Next up on Franchise Phenoms is the All-Time Rockies Team. Colorado follows the White Sox and Phillies as third up in our series.
Franchise Overview
The Colorado Rockies were founded in 1993. They joined the National League that season along with the Florida Marlins. Only the Diamondbacks and Rays are newer to Major League Baseball than the 1993 expansion teams.
The Rockies are one of seven teams that have never won an World Series.
The team’s 0.473 winning percentage is 25th all-time. The Rockies have had just nine winning seasons out of 26.
Despite all of their lean years along the way, Rockies fans have been fortunate in terms of playoff appearances. Colorado has made the playoffs in 19.2% of the team’s seasons, the eighth best mark in history.
Hitters
| Starting Lineup | Name | Position | B/T | bWAR/650 | OPS+ | Years Played |
| 1. | Ellis Burks | CF (RF/LF) | R/R | 3.8 | 128 | 1994-98 |
| 2. | Larry Walker | RF | L/R | 6.7 | 147 | 1995-2004 |
| 3. | Matt Holliday | LF | R/R | 4.1 | 131 | 2004-08, 18 |
| 4. | Todd Helton | 1B | L/L | 4.3 | 133 | 1997-2013 |
| 5. | Troy Tulowitzki | SS | R/R | 5.9 | 123 | 2006-15 |
| 6. | Nolan Arenado | 3B | R/R | 5.7 | 122 | 2013-Present |
| 7. | Chris Iannetta | C | R/R | 1.8 | 95 | 2006-11, 18-Present |
| 8. | D.J. LeMahieu | 2B | R/R | 2.9 | 93 | 2012-18 |
| 9. | Pitcher | P | ||||
| Bench | ||||||
| OF | Carlos Gonzalez | RF/LF/CF | L/L | 3.1 | 116 | 2009-18 |
| OF | Charlie Blackmon | CF/RF | L/L | 2.5 | 116 | 2011-Present |
| 1B | Andres Galarraga | 1B | R/R | 3.3 | 125 | 1993-97 |
| IN | Vinny Castilla | 3B/SS | R/R | 2.6 | 106 | 1993-99, 2004, 06 |
| IN | Trevor Story | SS | R/R | 5.4 | 113 | 2016-Present |
| C | Jeff Reed | C | L/R | 2.5 | 99 | 1996-99 |
Slugging at Altitude
Playing their home games in Denver has given Rockies hitters the benefit of arguably the most favorable hitting environment in big league history. The Rockies have an impressive history of offensive production.
On Top of the Mountain
First baseman Todd Helton is the historical face of the Rockies franchise. Helton played his entire 17-year career in Colorado. Helton was a five-time All Star who won four Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves in his career. Even after accounting for Coors Field, Helton was regularly one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball.
The Rockies have yet to have a player elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. At this moment, Helton probably has the best chance to be the first. He is probably among the top 15-20 first basemen in baseball history.
There is a case to be made that right fielder Larry Walker had an even better career than Helton. Walker was already one of the best outfielders in the National League when he left the Montreal Expos to sign as a free agent with the Rockies. Walker made four All Star teams in Colorado. He also won five Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers with the Rockies. Walker was the National League MVP in 1997 when he led the league in homers (49), OBP (.452), and slugging (.720). Hall of Fame voters have struggled with how to account for the impact of Colorado on his offensive production. As modern metrics help provide context, Walker may still have a late surge in support coming.
Current third baseman Nolan Arenado could find himself on the level of Walker and Helton before long. Arenado is crafting a case as one of the best defensive third basemen in history, winning the Gold Glove in each of his first five seasons. In addition to his glove work, Arenado has become one of the most feared hitters in baseball. He has made four straight All Star teams, won three straight Silver Sluggers, and finished eighth or better in the MVP voting three years running.
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki seemed to be on a Hall of Fame trajectory for much of his 10 seasons in Colorado. Tulo is a five-time All Star with two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers to his credit. One of the most well-rounded players in the game for the bulk of an eight-year period, Tulo finished eighth or better in the MVP voting three straight times. By age 30, injuries had taken their toll. He was frequently unavailable and less effective when he was. Now with the Blue Jays, and with two more guaranteed seasons left on his contract, Tulo will try to bounce back after missing all of 2018.
Smaller Peaks
Matt Holliday gets the nod in left field. Holliday earned a place among the all-time Rockies greats in his first five seasons. A three-time All Star and Silver Slugger winner, Holliday had a chance to join the upper tier of Rockies elite. Instead he was traded to Oakland heading into free agency and made four more All Star teams with the St. Louis Cardinals. In a great addendum, 11 seasons after he departed, Holliday came out of retirement late in 2018 to help the Rockies win a Wild Card spot and advance in the playoffs.
Center fielder Ellis Burks was a tremendously talented, and underrated, player for much of his 18-year career. Although he bounced around a bit, some of his best seasons were in Colorado. 1996 was his career year. He finished third in the MVP voting, made the All Star team, and won a Silver Slugger.
Current second baseman D.J. LeMahieu has crafted a unique path to the All-Time Rockies Team. On the strength of an excellent contact and on-base profile, LeMahieu made himself a respectable hitter despite minimal power. His solid glove work at second is the final piece to a fine package. He is a two-time All Star with two Gold Gloves. He won the NL batting title in 2016. He heads into free agency this winter leaving his Rockies future in limbo for the time being.
Chris Iannetta starts at catcher. A roughly league-average hitter over seven seasons and two stints with the Rockies, Iannetta was a contributor to three of the five playoff teams in franchise history. He is under contract for 2019 with a chance to add to his legacy.
Bench
Based on the total bodies of their work, either Carlos Gonzalez, or Charlie Blackmon, might have a case to start in center over Burks.
Cargo has three All Star selections under his belt along with two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers. He won the batting title and finished third in the MVP voting in 2010. After signing a one-year deal to return for 2018, he is a free agent again this winter.
A late-bloomer, Blackmon was not a regular player until he was 27. He is a three-time All Star with two Silver Sluggers to his credit. He won the batting title and finished fifth in the MVP voting in 2017. With a contract guaranteed through 2021 with two player options at the end, Blackmon will have every opportunity to overtake Burks and enter the starting lineup.
Current shortstop Trevor Story has a steeper climb to catch Tulo. He was an All Star as a 25-year-old in 2018. Entering his prime with four years of team control remaining, Story could make it interesting with his solid all around game.
Teammates with the Rockies for the first five years of the franchise’s existence, Andres Galarraga and Vinny Castilla joined Walker, Burks, and Dante Bichette as the Blake Street Bombers in the organization’s heyday of absurd offensive production.
Galaragga came to the Rockies at age 32. The Big Cat took to altitude. He earned two All Star selections and won a Silver Slugger. He finished in the top-10 of the MVP voting four times with the Rockies including 1996 when he led the league with 47 homers and 150 RBI.
Castilla joins relievers Steve Reed and Curt Leskanic as the only players selected by the Rockies in the 1992 Expansion Draft to make the Rockies All-Time Team. The third baseman was a two-time All Star and won two Silver Sluggers with the Rockies.
Jeff Reed is the backup catcher. He came to the Rockies as a free agent at age 33. He was a league-average hitter over four seasons in Colorado.
Pitchers
| Starting Rotation | Name | B/T | ERA+ | Years Played | |
| 1. | Ubaldo Jimenez | R/R | 128 | 2006-11 | |
| 2. | Jhoulys Chacin | R/R | 120 | 2009-14 | |
| 3. | Jorge De La Rosa | L/L | 106 | 2008-16 | |
| 4. | Aaron Cook | R/R | 106 | 2002-11 | |
| 5. | Jason Jennings | L/R | 103 | 2001-06 | |
| Bullpen | |||||
| LR | Curt Leskanic | R/R | 108 | 1993-99 | |
| RP | Bruce Ruffin | S/L | 131 | 1993-97 | |
| RP | Rafael Betancourt | R/R | 131 | 2009-15 | |
| RP | Adam Ottavino | S/R | 136 | 2012-18 | |
| SU | Steve Reed | R/R | 140 | 1993-97, 2003-04 | |
| CL | Brian Fuentes | L/L | 144 | 2002-08 |
Pitching at Altitude
Just as the Rockie Mountain air has historically benefited Colorado’s hitters, it has traditionally had the inverse effect on their pitching staff. Although they have turned out some decent relievers (19th best All-Time Team), the starting pitching (25th) has consistently struggled to give the Rockies a chance to contend.
Starting Rotation
In six seasons with the Rockies, Ubaldo Jimenez turned in a handful of the best starting pitching seasons in franchise history. 2010 was his career year. He made the All Star team and finished 19-8 with a 161 ERA+. He was third in the Cy Young voting, the highest finish in Rockies history.
Like Jimenez, Jhoulys Chacin pitched six years in Colorado. Although not a prolific strikeout pitcher, Chacin mixed pitches effectively enough to be a consistently above-average starter in baseball’s least forgiving environment.
Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa is the Rockies all-time leader in wins (86) and strikeouts (985). In nine seasons with Colorado, De La Rosa posted above-average ERA+ marks six times.
In ten seasons with the Rockies, sinker-baller Aaron Cook had above-average ERA+ marks seven times. His reliability allowed him to set the Rockies career records for starts (206), and innings (1312.1). He was an All Star in 2008.
Fellow sinker-baller Jason Jennings gets the final spot. Jennings spent six seasons in Colorado finishing just above-average for his career. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2002.
Bullpen
Left-hander Brian Fuentes is the most successful closer in Rockies history. A consistently devastating force for seven years with the Rockies, his 115 saves are tops in franchise history. He made three-straight All Star teams from 2005-2007.
Steve Reed utilized a nearly submarine delivery to help keep the ball in the park for seven seasons with the Rockies. Although he was never the team’s full-time closer, his 140 ERA+ over 499 innings give him a strong case as the most effective right-handed reliever in Rockies history.
Current setup man Adam Ottavino has been a force for most of his seven seasons with the Rockies. Like Reed, he has seldom been called on to save games, instead using his explosive stuff to preserve leads and bridge the gap to the ninth inning. He is a free agent after 2018.
Rafael Betancourt spent six seasons in a rather specialized role for the Rockies. He worked just 275.2 innings over 309 games. His excellent command of nasty stuff proved to be a devastating combination. There is a strong case for his inclusion in the all-time bullpen of the Cleveland Indians as well.
Left-hander Bruce Ruffin signed a free agent deal to join the Rockies for their inaugural season. He saved 60 games in five seasons as one of the more underrated relievers of the mid-90s.
Another original Rockies player, Curt Leskanic pitched parts of seven seasons with the club. From 1995-1999 he averaged 66 games and 78 innings per seasons as the team’s most versatile reliever.