Best Rockies seasons at each position
DENVER -- Players from all around the diamond have had big seasons with the Rockies -- and having Coors Field as the home park has created some monster seasons.
Let's take an around-the-horn look at the most productive seasons since the franchise began play in 1993. And just imagine all this happening in the same year.
C: Chris Iannetta (2008)
Key stat: .895 OPS
Receiving regular playing time (104 games/407 plate appearances), Iannetta had 22 doubles, two triples, 18 homers and a .390 on-base percentage.
1B: Todd Helton (2000)
Key stat: .372/.463/.698 slash line, all leading the NL
Helton, an All-Star for the first time in 2000, also led the league with 216 hits, 405 total bases and 59 doubles. Plus, he hit 42 home runs and walked 103 times.
2B: DJ LeMahieu (2016)
Key stat: NL-leading .348 BA
LeMahieu lashed 51 extra-base hits (32 doubles, eight triples, 11 home runs), and managed a .416 on-base percentage.
3B: Nolan Arenado (2019)
Key stat: .315 BA, .379 OBP, both career highs
A hard swinger, Arenado continued to mature as a selective hitter. He did damage with the pitches he picked, as evidenced by his 41 home runs. And, as every year of his career, he won the National League Gold Glove Award.
SS: Troy Tulowitzki (2010)
Key stat: .315 BA, .949 OPS
Injuries were the bane of Tulowitzki’s career in Colorado, but in '10 his batting average and OPS were career highs for years in which he appeared in at least 100 games. He also won his first Gold Glove.
LF: Matt Holliday (2007)
Key stat: NL-leading .340 BA, 137 RBIs, 50 doubles, 216 hits
During the magical September that powered the Rockies into the playoffs and, eventually the World Series, Holliday hit .365 with 12 home runs, 32 RBIs and a 1.236 OPS.
CF: Ellis Burks (1996)
Key stat: NL-best .639 slugging percentage
Many of the marks of the old Blake Street Bombers of the ‘90s have been surpassed, but no Rockies center fielder had a year better than his .344/.408/.639 slash line with 392 total bases.
RF: Larry Walker (1997)
Key stat: NL-best 1.172 OPS
The Rockies’ only Hall of Famer, Walker became the only player to earn the National League Most Valuable Player Award by also leading the league in home runs (49), OBP (.452) and slugging (.720), plus a .366 average.
SP: Ubaldo Jiménez (2010)
Key stat: 19-8, 2.88 ERA
Pitching for the Rockies is tough because of the home environment. But Jiménez’s year -- a 15-1 start, a no-hitter at Atlanta and an All-Star Game start -- proved success was possible.
RP: Huston Street (2009)
Key stat: 35-of-37 on save chances
Street completed 94.6 percent of his save chances and was a key to the team's postseason appearance. He held opponents to a .194 batting average.