Three questions on the Rockies heading into the home opener
For the Texas Rangers home opener against the Colorado Rockies, I spoke with the editor-in-chief of PurpleRow.com, Sam Bradfield about the state of the 2022 Rockies team.
What Rockies player should be on everyone’s radar to watch?
Connor Joe is the first one that comes to mind. He was signed last year after bouncing around a bit and has really solidified himself as both a fan favorite and a “professional hitter,” as Bud Black always likes to say. In a small sample size (63 games) with the Rockies in 2021, Joe hit .285/.379/.469 and ranked seventh in our Ranking the Rockies series.
On top of being a good ballplayer, Connor Joe is also a wonderful human being. He was diagnosed with (and beat) testicular cancer in 2020 and has taken it upon himself to raise awareness for the disease. And he’s a really, really nice guy (with a sweet mullet). He might not be the flashiest player on the roster, per se, but he’s definitely an under-the-radar player that everyone should keep an eye on.
Is Kris Bryant the face of the team now with Arenado and and Story gone?
I’d say so, yeah. Charlie Blackmon is still highly recognizable and Ryan McMahon has been picking up fans, but I’d probably say yes as far as a “true face of the franchise” goes for Kris Bryant. Renee Dechert actually wrote a really great article about this.
How do you feel about the Rockies org as a whole after an odd off-season?
I think the Rockies are in a better place now than they have been the past few years. They were more active in the offseason and so far it seems like they have a bit more of an identity and an understanding of where they stand as an organization in the juggernaut that is the NL West.
That being said, I think I stand with the majority of Rockies fans when I say that I’m still upset that they let Trevor Story and Jon Gray leave. I adore Jon Gray and he wanted to be here and they let him walk. Meanwhile, they extended a QO to Story knowing full-well that he would decline it so they could get a draft pick.
This organization has a long way to go with repairing its relationship with fans, but they seem to be in a bit of a better spot. We’ll see how this season goes…