DENVER -- Names on baseball prospect lists always disappear. The best go from anticipated names to stars. Too many times, the player disappears from the game with the name.

A few, like the Rockies’ Connor Joe, appear in the Majors well after they fall of the list -- and long after they don’t even care about where they’re ranked.

Joe, 29, was a first-round pick of the Pirates in the 2014 MLB Draft. He had been with four organizations by the time he was struggling in his first big league opportunity with the Giants in 2019, going 1-for-15 in eight games. He then spent his time during the pandemic fighting and recovering from testicular cancer. Now, Joe is maximizing his biggest chance in the Majors.

Through his first 50 games with the Rockies, Joe was hitting .290 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs. He has gained footing in his third stint with the club this year, having returned from Triple-A Albuquerque with greater confidence in his swing and regular playing time -- partly because of performance, partly because left fielder Raimel Tapia hasn’t played since Aug. 8 because of a right big toe strain.

In Joe's previous 24 games entering Saturday, he was slashing .321/.376/.619 with all seven of his homers (his first coming on July 20, the one-year anniversary of being declared cancer-free), much of it while playing left field and leading off. The journey was long and time-consuming, but he is putting in the work and experiencing the wonder of the big leagues like the rookie that he is.

“This game does a really good job of once you’re past 25 making you feel old, which is not the case,” Joe said with the smile that is part of what makes him a fan favorite.

Of course, 29 is 29 in a game that celebrates the young phenoms. But what Joe missed out on in acclaim in his youth, he makes up for in maturity -- in life and in his baseball approach -- as he begins his Major League career.

Let’s take a deeper look into how patience has paid off for Joe.

His baseball inspiration
In 2018, Joe was in his first of two stints with the Dodgers, who a year earlier had claimed a player cast off by the A's. That infielder, Max Muncy, has since made it to two All-Star Games.

“In ’18, when I was with the Dodgers in Double-A, talking to him in Spring Training, he probably felt like he should have made the big club,” Joe said. “Maybe he should have. But I saw what he did in Triple-A, then he was called up to the big leagues and made an impact right away.

“He turned 28 years old that year, so a very similar story to me.”

Players like Muncy or Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski are out there for teams willing to raise their eyes from the prospect lists. Joe believed the Rockies wanted to give him a serious look.

“They told me, ‘You’re going to get everyday at-bats in Triple-A,’ and if I know I’m going to get everyday at-bats in Triple-A, I know the kind of player I am," Joe said. "I know the type of impact I can make, that’s all I really need."

The many routes to the field
While at the University of San Diego, Joe played the infield corners and took up catching, just in case. He never stopped moving around. Joe has shown solid foot movement and anticipation at first base, and he's used his athletic ability and instincts to handle left field -- as he displayed on impressive catches on Monday and Wednesday in wins over the Padres -- while trying to increase his knowledge.

“I’ve talked to Charlie [Blackmon] about how the ball carries in different parks, and I’m trying to absorb as much as I can,” Joe said. “Then, it’s trust my eyes, trust my ears and let my athletic ability take over.”

Joe also catches occasional bullpen sessions, and lately, he's been taking grounders at second base. It’s not certain if he’ll need those skills, but he wants to find reasons to put him on the field.

A mature approach
Joe's time in the systems of the Pirates, Braves, Giants and Dodgers exposed him to many pockets of information. With the Rockies, it’s a matter of digging into the right pockets.

On a team that deals with extreme difference in home and road environments, Joe has found a possible key to success. Over his previous 24 games entering Saturday, Joe’s chase rate (swings at pitches outside the strike zone) was 18.6 percent. According to Statcast, the MLB-wide rate is 27.3 percent.

Joe studies opposing pitchers through TruMedia, an analytics platforms that various MLB clubs and several media organizations licensed in 2020, but he warned, “It can suck you up and you can get overloaded.” Joe tries to boil down to a couple points for each pitcher. But in the batter’s box, he stubbornly sticks to his best swing.

“That's probably what has made him a successful player through amateur baseball through the Minor Leagues and now, ultimately, getting an opportunity to get really good at-bats -- his ability to recognize strikes and take balls out of the zone,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “That's who he is as a player. But that isn't learned overnight.”

He’s having as much fun as his fans
Joe’s dark, flowing mullet, his willingness to fit the Rockies' needs and his inspiring backstory make for a player fun to watch -- something fans at Coors Field picked up on immediately.

To get there, Joe had to go through the bouncing around, the tough performances and the maturation process to realize he can have fun.

“If only we celebrated our victories as much as they came down on our failures, right?” Joe said. “So I've learned to celebrate every small victory, whether it's a walk in a big situation, whether it's an RBI double like [Friday] night or a homer. I’m just having fun.”