What to expect from Brenton Doyle in a potential breakout sophomore season in 2024

Brenton Doyle was a bright spot for the Rockies in 2023. Despite his low batting average and high strikeout numbers, Doyle became an everyday player for the team in 2023 as a rookie, showcasing his tremendous speed and baserunning ability, while showing glimpses of power as well. However, Doyle's strongest attribute without a doubt is his otherworldly outfield play, and the absolute cannon attached to the upper right side of his torso. Doyle recorded a throw to the plate from the outfield that clocked in at 105.7 MPH, a Statcast record. His unbelievable arm strength and ability to patrol a vast center field at Coors earned him a Gold Glove award for National League Centerfielders, joining the likes of Ichiro Suzuki (2001), Steven Kwan (2022), and Luis Robert (2020) as one of only six rookie outfielders to win the award.

While Doyle's offensive stats left something to be desired on paper, batting .203, and striking out a whopping 151 times compared to 22 walks in 399 at bats, he did club ten homeruns and stole 22 bases while only being caught stealing five times. A round four pick in 2019 out of Shepherd College in West Virginia, Doyle enters his second season at the age of 25 and will most likely win the opening day centerfield job, alongside Kris Bryant and Nolan Jones in what looks to be a strong Rockies outfield this year, especially with Yanquiel Fernandez looming. Going into his sophomore season with the big club, let's take a look at what we could expect for the talented outfielder in 2024.

As for the outlook 2024 for Doyle, it is hard to say speculate about whether or not he can cut down on the less than desirable strikeout numbers. With the uncertainty and all else that comes with being a rookie out of the way, I expect a jump in production from the Rockies centerfielder. I think it is fair to expect Doyle to play in around 135 games, while figuring out more ways to get the ball in play to use his speed to his advantage, in part to some changes in his swing, I see Doyle being around a .250 hitter in his sophomore year, cutting the strikeouts down a bit and stealing 25 bags, smacking 20 home runs in the thin air at Coors, and still playing prolific defense, finishing top three in NL Gold Glove voting.

One area of improvement that would benefit the Rockies greatly would be Doyle walking more. Being an aggressive hitter is not necessarily a bad thing for someone with Doyle's power, but with the speed and baserunning ability he possesses, it would help the team if he could draw some more walks, shorten up with two strikes, and figure out a way to hit with the same power and tenacity but knowing when the right time to leave the bat on the shoulders is.

Obviously, this is easier said than done, and I am wearing pajamas that feature dogs in Christmas sweaters as I write "this professional baseball player should get on base more", I realize the audacity and the irony. That being said, Doyle could certainly be prone for a breakout year if he is able to find a solution to the strikeouts, and if he does, the Rockies could very well have their long-term answer for the tough question of "who can cover the massive area in centerfield at Coors Field?" The job is his for the keeping, and the Rockies have a potential superstar on their hands if he is able to smooth out the wrinkles in his game.

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