This Rockies outfielder is headed for superstardom in 2024

Rockies fans were treated to an exciting revelation in 2023, the arrival of former Cleveland top prospect Nolan Jones. The 6'4, 195-pound outfielder burst onto the scene with the Rox after being acquired from the Guardians for 22-year-old shortstop prospect Juan Brito. Jones was drafted in the second round, 55th overall by Cleveland in 2022, and was their number two prospect in 2019, and their number one prospect in 2020. So why trade someone with such a high ceiling? The Guardians were reportedly unhappy with Jones' strikeout numbers, which makes sense, as they were rather bloated.

Jones struggled in his first bout in the big leagues in 2022 and was sent back down and then traded that offseason to the Rockies where his career has now taken off. Jones, in 367 at bats in 2023, batted .297 and slugged 20 homeruns, had an OPS of .931, and stole 20 bases while playing above average outfield in each position, and even playing 10 games at first. While he did strikeout 126 times to only 53 walks, there is no doubt Cleveland is having sellers' remorse for this one, and while hindsight is 20/20 it definitely seems like Jones was in need of a change of scenery.

Denver is a terrific home for a player with tons of pop, speed in the outfield, and in need of an everyday job. Rockies fans got an unexpected gift on a former top prospect who they got for very cheap and will be able to root for, hopefully for years to come. Jones finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, well behind winner Corbin Carroll from the Diamondbacks who played an entire season and ripped the cover off the ball while stealing 54 bags.

After an unbelievable 2023, Jones is primed for an all-star season in 2024, but with the potential of the dreaded "sophomore slump" looming, what should Rockies fans expect from Jones in 2024?

While the possibility of regression is always there for players who break out in their rookie seasons, the Rockies favorite player named "Nolan" will continue his torrid pace in 2023 with improvements in some areas. Jones will be a 30/30 player if he should stay healthy in 2024 and play in at least 135 games, he will no doubt be the opening day left fielder with no issues getting playing time and will likely bounce around in the outfield. Nolan will likely be somewhere in the .280-.290 batting average range, and he should have no problem keeping his OPS above .900, I fully expect Jones to have a WAR around five.

Let's discuss the whiffing elephant in the room: the strikeouts. Jones, with all of his superstar attributes, strikes out way more than your average bear. That being said, we can hope that his eye and discipline at the plate has improved to get more walks to counter the amount of punchouts. In reality, we can likely expect at least 150 "punchies" from Jones unless there has been a change in his approach to the plate, which I would honestly hope there is not; it is a trade the Rockies will no doubt make. You have to take the bad with the good with a player of this caliber, because the good drastically outweighs the bad.

Overall, I see Jones' sophomore year being an improvement upon his wonderful 2023, I fully anticipate him being an all-star come July, and hopefully garnering him some MVP votes on his way to solidifying his status as a star in this league. The Rockies have got themselves a stud here, and us fans should be really excited for the year ahead for the new face of this franchise.

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