5/17/2023 0 Comments Stephen sharer merchSylvanie-USA TODAY SportsĪccording to Baseball Reference, of the 10 players most similar to Bryant through age 30, only two were able to contribute through their age-35 season: Jim Edmonds and Curtis Granderson. Summerlin, Nevada, USA Colorado Rockies left fielder Kris Bryant (23) scores a run against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Las Vegas Ballpark. Unless the front office is fine with trading Bryant in his late 30’s to another team – like an expansion team in Las Vegas? – and eating a bit of his salary, it’s important that he ages gracefully. Is it odd that a 31-year-old is on a list of most important players for the future of the Rockies? Not when you consider the $164 million remaining on his seven-year deal. Time will tell, but 2023 is a significant chunk of that time. Not bad at all.Īs the leader of the next generation of prospects, it’s vital that Tovar stays healthy, learns the ways of surviving the slog of the 162-game season and continues to develop into what the organization hopes is a multi-time All-Star. He hit his spot, but Tovar tagged it 405ft to left-center to give Colorado a 1-0 lead in the second at Dodger Stadium. With the count 2-2, Kershaw threw the rookie his best four-seam fastball. Against Clayton Kershaw in his final start before the postseason, Tovar was worked down and in through his entire first at-bat. Take the home run he hit during the final game of the season. He has a steadiness and consistency beyond his years, and his defense at the shortstop position was ready long before knocking two base hits in the first two pitches he’d see in the Majors. He simply needs to be himself, something that elevated him to the big leagues as the youngest position player in franchise history. Tovar doesn’t need to be the best rookie in the NL for him to make an impact. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports Scottsdale, Arizona, USA Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (14) defends in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants during a Spring Training game at Scottsdale Stadium. His 2021 reminded some of the talented teenager signed out of Venezuela, and 2022 catapulted him into conversations as the next Troy Tulowtizki or Trevor Story. The 21-year-old burst onto the scene last season as he tore up the Double-A Eastern League in his first taste at the level. It should come as no surprise that one of the leading candidates to win the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year Award would be Tovar. Here are the five most important players to watch in 2023: SS Ezequiel Tovar So who are the most important players this season to help the Rockies reset and bring them back to the postseason? Who can help the organization avoid something closely resembling a reboot of the same 90 loss total they’ve been averaging since 2019? Even owner Dick Monfort is high on the future, mentioning no less than seven minor leaguers and five prospects who debuted in 2022 during his annual letter to season ticket holders. GM Bill Schmidt expressed a desire during the Winter Meetings not to block the young players in Colorado’s farm system, especially as several have progressed onto top 100 lists and many others have turned heads in the lower levels of the minors. Their solution to fix the organization in a new way deals more with the future of the franchise. While it’s a fitting description of the current state of their club, perhaps a better descriptor for their situation is reset. If there’s one word the Colorado Rockies dislike above all others, it’s rebuild.
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