The Colorado Rockies may have landed their first baseman for the long haul.
That looks a lot different now than it did when they sent right-handed relief pitcher Angel Chivilli to the New York Yankees in exchange for TJ Rumfield during the offseason. Rumfield, 26, has turned his first season in Colorado into a serious breakout.
Through 134 games, he’s put together 3.3 bWAR, 13 home runs, and a .290/.383/.437 line with a 116 OPS+. His .383 on-base percentage is fourth-best in the National League, and that kind of production is hard to ignore for a player who wasn’t expected to be anywhere near this impactful.
“Rumfield is probably going to finish fourth or fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year vote, but he very much was not on the tier of a Kevin McGonigle or JJ Wetherholt as far as preseason rookie-year expectations went,” Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller wrote.
“In fact, Steamer had him projected for 78 games played and a minus-0.1 WAR. Yet, he might mess around and lead the NL in on-base percentage, presently triple-slashing .289/.380/.437, cementing himself as Colorado's everyday first baseman,” Miller added.
Rumfield didn’t have a clear lane to playing time with the Yankees, where Ben Rice blocked his path, and now Luis Garcia Jr. does as well. Colorado, though, has given him the runway.
That move has worked out for the Rockies, who are better with him than without him. And if Rumfield and All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman keep hitting, Colorado could wind up making life uncomfortable for some teams down the stretch.
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Hunter Goodman Just Entered A Trade Conversation Rockies Fans Should Watch
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Hunter Goodman has already surfaced as one of the names worth tracking for Colorado fans, not just because he fits the profile of a player who could draw serious interest, but because the market around him may depend on whether other top catchers move first. If someone like William Contreras is dealt, Goodman becomes even more intriguing in a thin class, putting the Rockies in the middle of a decision that could shape their offseason long before spring training arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Set Up A September Look At What Comes Next
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Gunnar Henderson Is Giving The Orioles Real Wild-Card Hope
Gunnar Hendersons latest burst came at just the right time for Baltimore, which is trying to keep its momentum alive as the playoff race tightens. Henderson drilled two home runs and drove in five runs in the Orioles 8-5 win over the Athletics, another reminder that their lineup still has the kind of top-end thump that can matter in September.
Baltimore now turns to a three-game series against Colorado, with Tanner Gordon lined up to start for the Rockies. The home side will also be without rookie Cole Carrigg for the next few days after manager Warren Schaeffer disciplined him over an inappropriate gesture toward fans, a reminder that the Rockies are trying to manage both the scoreboard and the atmosphere as this series gets underway. [Read more 🡒]