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.

The Darkhorse: Michael Toglia

Toglia is a former first round pick coming with tons of pedigree and upside. Fans want to see the Rockies hit on a first-round pick and create a superstar. After seeing Toglia's struggles, a lot of fans were worrying that the Rockies selected yet another high strikeout bat that couldn't hack it at the major league level.

Toglia has dominated in the minor leagues but was awful in his short stints in 2022 and 2023. Combined he has 272 plate appearances, with just six home runs and he is running a career strikeout rate of nearly 35%. His career wRC+ is just 41, and coming into Spring Training, he looked like he would be on the outside looking in, needing more work at Triple-A to control the strikeouts.

This spring has been a very good one for Toglia. The former top prospect is hitting .318 with two home runs, and though the strikeout rate is still high (32%), he looks a little more comfortable at the plate. He has put up an insane 172 wRC+, and yeah, I know, it's just 10 games, but he is hitting the ball hard! Toglia is a surprisingly good defender in right field and if he keeps this up throughout Spring Training, we could see him steal the starting job from Sean Bouchard.