Rockies 2024 Player Rankings: No. 6 Brendan Rodgers

The 2015 MLB Draft boasted three elite shortstops in Brendan Rodgers, Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman. Rodgers was thought to have the highest upside as a toolsy high school shortstop with a big-time bat. The Rockies seemed fortunate to snag him with the third overall selection out of Lake Mary, Florida.

Brendan Rodgers' high offensive upside paired with Gold Glove level defense earned him the No. 6 spot in our 2024 Player Rankings

Rodgers has started a game in the major leagues in five different seasons, yet has only played in 317 games, which is nearly two full seasons. Rodgers made his debut in 2019, then spent a majority of the 2020 COVID season at the minor league facility. The 2021 season saw Rodgers really get his first full taste of the big leagues, playing in 102 games, slashing .284/.328/.470 with 15 home runs. It was only worth a 98 wRC+, but it was just his first full season, giving plenty of reasons for excitement. The 2022 season saw Rodgers take a step back offensively, putting up a 91 wRC+ with only 13 home runs in 137 games, but he was able to earn his first Gold Glove at second base.

Expectations were high for Rodgers coming into the 2023 season, with many hoping he would take that next step forward to become an above-average bat to match the glove. Unfortunately for Rodgers and Rockies fans, he dislocated his shoulder before the season could even begin. The MRI found there was more damage than originally thought, and he was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 25. He wouldn't return until July 31. The 46 games he played in were pretty disappointing, as he slashed just .258/.313/.388 for a 76 wRC+ and only four home runs.

Looking forward to the 2024 season, there are plenty of reasons to think this is the year that Rodgers breaks out. When Rodgers came back from his injury last year, he struggled to start, slashing just .216/.275/.297 in the month of August (a 42 wRC+), which heavily skews the yearly numbers. He was really good in the month of September, slashing .290/.343/.460 (103 wRC+) with four home runs in just 100 at-bats. If you can get a healthy, September version of Rodgers, that is going to be a very valuable second baseman (potentially a 3+ fWAR player), especially paired with his Gold Glove level defense.