July & August Player Rankings

Unfortunately (or maybe not) I didn't have a chance to do a thorough review of the Rockies July. I'm also a little pressed for time when it comes to doing a thorough review of August, but I will make some time for my favorite of those reviews (the player rankings). '

The following rankings will cover both July and August. It's based on my opinions only, but I look at several different things (offense, defense, pitching, baserunning, poise, consistency, intelligence and ability to change a game) while formulating it. So here we go... ranking all Rockies who suited up in July and August. Well, aside from those who were traded or made very brief cameos (Tommy Field and Edwar Cabrera).

1. Adam Ottavino
2. Wilin Rosario
3. Josh Rutledge
4. Eric Young Jr.
5. Rafael Betancourt
6. Jordan Pacheco 
7. Carlos Gonzalez
8. Josh Roenicke
9. Dexter Fowler
10. Tyler Colvin
11. Matt Belisle
12. Carlos Torres
13. Chris Nelson
14. D.J. LeMahieu
15. Jeff Francis
16. Rex Brothers
17. Tyler Chatwood
18. Jhoulys Chacin
19. Michael Cuddyer
20. Alex White
21. Todd Helton
22. Andrew Brown
23. Guillermo Moscoso
24. Jonathan Herrera
25. Drew Pomeranz
26. Will Harris
27. Matt Reynolds
28. Ramon Hernandez
29. Jason Giambi
30. Mike Ekstrom
31. Charlie Blackmon
32. Christian Friedrich
33. Matt McBride
34. Jonathan Sanchez
35. Edgmer Escalona

Based on workload and production, Ottavino was pretty much a no-brainer in the top spot. He has taken his hybrid role and run with it, making the Rockies front office almost smart in the process. That's tough to do.

The rest of the top 5 was difficult. I went with Rosario second because his development behind the plate has been encouraging, and he's already a game-changer offensively with more room to grow. Josh Rutledge is just a ballplayer, plain and simple. EY2 could have easily taken the #2 slot had he not been injured. He was playing like a man possessed before that. And Rafael Betancourt has remained on point in the 9th inning.

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

June Review and Player Rankings

June Record: 9-18

The Rockies followed up a 10-18 May with a 9-18 June. It's almost impossible to believe they finished April at a very respectable 11-11, isn't it?

Overall Record: 30-47

June Swing Games: 4-3

Wins (Games They Could Have Lost)

• June 3rd vs Los Angeles Dodgers (Read the Recap)
• June 15th @ Detroit (Read the Recap) 
• June 25th vs Washington (Read the Recap)
• June 28th vs Washington (Read the  Recap)

Losses (Game They Should Have Won)

• June 10th vs Los Angeles Angels (Read the Recrap)
• June 13th vs Oakland (Read the Recrap)
• June 20th @ Philadelphia (Read the Recrap) 

Again, the Rockies record in 50/50 swing games looks a lot better than their overall mark because a high percentage of their losses are games they're completely out of early due to the starting pitching.

Simply stated, this isn't your typical win 60, lose 60, how do they split up the other 42 games team. It's a win 50, lose 90, pray the offense keeps them from losing 100 team.

Read more »

April Review and Player Rankings

May 1st already. Man, the days and weeks fly by when baseball season is in full swing.

Welcome to my own odd look back at the Rockies month of April. I actually used to do a variation of these monthly reviews back when I covered the Rockies for Bugs & Cranks circa. 2007-2009, and had some fun with them, so I've decided to bring them back and have some fun again in front of my new/old audience.

Here we go.

April Record: 11-11

Swing Games: Tommy Lasorda always said "every team wins 60 games and losses 60 games. It's what you do with the other 42 games that counts." We'll call those swing games, or to break it down even further, the ones you really wish you'd won or easily could/should have lost, but didn't.

By my count, the Rockies played six of those "swing games" in April, and managed split them right down the middle.

Wins

• April 14th vs Arizona (Read the Recap)
• April 20th @ Milwaukee (Read the Recap)
• April 25th @ Pittsburgh (Read the Recap)

Losses

• April 8th at Houston (Read the Recrap)
• April 24th at Pittsburgh (Read the Recrap)
• April 29th vs NY Mets (Read the Recrap)

The win over Arizona was my favorite. I'll highlight why in a moment. All three losses were equally disappointing because they all contributed to a losing series against a team the Rockies needed to beat.

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Players Rankings: First half

Just a quick glance at the guidelines...

Everything is taken into consideration -- offense, defense, pitching, clutchness, baserunning, consistency, awareness, intelligence, and in this case, performance will be weighed against expecations.

I'm looking back at the entire first half of the season (xx games). I figure I need to draw a line somewhere with all of the recent roster shuffling, so it'll be any player has five played in at least five games for the Rockies this season.

Let's get to this one...

1. Todd Helton
2. Troy Tulowitzki
3. Jhoulys Chacin
4. Carlos Gonzalez
5. Matt Belisle

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Rockies Player Rankings: June

Just a reminder of the guidelines...

Everything is taken into consideration -- offense, defense, pitching, clutchness, baserunning, consistency, awareness, intelligence. My personal evaluation and opinions. Stats used only when I need to break a tie in my mind. No BABIP analysis, focus on Ultimate Zone Ratings, or anything like that.

I'm looking back at the month of June here. Any player that stepped on the field in a Rockies uniform during the 30 day month will be ranked somewhere... (sorry, no Mark Ellis) even the players who are no longer in the Rockies organization or currently injured.

Also, coming up during the All-Star break I'll rank every Rockie from the first half of the season.

Let's get to this one...

Read more »

Player Rankings: 6-2-11

Just a reminder of the guidelines...

Everything is taken into consideration -- offense, defense, pitching, clutchness, baserunning, consistency, awareness, intelligence. My personal evaluation and opinions. Stats used only when I need to break a tie in my mind. No BABIP analysis, focus on Ultimate Zone Ratings, or anything like that.

I'm looking back pretty much at the month of May. Any player that stepped on the field in a Rockies uniform in that dreadful month will be ranked somewhere... even the players who are no longer in the Rockies organization or currently injured.

Away we go...

1. Matt Lindstrom
2. Todd Helton
3. Matt Belisle
4. Carlos Gonzalez
5. Matt Reynolds
6. Troy Tulowitzki
7. Jhoulys Chacin
8. Seth Smith
9. Chris Iannetta
10. Jason Hammel
11. Ryan Spilborghs
12. Jason Giambi
13. Jorge De La Rosa
14. Ty Wigginton
15. Juan Nicasio (1 start gets him this high...)
16. Jonathan Herrera
17. Ubaldo Jimenez
18. Eric Young
19. Clayton Mortensen
20. Dexter Fowler
21. Rafael Betancourt
22. Chris Nelson
23. Greg Reynolds
24. Huston Street
25. Jose Morales
26. Jose Lopez
27. Alfredo Amezaga
28. Bruce Billings
29. Franklin Morales
30. Matt Daley
31. Felipe Paulino
32. Ian Stewart

Player Rankings: 4-21-11

Rockies Player Rankings: 4-21-11

Welcome to the first installment of my Rockies player rankings in 2011. I think I did about 4 or 5 of these last year at various points in the season. Usually on off days when there's little else to talk about. I plan on doing it a little more often this year. Every 18-20 games or so. 

Everything is taken into consideration -- offense, defense, pitching, clutchness, baserunning, consistency, awareness, intelligence. No stats involved. Just my personal evaluation and opinions.

This first list will include all 28 players that have taken an at-bat or thrown a pitch for the Rockies this season. As we move along, players that haven't been with the big club during the most recent period of time will likely be excluded.

For the record. This was an extremely difficult list to make for all the right reasons. I remember at times last year ranking the top 3-4 and then struggling to find another guy playing well. Right now several Rockies are playing well, and deciding who belongs where has been difficult.

Alright, enough of the intro... without any further ado...

1. Troy Tulowitzki
2. Jhoulys Chacin
3. Seth Smith
4. Chris Iannetta
5. Huston Street
6. Jonathan Herrera
7. Jorge De La Rosa
8. Todd Helton
9. Dexter Fowler
10. Matt Lindstrom
11. Matt Belisle
12. Ty Wigginton
13. Matt Reynolds
14. Rafael Betancourt
15. Carlos Gonzalez
16. Jason Hammel
17. Jose Morales
18. Greg Reynolds
19. Franklin Morales
20. Clayton Mortensen
21. Jose Lopez
22. Ryan Spilborghs
23. Jason Giambi
24. Ubaldo Jimenez
25. Esmil Rogers
26. Felipe Paulino
27. Ian Stewart
28. Alan Johnson

Post All-Star Break Player Rankings

17 games is a very small sample size, but this is how I would rank the Rockies players and their performance so far in the second half of the season.

1. Carlos Gonzalez
2. Ryan Spilborghs
3. Manny Corpas
4. Jeff Francis
5. Seth Smith
6. Ian Stewart
7. Melvin Mora
8. Chris Iannetta
9. Jorge De La Rosa
10. Miguel Olivo
11. Dexter Fowler
12. Troy Tulowitzki
13. Jonathan Herrera
14. Taylor Buchholz
15. Matt Belisle
16. Clint Barmes
17. Huston Street
18. Jason Hammel
19. Randy Flores
20. Ubaldo Jimenez
21. Rafael Betancourt
22. Brad Hawpe
23. Joe Beimel
24. Aaron Cook
25. Jason Giambi

Rockies First Half Player Rankings

Ranking every player that has throw a pitch or made a plate appearance for the Rockies in the first 88 games.

The criteria consists of...

• Impact.  
• Offensive.  
• Defense.   
• Efficiency.
• Consistency.    
• IQ.   
• My Confidence.  

Without further ado...

1. Ubaldo Jimenez
2. Carlos Gonzalez
3. Miguel Olivo
4. Jason Hammel
5. Joe Beimel
6. Troy Tulowitzki
7. Matt Belisle
8. Jonathan Herrera
9. Clint Barmes
10. Jhoulys Chacin
11. Seth Smith
12. Huston Street
13. Ian Stewart
14. Esmil Rogers
15. Randy Flores
16. Jason Giambi
17. Manny Corpas
18. Brad Hawpe
19. Matt Daley
20. Todd Helton
21. Ryan Spilborghs
22. Aaron Cook
23. Chris Iannetta
24. Melvin Mora
25. Paul Phillips
26. Rafael Betancourt
27. Dexter Fowler
28. Jorge De La Rosa
29. Jeff Francis
30. Brad Eldred
31. Eric Young
32. Chris Nelson
33. Juan Rincon
34. Greg Smith
35. Franklin Morales

Here are the Top 3 in each category.

Impact

1. Ubaldo Jimenez
2. Carlos Gonzalez
3. Jonathan Herrera

Offense

1. Carlos Gonzalez
2. Miguel Olivo
3. Seth Smith

Defense

1. Troy Tulowitzki
2. Carlos Gonzalez
3. Todd Helton/Clint Barmes

Efficiency

1. Joe Beimel
2. Ubaldo Jimenez
3. Matt Belisle/Huston Street

Consistency

1. Ubaldo Jimenez
2. Carlos Gonzalez
3. Jason Hammel (Post DL version)

IQ

1. Miguel Olivo
2. Ubaldo Jimenez
3. Jonathan Herrera

My Confidence

1. Ubaldo Jimenez
2. Carlos Gonzalez
3. Joe Beimel

Updated Player Rankings 6-21-10

1. Ubaldo Jimenez
2. Jason Hammel
3. Miguel Olivo
4. Joe Beimel
5. Jeff Francis
6. Seth Smith
7. Manny Corpas 
8. Ryan Spilborghs 
9. Carlos Gonzalez
10. Rafael Betancourt
11. Clint Barmes
12. Todd Helton
13. Matt Belisle
14. Brad Hawpe
15. Jhoulys Chacin
16. Jonathan Herrera
17. Melvin Mora
18. Aaron Cook
19. Randy Flores
20. Juan Rincon
21. Chris Nelson
22. Ian Stewart
23. Chris Iannetta
24. Jason Giambi
25. Franklin Morales

No question about it, Ubaldo Jimenez is in a class all to himself.  Now Jason Hammel is behind him... in a class all to himself.  At least for now.  

Seth Smith jumps a few due to his recent heroics.

I couldn't drop Manny Corpas very far because the circumstances surrounding his "collapse" are being understated by Jim Tracy and the media.  He was set up to fail.

Clint Barmes gets a bump because I'm pleased with his defense at SS.  It's easy to lose sight of his overall value when there's a Troy Tulowitzki on the team and he's limited to 2B.

By the same token, Jonathan Herrera has come on pretty strong as he gets more comfortable with every day life in the big leagues.  His defense has been pretty consistent with the usual work from Barmes at 2B, and the bat seems to be coming around as well.  He's no Tulo, but he has value.  

Nelson and Rincon haven't done much, so it may not be fair to rank them above anyone, but the Fab 4 below them have disappointed and underperformed since Opening Day.  The Rockies came into this season relying on all four to be productive.  Their collective contribution of zilch is a big reason why the Rockies sit uncomfortably at three games over .500.