The Rockies may still be slogging through a rough season, but Jake McCarthy has given them something worth noticing every night. In his first year in Colorado, the 29-year-old outfielder is putting together the best offensive season of his career, even as the team’s struggles have kept his work from getting the spotlight it deserves.
McCarthy’s numbers tell the story. He is carrying the highest slash line he has posted since reaching the majors in 2021, and he has nearly doubled his previous totals in home runs, triples, and doubles. He has also set career highs in runs scored, hits, runs batted in, and stolen bases, and he is on pace to top his personal best in walks as well.
That production has mattered for a Rockies club that has had to stay aggressive at the plate because of a pitching staff that has not given them much room for error. While the team has not made some impossible leap from where it was a year ago, there has been a real shift, and McCarthy has been part of it.
He has not been the only bright spot in Colorado. Hunter Goodman is in position to cross the 40-home run mark by the end of September, while rookies TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg have also made noise. Rumfield has pushed himself into the NL Rookie of the Year conversation, and Carrigg would be right there too if he had arrived earlier in the season.
Still, McCarthy’s breakout has been easy to miss because of the way the season has unfolded around him. Colorado acquired him in a trade with Arizona, and the deal is looking like a steal. The Rockies gave up only a minor league pitcher for a player who has delivered far more than they could have reasonably expected.
McCarthy spent his entire career with the Diamondbacks before landing in Denver. Arizona drafted him in 2018, and he made his major league debut at the end of August in 2021.
In Arizona, he never posted an OPS above .769, and he never reached double digits in either home runs or triples. He has already cleared both of those marks this season.
The speed is still there, the instincts are still there, and the production is now there too. Colorado may not be headed for a winning record, but the move to bring in McCarthy has been one of the clearest victories of the year.
In Other News...
Rockies Just Gave Todd Helton The Tribute Fans Wanted
Before the game against Seattle, the Rockies gave Todd Helton the kind of tribute that fits his place in franchise history, unveiling a statue that captures the celebration tied to Colorados first National League pennant in 2007. Helton, now a Baseball Hall of Famer and a special assistant to the general manager, spent his entire 17-year career in a Rockies uniform and remains one of the defining figures in team history.
The statue also keeps a recent run of honors rolling for the clubs biggest legends, coming on the heels of a similar tribute to Larry Walker last month. For Rockies fans, it is another reminder of the core players who helped shape the franchises identity, and another chance to celebrate a player whose name still carries real weight around Coors Field. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Helton Just Gave Rockies Fans A Rare Reason To Look Back
For a franchise that has spent plenty of time looking for its next defining moment, Coors Field offered a reminder of where some of the Rockies best history already lives. The club unveiled a statue of Todd Helton, honoring the Hall of Famer with a towering tribute that captures a moment from the 2007 World Series, and the ceremony brought together Helton and others to celebrate the kind of career that still resonates in Denver.
The sculpture, created by George Lundeen, is hard to miss at 17 feet tall and 1,000 pounds, but the point went beyond size. It gave Rockies fans a rare chance to pause and revisit a different era, one tied to Heltons legacy and the memories that still linger from the teams most meaningful postseason run. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Just Set Up A Big Next Step For Gabriel Hughes
The Rockies made a familiar roster shuffle ahead of their game against the Mariners, sending Gabriel Hughes back to Triple-A Albuquerque and activating Jose Quintana from injured reserve. For now, it looks more like a matter of managing the pitching staff than drawing a hard line on Hughes, who has been bouncing between levels while the club tries to balance immediate needs with longer-term development.
Hughes still figures into Colorados plans as a starter down the road, which is why this move carries more weight than a routine transaction. The Rockies are keeping the door open for him to keep growing in Albuquerque, and the next step will be watching how he responds once another opportunity in the rotation comes back into view. [Read more 🡒]