What You Forgot About the 1996 Rockies Season That Still Deserves a Rewatch

A Colorado Rockies season with lots of talent yet overlooked.

Colorado Rockies manager Don Baylor / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It’s going to be the 30th anniversary of one of the most underrated Colorado Rockies seasons, 1996. 

The team didn’t make the playoffs that season. However, they had a lot of talent in the lineup. If the starting rotation matched the lineup, then the Rockies would’ve had a better winning record. Colorado finished 83-79 in third place in the National League West standings.

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Is the ‘96 Rockies one of the Most Forgotten Teams in Franchise History?

Colorado Rockies outfielder Ellis Burks at the plate / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

The 1996 Rockies had the same manager, Don Baylor. The organization still kept the Blake Street Bombers (Andres Galarraga, Vinny Castilla, Dante Bichette, and Larry Walker). They subtracted one player: Joe Girardi. He joined the New York Yankees and won the World Series in 1996. 

The Rockies saw one player in their lineup who broke out. His name was Ellis Burks. In his third season with the Rockies, Burks had an outstanding offensive performance. In 156 games, he batted .344 with a career-high 40 home runs and 128 RBIs. In addition, Burks led the team in hits (211). 

Burks was a strong power hitter during the 90s and early 2000s, and sometimes he’s either forgotten or didn’t get enough recognition. He spent a total of four seasons with the team. 

Burks wasn’t the only one who smacked 40 homers for the Rockies that year. Galarraga led the team with 47 home runs. Castilla also hit 40 homers. Bichette didn’t hit 40 home runs, but he did collect 31 home runs, 141 RBIs, and a .313 batting average. 

Walker didn’t have the same season as in 1995. He played just 83 games and only hit 18 RBIs. If he had played a full season, he definitely would’ve had higher numbers. 

Second baseman Eric Young had a strong season. He batted .324 with 184 hits in 141 games. No one in the Rockies' starting lineup batted below .280, which is impressive. 

Kevin Ritz was the best pitcher for the Rockies that season. He became a big-time pitcher when he came to the Rockies after spending his first four seasons with the Detroit Tigers. He’s definitely an underrated pitcher in the Rockies' history.

In 1996, Ritz led the starting rotation in four categories: innings pitched (213), wins (17), and strikeouts (105) in 35 starts. The Rockies didn’t have a locked-down closer. Relief pitcher Bruce Ruffin led the Rockies with 24 saves. 

The Rockies had other great seasons, such as 1995, 2007, 2009, and 2018. Sometimes it’s essential to highlight the seasons that don’t get mentioned often, because there were some impressive moments and outstanding performances by several key players. 

The 1996 Rockies were a team that showed resilience and put forth all their effort to win games. We should remember this team based on those merits. 

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