3 of the biggest one-hit wonders in Rockies franchise history

The Rockies, even being a newer franchise, have had a number of players that have gone on to have storied careers. They have had a number of great shortstops like Troy Tulowitzki, Trevor Story, and even flashing it back to Neifi Perez and Walt Weiss. They have had some of the best bats ever, that now sit enshrined in Cooperstown in Todd Helton and Larry Walker. They have had some of the most consistent players that have proven it over many years.

Today we are going to look at some of the best seasons in the Rockies franchise history, but with a twist. When you think of the best single seasons you think about Larry Walker's 1997 MVP season, or Todd Helton getting robbed of an MVP award in his 2000 season.

I said there is a twist, and that is the fact that we are going to look at the best one-hit wonders in Rockies franchise history. The run of "Linsanity", Brady Anderson's crazy 1996 season, or Mark Firdrych's debut season; these are all one-hit wonders that made their name in one season before drifting off into irrelevance again. Today we are going to look at four of the biggest one-hit wonders in the Rockies franchise history.

Preston Wilson showed 5 tool potential in 2003, but could never replicate the same level of success

Preston Wilson came with a lot of pedigree, being the ninth overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. He was also ranked in the top 100 prospects for four consecutive years. He had a few decent years with the Marlins and Rockies fans had to be excited getting, at that time, a 28 year old outfielder, that had posted a 30-30 year along with back to back 20-20 seasons. 

He rewarded the Rockies immediately slashing .282/.343/537 with 36 home runs and a league leading 141 RBI’s. He was an All-Star for the first time and even received MVP votes. Wilson had just put together one of the best seasons by a center fielder and looked to be a fixture in the middle of the Rockies lineup for a long time, taking advantage of that thin Colorado air.

Unfortunately for the Rockies and Wilson, he played just 58 games in 2004, dealing with some injuries. In his contract year it was more of the same for Wilson who wasn’t replicating the 2003 season success. He was sent to the Nationals to finish out the season. He would spend the next season with two teams, significantly regressing, slashing just .263/.307/.423 with just 17 home runs. In 2007, he played in just 25 games, only hitting one home run and would never make a major league appearance again. Wilson had a quick fall from grace but at his peak he was extremely good and had one of the best seasons (even if it was just one) in Rockies history. 

The Rockies though they found a pitcher that could wrangle the thin air in Colorado during Joe Kennedy's 2004 season

This might be unfair as Kennedy actually had a decent career that was cut short with a very tragic ending at a young age. He spent his first five seasons with the then, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and they were pretty forgettable seasons. He compiled an 18-31 record with a 4.98 ERA; he struggled but he could eat some innings (149.1 average innings pitched with Tamp Bay). It all ended with a tough year that saw his ERA skyrocket over six.

He was traded to the Rockies before the 2004 season and boy did he make the Devil Rays pay for it immediately. The 25-year-old wasn't expected to put up great numbers considering he had struggled in Tampa Bay and was now headed for the hardest park to pitch in, in all of baseball. He seemed to have proven that theory wrong, when he went 9-7 over 162.1 innings pitched with an incredible 3.66 ERA. His walk and strikeout numbers were about the same, but he managed an impressive nine hits per nine and a stellar .9 HR/9. It still stands as one of the better single seasons from a Rockies pitcher in franchise history.

It seemed the Rockies had found a pitcher that could manage the thin air in Colorado. With a young crop of elite talent (Holliday and Tulo) either debuting or set to debut, paired with veterans like Todd Helton, it semed like the Rockies had found a starting pitcher that could really help them contend. Unfortunately, the following year, Kennedy couldn't find the same success. Over 92 innings, he had an ERA over seven while surrendering more than 12 hits per nine innings before being sent to Oakland in a trade that acquired Eric Byres.

Between 2006 and 2007, Kennedy would throw 145.2 innings with three different teams, with an ERA over four, before one of the most unfortunate events happened. Kennedy got up in the middle of the night and collapsed, later passing away due to a heart condition. Kennedy looked to be a promising young lefty that would've been a valuable arm for the Rockies throughout their mid-2000's title aspirations, but like most pitchers, he just couldn't beat the beast that is Coors Field.

Call to Action

Are you a fan of the Rockies? Do you love talking about all things Rockies? Do you want to write about the Rockies on your own schedule with the potential to earn some extra cash? Go to https://openings.fansided.com and look for the Rox Pile site and apply to join our staff.

More from Rox Pile