How the starting right fielder position battle is going so far during Spring Training

The Rockies were fortunate to have a good run of consistency in right field. From 2012-2014, Michael Cuddyer manned the spot followed by franchise icon, Carlos Gonzalez, from 2015-2018. Finally one of the best players in franchise history, Charlie Blackmon, moved to right field following a long stretch as a centerfield, holding down the position from 2019-2022. 2023 saw Kris Bryant switch from left field to right field, but after a number of injuries last year, he will try and stay healthy at first base.

The battle for the starting right field job seemed like it would be a fairly entertaining one. Though the Rockies have some exciting players, it looked like Sean Bouchard was the favorite to man the corner outfield spot after impressing in a short stint in 2023.

Though Bouchard could still be the favorite, that's not to say that some other guys haven't made it interesting. My projection to battle it out with Bouchard, Hunter Goodman, looks like that won't happen, but a few other players stepping up this spring have made this battle even more entertaining than we thought.

The favorite: Sean Bouchard

Bouchard is a bit of an older prospect as he will turn 28-years old in May, but there is still quite a bit of upside for the former ninth round pick out of UCLA. Bouchard flashed a lot of power in his time in the minor leagues, topping out at 20 in just 69 Triple-A games in 2022.

He got a cup of coffee in 2023, playing just 21 games, but hit .316 with four home runs, putting up a 160 wRC+. The favorite coming into Spring Training, we wanted to see Bouchard continue that trend and showcase a solid hit tool with some pop. We would also like to see him control the zone a bit better after striking out nearly 33% of the time.

This spring has been disappointing for Bouchard as he only has one hit, a two RBI double. The other concerning part is that Bouchard is striking out over 31% of the time, continuing a trend, fans hoped he would kick.

Bouchard might still be the favorite, as of right now. It's only a few games in the spring, but the following names are making it really hard to ignore their performances, setting up a very competitive final few weeks of Spring Training.

I don't like it but imagine the power! Kris Bryant moves to RF to make room for Elehuris Montero

Kris Bryant has been such a frustrating case for Rockies fans. The signing was surprising but looked like it pointed to a team that wanted to compete, and yet, just two years later, we are in the midst of a full on rebuild. Bryant may not be a big fan of the Rockies prospects, but one of them may be pushing him back to the outfield to make room for a power bat.

Bryant was slated to move to first base, to ensure his health. It seemed like a great idea as the largest contract in franchise history has played just 122 games over the last two years. The Rockies didn't really have a no-brainer first baseman, so moving the veteran to first base (hoping to wrap him in bubble wrap), seemed like the obvious answer.

The emergence, however, of former top prospect, Elehuris Montero, has made that decision a lot harder. Montero can DH a little bit, but with Charlie Blackmon manning the spot in what seems like his farewell tour, he will need to be in the field quite a bit. No one has really staked their claim on the starting right field job, but Monter is proving he deserves a spot in the Opening Day nine.

In this scenario, the Rockies move Bryant to right field and essentially tell him to stand there and look pretty. Don't try and run down any baseballs, don't try and make any diving plays. If it is hit right at you, cool, catch it and move on. If it isn't, let the Gold Glover, Brenton Doyle, run wild and chase it down. With him moving out to right field, it opens up the starting first base job for Montero, who is killing the baseball this spring.

Montero could very well force manager, Bud Black, into moving Bryant back out to the outfield. He is tearing the cover off the baseball this spring, hitting .333/.400/.857. No that's not a type, he is slugging .857! In 25 plate appearances, he has three home runs, and has only struck out 20% of the time. Montero is flashing all the potential of a middle of the order bat, showing he can live up to his potential.

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