockies a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning. He would also steal a base and score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th to culminate a 4-3 Colorado victory, setting the Rockies up for a potential sweep of their National League West rivals on Sunday.

The 31-year-old Bernard has hit safely in five of his first six games with the Rockies, including each of the last four. Among those are two multi-hit games as Bernard has posted a .318 average (7-for-22).

Throw in three stolen bases in that same span and Bernard is showing that he can be a weapon at the plate and on the basepaths.

“Wynton is playing with energy,” Colorado manager Bud Black said after the game. “He’s playing his game, which is great to see.”

For Bernard, who has worked so hard to get his chance to play at the MLB level (you can read his amazing story here), making an impact on a regular basis for the Rockies is important.

“I’m hungry. I want to be here. I want to stick here,” Bernard said after the game. “I want to help the team as best as I can every single day, day in and day out.

“It feels great, and there’s a part of me, as a competitive athlete, I always want to do better too. I’m never really satisfied. I just want to keep going.”

With Yonathan Daza and Kris Bryant still on the injured list, there are plenty of opportunities for Bernard to keep contributing and going in a Rockies uniform. It’s been a great story, but Bernard isn’t ready for it to come to an end.