Colorado Rockies Are Turning Heads Even in Defeat at Wrigley Field

Once again, the scoreboard at Wrigley Field held the final proof that the Colorado Rockies fell short on Wednesday night and added another loss to their record. A record that now stands at a disappointing 28-47.

To further add to the problems, the Rockies sit firmly at the bottom of the National League West standings, where they trail the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers by 19 games.

Ok, so Colorado isn’t a contender. No shock to anyone there, but there are some shocking things happening within this team; in fact, they are worth watching.

Three rookies - Sterlin Thompson, Kyle Karros and Cole Carrigg all took the field and all put up impressive performances. They aren’t just one-offs, either; they keep performing. What Paul DePodesta is doing just might be working.

It might be slow, and it may not produce the kind of winning team the Rockies fans would love to see this year, but these stories are worth watching.

Sterlin Thompson, RF/DH

Colorado Rockies outfielder Sterlin Thompson | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The Colorado native, who was drafted by Colorado, is not just taking the field; he is taking it over. Incredibly, on Wednesday evening against the Chicago Cubs, Thompson was the best hitter on either team. He went 3-for-4, and not just some singles, the rookie hit two home runs.

Thompson’s stat line on the evening was 3-for-4, two home runs, two runs scored, two RBI and 10 total bases. It is also impressive that Thompson hit those home runs off Javier Assad, who entered the game with a 3.89 ERA and a 5-1 record. Thompson hit him twice and hit him hard.

Looking back, one would think this was a veteran, but Thompson made his debut just about one month ago on May 15. Since then, he has never looked back. His last seven games he is hitting .278 with a .722 OPS.

Kyle Karros, 3B

Colorado Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros | Boz Bloom-Imagn Images

Baseball just runs in Kyle Karros’ blood. No one comes to this game naturally, but Karros has a family history that was built for success in Major League Baseball. He is the son of former Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros and the brother of Jared Karros, who is in the Dodgers minor league system.

Kyle went 2-for-4 on Wednesday evening with one home run off Josh Webb in the ninth inning and an RBI. In his last seven games Karros has been nothing short of remarkable. He is hitting .429 with a .714 slugging percentage.

It isn’t just Karros’ offensive play either that is turning heads. Everyone in the stadium took note when rookie Cole Carrigg threw a 99.8 mph ball from center field to get Ian Happ out at third.

Karros, who was on the receiving end of that throw, executed just perfectly. The two rookies delivered, and they just keep doing it.

Cole Carrigg, CF

So, speaking of Carrigg and a 99.8 mph ball - what a play, just like the announcers called it. What a play. That made up for him having a bit of a quiet night offensively.

In nine appearances so far since his June 9 debut, Carrigg has posted a .861 OPS with three home runs. Digging into his stats a bit further, his .190 BABIP suggests that he is suffering from a bit of bad luck at the plate, and his .212 batting average should improve over time.

Carrigg has a lot of tools in his bucket and has already proven his worth, but that throw on Wednesday evening had everyone talking.

The Future Looks Better

It is still a little soon to be saying the future looks bright, but it is certainly time to start admitting that it looks better.

Hunter Goodman just continues to be well, good. He smacked a two-run homer for the team which totals to be his 21st of the season. It is rare for a catcher to be the face of a team, but Goodman is sure trending in that direction.

The development around him is also for real. The pieces are starting to arrive and while the record doesn’t show it yet, this team is starting to show some potential.

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