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The Rockies’ 2022 season will go down as one of the least successful in franchise history. And as one of the most boring.
I’m not trying to pile on, honest. But let’s face it, this season has lacked drama. No pennant race, no trades, no changing of the guard in the front office, no brouhahas, no walk-off homers on Father’s Day.
So it wasn’t easy to come up with 10 standout moments, head-scratchers, or themes for 2022. But here goes:
10. With five games remaining in their season, all of them coming at Dodger Stadium, the Rockies have yet to hit a grand slam (entering Saturday). The Rockies have never gone a full season without a slam, but it looks like it’s going to happen. Kind of emblematic of their power outage, don’t you think?
9. OK, let’s get one more, unavoidable negative out of the way. Colorado’s road woes are the overriding theme of the season. Entering Saturday night’s game, the Rockies were 24-52 (.316) away from LoDo. Their .316 road winning percentage ranks as the third-worst in franchise history, trailing only the 2014 (21-60, .259) and 2003 (26-56, .309) clubs.
Buckle up, there’s more. The Rockies have a road slash line of .225/.285/.332 and have hit 44 home runs, the fewest in the majors and the fewest for a full season in franchise history. (They hit 49 in 2000). With runners in scoring position on the road, the Rockies have slashed .190/.261/.264 with six home runs. Ouch.
8. OK, now for some sunshine. Outfielder Jonathan Daza’s hustle, skill with the bat, and obvious joy for the game have been terrific to watch. Just consider what he’s done since the All-Star break. He’s hit safely in 26 of 37 games with a .315 average (41-for-130) with 12 doubles, two home runs and 15 RBIs.
7. Rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s debut was speculated about ever since he lit up the Cactus League during spring training. At 21, with limited time in Double-A and Triple-A, he’s got a lot of growing to do, but he doesn’t have big-league stage fright and he sure looks like the real deal.
6. Too bad Daniel Bard’s magnificent performance came during such a lousy season. He should’ve been an All-Star but he did get rewarded with a two-year, $19 million contract extension.
When the lights start flashing at Coors Field and “Stranglehold” blares out of the speakers, it’s very cool. FYI, Bard’s 32 saves rank sixth in the National League and are the sixth-most in a season in franchise history. His 1.88 ERA is the second-lowest in a single season in Colorado history behind Rex Brothers’ 1.74 ERA in 2013.
5. It’s turned out to be a tough season for right-hander Chad Kuhl, but his three-hit, complete-game shutout of the Dodgers on June 27 was a masterpiece. In Colorado’s 4-0 win, Kuhl struck out five and didn’t walk a single batter. He became only the fourth Rockies pitcher to allow three or fewer baserunners in a complete-game shutout.
4. There were eight home runs hit in the Rockies’ 13-10 victory over Arizona on Sept. 9 on a chilly, misty Friday night at Coors. The Rockies, who launched five homers, won the game on Elias Diaz’s walk-off, three-run homer off lefty Caleb Smith. Included in the barrage was Colorado first baseman C.J. Cron’s two-run homer off Keynan Middleton in the fourth inning that traveled an estimated 504 feet, tied for the second-longest homer of the Statcast Era (since 2015). Cron’s homer trails only Nomar Mazara’s 505-foot blast for Texas on June 21, 2019.
3. Cron deserves his own mention. He was the Rockies’ lone All-Star and his 29 homers are one shy of his career-high. His career-high 102 RBIs rank seventh in the majors and fourth in the NL.
2. The Rockies’ biggest splash of the season might well have been the unveiling of their City Connect uniforms on June 4 against the Braves. Fans either loved or loathed the green-and-white unis, which were inspired by Colorado’s license plate. Think about it: did anything Rockies-related spark as many conversations?
1. The overriding theme of the Rockies’ season was the signing of Kris Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million contract, followed by injuries that limited him to 42 games. It remains to be seen if Bryant can play up to his contract, but his lost season weighed heavy on the Rockies.
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