Rockies Should Give Blaine Crim Room to Win First Base Job in Spring Training

The Colorado Rockies stumbled into a solid option at first base last year. Now it’s time to give Blaine Crim room to win the job.

Colorado Rockies first baseman Blaine Crim. / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

First base has been a bone of contention for the Colorado Rockies this offseason.

New Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes haven’t addressed the position with a Major League free agent. The recent trade for Edouard Julien gives the franchise an option with experience. But, he only has 31 MLB games at the position. Plus, he doesn’t have the consistent power necessary at the spot.

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Colorado will certainly give him reps. But the hope for the Rockies has to be that Blaine Crim finally fulfills his potential and takes the job in spring training.

Blaine Crim’s Best Shot at MLB Job

Colorado Rockies first base Blaine Crim. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Crim is one of those players that developed on a slow burn in the Texas Rangers organization and then was blocked by the emergence of Nathaniel Lowe at first base. Crim needed the time to develop. He was a Division III star at Mississippi College who was taken in the 19th round in the 2019 MLB Draft.

Everywhere he went in the organization, he produced. With Texas he played at least 108 minor league games every season since 2021, when he was in the lower rungs of the Rangers’ minor league system. In each season he hit at least 20 home runs and drove in at least 80 RBI. He also hit at least 26 doubles in each of the last four seasons.

With the Rangers, he played 671 minor league games with the Texas Rangers organization and was incredibly productive in the minors. He has a lifetime slash of .292/.372/.503 with 124 home runs and 480 RBI in 2,571 career minor league at-bats.

That finally earned him a call-up last season when Texas optioned Jake Burger to Triple-A to work on his swing. But Crim didn’t hit in his short time with Texas. He had no hits in 11 at-bats. In August, the Rangers designated him for assignment to make room on their 40-man roster. That’s when Colorado swooped in and claimed him off waivers.

Again, he went to the minor leagues. Again, there was a struggling first baseman, this time Michael Toglia. The Rockies gave Crim a shot. This time he delivered. In his first seven games with Colorado, three home runs and nine RBI. That last number is relevant here. The RBI tied him for the second-most RBI in the first seven games with the franchise. In 15 games he slashed .241/.295/.556 with five home runs and 12 RBI.

Organizationally, Charlie Condon could be the first baseman of the future. He can also play outfield. He set the record for most home runs in a season at the collegiate level. He’s not ready for the Majors, but he’s close. A call-up could come sometime in 2026.

The time is now for Crim to win a job. The Rockies should give him the room to prove he can be the guy.

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