3 Rockies Who Deserve More Playing Time, 1 Who Deserves Less

Jake Cave is solid

For a team that has a decent amount of volatility and streakiness outside of Charlie Blackmon and Ryan McMahon, Jake Cave is a professional who knows his role. The Rockies have plenty of young players in the lineup, and Cave is a veteran presence who has been a solid backup thus far for the Rox in a limited sample size. He sparked a late inning rally against the Cubs with a double; he also hit an eighth inning triple against the Rays and made a nice diving catch against the Diamondbacks.

Cave will provide some solid defense, slightly above average speed, and more consistency on an at bat to at bat basis. I’m not campaigning for him to be an everyday starter, but he could warrant more than just three starts in the first 13 games of the season. Cave is also a great trade for the Rockies this season, and the Rockies could showcase him more in hopes to net a return later on in the year.

Elehuris Montero has the potential to breakout soon

Elehuris Montero was a frustrating watch in the 2023 season. He had some obvious and gaping holes in his game, as a seemingly boom or bust hitter who swung and missed at concerningly high rates. The defense was just as concerning with his -6 outs above average according to Baseball Savant between the two corner infield spots, and in 2024, Montero has seen himself exclusively played at first base or designated hitter. The defense may never be a strength, but at 6’3, 235 pounds the Rockies could dream of some serious power upside with shades of prime Miguel Sano.

He finished 2023 with a wild 111-15 strikeout to walk ratio in his 85 games played, an alarming split. However, Montero has made impressive adjustments coming into the 2024 season, having much more competitive at bats resulting in only four strikeouts in his first eight games thus far, including three walks. Yes, he is only hitting .172 right now, but he is just 25 years old, the at bats are better, and he appears to have a legitimate approach at the plate, showcased in his two-strike RBI single against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. He has also been victim to bad luck, where a number of his hard-hit balls have found their way into defender’s gloves. For a sub-.200 hitter, Montero’s Baseball Savant page is surprisingly red, boasting impressive whiff, K, hard-hit, and exit velocity rates.

The Rockies need to stick it out with Montero and see if he can keep this newfound approach in an everyday capacity, because the advanced metrics and the eye test suggest that he is due for positive regression.

Kris Bryant is still struggling

You all knew where this one was going. I’ve written about it, Rockies fans have complained about it, and there’s not a ton of positives to take from it. We’re stuck with this contract, which is unfortunate for a team that is so cautious to dish out big money. Through 42 at bats, Bryant is hitting just .100 with only one home run and a 15-4 strikeout to walk ratio. It’s ugly, and the at bats look nothing like a former MVP. Bryant’s regular at bats take away from younger guys like Montero and Michael Toglia, who has shown immense power potential despite his low batting average. I’m not saying to bench the $182 million man, but seeing more of a part-time role until he shows any signs of positive production would be better for the lineup and the development of the younger Rockies. 

All things considered with Bryant, let’s not forget we have no reason to believe he doesn’t love baseball. While the production is similarly disappointing, this isn’t an Anthony Rendon situation where his love for the game can be called into question.

In a recent interview, Bryant mentioned some of the negativity he received from fans, even including death threats. No athlete deserves death threats, whether Bryant, Rendon, or anyone else. Performance on the field can be booed and heckled, but that should be the extent of it. Who knows, maybe a little bit of the Trea Turner treatment can help to give Bryant some support and get his season on track.

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