He’s the prospect no one saw coming.

Renee Dechert

Sep 30, 2022

---

“I think there’s something there with Sean Bouchard” — Ryan Spilborghs

Lost in all the fanfare of calling up Michael Toglia and Ezequiel Tovar was the Rockies’ decision to add outfielder Sean Bouchard, 26, to their MLB roster. Bouchard has not been one of the Rockies’ more-celebrated prospects like Zac Veen, Drew Romo, and Adael Amador, but his contributions thus far point to some intriguing possibilities.

Remind Me: Who Is He?

The native of San Diego graduated from Cathedral Catholic High School before attending UCLA for, as Bouchard put it, the “incredible academics, athletics and geographic location.” According to the UCLA Baseball website, Bouchard admires Derek Jeter and enjoys surfing and music. 

At UCLA, he primarily played first base. (Sound familiar?) In 2017, he made the All-PAC-12 team after batting .306 with 39 homers (the most on the team) and 43 RBI. He also led the Bruins in extra-base hits (27) and home runs (9). He was drafted by the Rockies in the ninth round of the 2017 MLB draft, making him the 266th pick overall. Michael Toglia’s first year at UCLA was 2017, so the two overlapped one year. 

How Was Bouchard in the Minors?

Even though Sean Bouchard was not a prospect Rockies fans paid much attention, he’s been good, hitting well at every level as he climbed through the Rockies’ farm system. The Rockies moved him from first to the outfield where he thrived. Here are his numbers according to FanGraphs:

Source: FanGraphs

Notice that every years he’s had a wRC+ of more than 100 with his time in Albuquerque being exceptional. It’s also worth pointing to his increased BB%, which almost doubled since 2021 as his hitting numbers have steadily increased. 

“I always feel like I’ve been a king of Jack-of-all-trades player,” Bouchard told KRQE, “so it’s nice to be able to put up the kind of numbers I have so far. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to keep it as simple as possible and just take nice, easy swings.” Clearly, his approach has worked.

When Did He Get Called Up and How Has It Gone?

He made his debut on June 19, going 0-3 with a walk. However, Bouchard soon suffered an oblique injury after going hit-less in three games and was sent back to Albuquerque. In 69 (nice!) games with the Isotopes, he hit 15 doubles, 6 triples, and 20 home runs for an OPS of 1.039, the highest on the team. 

He knows that taking quality at-bats matters. “Whether or not you’re a guy that hits homers, a guy that moves the ball around the field or takes walks, whatever it is the goal is to have good at-bats, know what the pitchers are trying to do to you and almost use that to your advantage,” Bouchard told Thomas Harding.

Consider the results. Bouchard has started the last eight games and walked at least once each game for a total of 11 walks. Only Todd Helton has a longer streak. Actually, he’s walked 18 times and struck out 16 times, which impressive. He’s only had 72 plate appearances in 21 games, but he also has a 26.4% walk rate with a slashline of .288/.472/.423 for a wRC+ of 149. As Luke Hall has pointed out:

Luke Hall @OakTreeStatus

Sean Bouchard has more walks in 68 plate appearances than Joshua Fuentes had in his MLB career.

Luke Hall @OakTreeStatus

Sean Bouchard has walked more times this season than Jose Iglesias

11:00 PM ∙ Sep 29, 2022

He also has two home runs and nine RBI, with the most recent last night:

AT&T SportsNet™ | RM @ATTSportsNetRM

.@seanbouchard says bye bye 💣 @Rockies

4:34 AM ∙ Sep 30, 2022

Granted, this is all small-sample-size territory, but he currently leads the Rockies in wRC+ (149), BB% (26.4%), and OBP (.472). We’ve not yet seen the speed (12 stolen bases) and power (20 home runs) that Bouchard showed in Albuquerque, but both are clearly there. 

Here’s how he compares to other Rockie outfielders:

Source: FanGraphs

After appearing in only 21 games, he’s tied for the Rockies’ second most-valuable outfielder as measured by fWAR. Again, small sample size, so at this point, it’s risky to make any sweeping generalizations, except to note that the numbers support Ryan Spilborghs’ assessment of Bouchard’s skill so far. 

Final Thoughts

After the starting rotation, the Rockies’ outfield is probably the biggest question for 2023. This year’s outfield has not been good, and I expect to see significant changes there over the offseason. Bouchard is making a case for himself to be one of those changes. 

Down on the Farm

• Some accolades for catcher Drew Romo: 

Spokane Indians @spokaneindians

Spokane Indians backstop @drewromo23 was selected as the best defensive catcher in the Northwest League by @BaseballAmerica. #GoSpo

8:08 PM ∙ Sep 27, 2022

---

54Likes7Retweets * Brenton Doyle is mashing some baseballs since being promoted to Albuquerque — and I appreciated the very personal perspective of this video: 

Andrea Dufrene-Doyle @DufreneDoyle

@ABQTopes #odoylerules #offthescoreboard #sorrypitcher #weallknewit #amateurvideo #greatseats

4:01 PM ∙ Sep 27, 2022

---

Old Friends

• The Cardinals are officially headed to the postseason. I thought this Jesse Rogers piece captured the interesting dynamic between Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. 
• RIP Isotopes Hill.

Albuquerque Isotopes @ABQTopes

So long, Isotopes Hill. Thank you for 20 years of unforgettable memories.

4:54 AM ∙ Sep 29, 2022

---

What I’m Reading

• Mario DeGenz’s “Crafting a Gameplan for Antonio Senzatela” (Purple Row) — DeGenz writes some of my favorite pitching analysis, and this article is no exception. 
• Thomas Harding’s “Trejo Experiences Growing Pains in Loss to San Francisco”(MLB.com) — Alan Trejo has become an unexpected bright spot of this season.
• Tyler Kepner’s “The Remaking of the Seattle Mariners” (New York Times) — Who’s not excited to see the Mariners finally headed to the postseason?

---

Weekend Walk-off

Speaking of Alan Trejo, let’s take a moment to appreciate that impressive homer he hit in San Francisco on Wednesday:

AT&T SportsNet™ | RM @ATTSportsNetRM

💣 by the bay.... @Rockies within 1 in the 5th!

3:28 AM ∙ Sep 29, 2022

The Rockies’ plans for Trejo are one of the storylines I’m most interested in following.

Thanks for reading —

Renee

---

There is (perhaps) reason for hope.

Renee Dechert

Oct 22, 2021

---

On Wednesday, Dick Monfort sent his yearly executive update email to season ticket holders. (This happened the day after my Rockies ticket sales rep Chris called to ask about updating my Passport, so it’s the season to sell tickets.) Last year’s executive update was a gloomy affair that included this paragraph:

The financial losses incurred across baseball in 2020 are astounding, with losses at nearly $3 billion industry wide and the average club losing nearly $100 million. It will take time to rebound, and in some cases, these losses will never be recovered. As a result, there will be nothing normal about this offseason as the industry faces a new economic reality, and each club will have to adjust. It will take all of us working together to face the uncertain months ahead with determination and hope, and then be ready for a 2021 season. I have faith in our staff and our fans — we must and will make it through this — so please stay tuned for updates from us over the course of the coming months.

Things appear to be looking up in 2021, however. Here’s the text of Monfort’s letter, which is notably more upbeat than the one he sent a year ago.

Below are a few takeaways.

• For Monfort, the Rockies’ Glass Is Absolutely Half Full — The Rockies got off to a rough start, sure, but how about those 48 wins at Coors Field and 12 walk-offs? The players get along and want to be in Colorado. The Spokane and Fresno teams did well, along with two Dominican Summer League teams and the Arizona team. Folks, the Rockies’ future is bright, and, in retrospect, according to Dick Monfort, 2021 wasn’t so bad.

His comments about the Rockies pulling off an excellent All-Star Game are merited. The ASG Week was pretty spectacular (except for those uniforms, which were a terrible error). * He Omitted Some Key Details About the Team — Not mentioned? The Road Rockies, who flirted with some very bad history for much of the season. A record that was (again) below .500. A lackluster offense. The Nolan Arenado deal (or maybe that was the subtext of the players “love-playing-here” remark). Jeff Bridich’s resignation/firing. I understand that when making a sales pitch, it’s best to focus on the positive, but it seems like an executive update should include some of the bad news, too, and ways in which those challenges have been met.

Monfort also did not mention promoting Greg Feasel to Rockies President. That strikes me as a curious omission. Given that this is a forward-looking email, it seems that one of the key players should be mentioned. (Bill Schmidt is, after all.)  * This Email Seems Written to Both Rockies Fans and Rockies Employees — Sure, this is an email about selling tickets, but it also feels like the work of a person in charge of a large business assuring those who work for him that the chaos is over and that stability has arrived. (As someone who’s worked in unstable environments, I appreciate Monfort taking the time to include this.) * Monfort Writes Some Interesting Things About the Rockies — This is the paragraph I’ve thought about the most: 

Back on the field, we have a very special group of players – they love playing here, they love each other, and they believe in this club. Our entire front office is (and has been) hard at work to supplement this group with more talent, and I am confident that our recently-named General Manager Bill Schmidt and his baseball operations staff will provide the leadership and vision for us to take the next steps forward. We have already seen their motivation and belief in what our club can achieve with the recent signings of Antonio Senzatela and C.J. Cron, and in their plans to improve this club in a number of key areas as we enter this offseason.

Here are the notable points. First, Monfort writes the front office “is (and has been) hard at work to supplement this group with more talent” and has “plans to improve this club in a number of key areas as we enter this offseason.” I take that to mean that the Rockies are not done spending, even though they have already signed deals with CJ Cron and Antonio Senzatela. 

Second, there’s a clear subtext in this that Schmidt and his baseball operations staff are making the decisions — not Monfort. That may just be a rhetorical ploy, and clearly big financial decisions must still be approved by the owner, but there’s a sense that Schmidt is his own man. And let me just say that the mention of Schmidt’s “baseball operations staff” makes my heart sing. (I hope we learn more about the hirings.)

This email sounds less dire than the one sent last year, and it has hints of spending for improvement. Let the speculation about acquiring a power hitter begin!

---

Down on the Farm

• Willie MacIver discusses his “rapid development” and working with pitchers.
• Michael Toglia, the Rockies’ 2019 first-round draft pick, is burning up the Arizona Fall League. There’s also this delightful bit of video: 

Spokane Indians @spokaneindians

.@MichaelToglia doing Michael Toglia things for Salt River in the @MLBazFallLeague. 💪 #GoSpo 📽️ @MLBPipeline | @UCLABaseball

6:09 PM ∙ Oct 17, 2021

• All of the action takes place off camera’s unchanged perspective: Toglia swings and begins jogging to first; the pitcher steps off the mound; the second baseman strolls toward second; the on-base runner trots toward home. The home run itself remains only implied. It’s a great bit of cinema.

---

Picking Rocks

• Mike Petriello tweeted an interesting idea on Thursday:

Mike Petriello @mike_petriello

Attn Rockies Re a guy who might enjoy a place where breaking balls don't break so much

Alex Speier @alexspeier

The DFA of Franchy Cordero is sort of startling given that he had an option remaining after 2021, but … the performance simply wasn’t there to justify a 40-man spot. He needs to go to a rebuilding team that can play him everyday in MLB and see if he’s more than a 4-A player.

6:18 PM ∙ Oct 21, 2021

• Roster changes have begun. Read more about what the moves mean here.

Rockies Club Information @RockiesClubInfo

The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have outrighted RHP Yency Almonte, RHP Tommy Doyle, INF Joshua Fuentes and INF Rio Ruiz to Triple-A. The Rockies currently have 35 players on the 40-man roster, plus four players on the 60-day IL (Gomber, Joe, Oberg, Owings).

9:20 PM ∙ Oct 21, 2021

• And this: 

MiLB-Transactions @tombaseball29

#Rockies 3B Rio Ruiz has elected free agency.

4:23 AM ∙ Oct 22, 2021

---

Old Friends

• DJ LeMahieu is on the mend:

Marly Rivera @MarlyRiveraESPN

Brian Cashman says that DJ LeMahieu (sport hernia) had a “procedure” that will take have him down eight weeks.

3:25 PM ∙ Oct 19, 2021

---

• How about Tyler Matzek? (Here’s Jay Jaffe with more.)

Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja

Tyler Matzek, Dirty 87mph Slider...and Pitching with 🔥 Every. Single. Day.

3:09 AM ∙ Oct 21, 2021

---

• Ryan Isaac has some thoughts on Gerardo Parra. (Consider signing up for Ryan’s Substack, Warning Track Power, which is interesting and informative.)

---

What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To

• Mark Simon’s “Stat of the Week: Feeling Bible Awards Preview: Part I” (Sports Info Solutions) — A number of Rockies are mentioned.
• Noah Yingling’s “Three Young Rockies Who May Not Be on the Team Next Year”(Rox Pile) — Roster changes are coming.
• J.J. Cooper’s “Was the 2020 Rule 5 MLB Draft the Best of the 21st Century?”(Baseball America) — Notable mention? Jordan Sheffield.
• Ben Lindbergh & Rob Arthur’s “MLB Just Tried a Bunch of Experimental Rules in the Minors. How Well Did They Work?” (The Ringer) — This is a fascinating read. (Coming soon to a baseball park near you: A pitch clock.)
• Josh Kosman’s “MLB in Talks to Launch Nationwide Streaming Service for Home Games without Cable” (New York Post) — This cannot happen soon enough.

---

Weekend Walk-off

I’m always a fan of a Kyle Freeland interview, and this one is worth your time:

Who’s the most challenging hitter Freeland has faced? Juan Soto. Which pitcher would Freeland most like to hit a home run off of? Walker Buehler. What does Freeland think about Nolan Arenado’s exit? You’ll have to watch. There’s also a fascinating discussion of pitching mechanics. The interview lasts just under 22 minutes, and it’s worth your time.

Thanks for reading —

Renee

@307Renee

---

For fans, it’s a difficult reality to accept.

Renee Dechert

Jul 9, 2021

---

The Rockies are a team in disarray. This week, Nick Groke reported another story of front-office malpractice, writing. “The Rockies and interim general manager Bill Schmidt have indicated to teams that they are not willing to engage in trade talks on any player, multiple league sources told The Athletic.” Should anyone wish to make a deal, “[s]ources from two opposing front offices said their teams don’t know exactly whom to contact when they want to reach the Rockies about trades.” 

[Imagine a ThisIsFine.GIF here.]

It’s one thing for the Rockies to have a philosophy that involves keeping key players (though, to be clear, there has been no indication from the front office that any kind of plan exists). It’s quite another for other teams to be uncertain about whom to contact within the Rockies organization. Moreover, the indication that they won’t be doing anything until after the MLB Draft and All-Star Game leaves an impression that the Rockies cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. This is a bad look for a company worth an estimated $1.3 billion.

But maybe we’re thinking about this incorrectly. Maybe the Rockies are less a baseball team than, say, a McGregor Square amenity, like a rooftop pool or an exclusive fitness center and day spa. 

Early model of McGregor Square

Two writers whose work I respect have given me much to ponder. The first is from Bryan Kilpatrick of Mile High Sports:

Bryan Kilpatrick @RockyMountainBK

@Rockies_UK The issue is this: whether the team outperforms expectations or not, they still have a formula for financial success and that formula will not change.

2:32 PM ∙ Jul 6, 2021

This makes sense. We know that the Rockies have been a profitable team — at least in terms of attendance. Coors Field consistently ranks in the top ten of MLB attendance, which probably means more revenue. In addition, there’s not much indication that team quality disproportionately affects fans’ decisions to attend. 

This comment on Groke’s article has also stayed with me:

Source: The Athletic

On Wednesday, Rockies president Greg Feasel spoke with media, saying, “Yes, there has been change, but we feel good about how we are moving forward.” Greg, buddy, I don’t know if you’d noticed, but the Rockies are historically bad on the road, and the only news from the front office involves people leaving. Your assurances seem a bit empty — and lacking any reference to actual baseball.

Perhaps I’m just caving into “the narrative,” but given what we know about front office departures and decisions, it’s impossible to believe Dick Monfort prioritizes having a winning baseball team. I mean, he likes winning — we all like winning — but there does not appear to be a financial motivation to, first, focus on baseball operations, and, second, allow knowledgeable staff to do their jobs. (In my experience the management philosophy that involves having fewer people do more work often requires employees to perform tasks they are not trained to do. Yes, it fills a need and saves money in the short term, but the long-term consequences are real.)

The second idea I’ve been thinking about involves a Twitter conversation Nick Groke had last weekend.

Nick Groke @nickgroke

I hear you. But an owner shouldn't need a financial incentive to win. If they're looking to make money, there are plenty of places to invest outside the city trust. Get in the stupid stock market or something. They should want to win because that's the purpose of the game.

Laura Chapin @LauraChapin

@nickgroke This is why the Rockies will always be mediocre under the Monforts' ownership. Why spend money on players when you can still sell out the stadium?

2:39 AM ∙ Jul 3, 2021

---

I get what Groke is saying here — and I agree — but, really, where’s the glamor in making money in the stock market? 

Sure, a select group of people who read the Wall Street Journal and watch CNBC recognize how talented and rich you are, but that can’t compare to owning a sports team. You’re one in an elite club of 30 (very visible, very wealthy) owners. You’re recognized locally, and you get your name in national sports reporting. In addition to all that celebrity, you get to be a fan — the biggest fan! Fantasy baseball is now your reality: You’re signing and trading players. You get to hang out with them. People know you. Sure, the stock market is great, but owning a sports team is better, especially when it comes with a publicly owned stadium. (And we know from recent ProPublica reporting that sports team owners have carved out for themselves some nifty tax benefits.)

I’ve been bothered for awhile by the appearance of McGregor Square in Rockies publicity. Grand openings get mentioned in Rockies press releases. On Opening Day 2.0, the broadcast had McGregor Square in the background and discussed its awesomeness. Ryan McMahon has filmed a spot where he walks through the Rally Hotel and describes its amenities. Camera shots of fans walking through McGregor Square are common. None of this is about building a winning baseball team. This is about money.

Fans are agonizing over a fascinatingly weird baseball team: It’s a juggernaut at home (with terrific pitching) and historically bad on the road (with worst-in-the-league hitting). For Dick Monfort, this strikes me as the ideal scenario. At Coors Field, the Rockies win are a whole lot of fun — after all, they lead the league in walk-off wins. What’s more fun that a walk-off? Besides, who cares what happens on the road? The TV revenues are set, and the money spends the same. 

If Dick Monfort thought there were a problem with the Rockies, he’d address it. There’s no evidence that’s happening.

---

Old Friends

• Adam Ottavino marked a 10-year MLB milestone.
• Tyler Nevin continues to make his way through the Orioles’ system.
• David Dahl found his swing on Tuesday.

• Joe Harvey is a Twin now.

---

Down on the Farm

• P.J. Poulin, a UConn alum and 11th round choice in the 2018 draft, is now with the Yard Goats. (This is a local news story, and I’m a serious fan of that kind of writing.)
• Pitcher Dugan Darnell, a right-handed pitcher, has moved to the Spokane team. (This is another local news story.)
• The promotions keep coming:

Spokane Indians @spokaneindians

Congrats to Nick Bush on being promoted to the Double-A @GoYardGoats! In 10 appearances (7 starts) with Spokane, the former @LSUbaseball pitcher went 4-2 with 3 wins in his last 4 starts. He sported a 2.58 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 52.1 innings. Good luck, Nick! #GoSpo

7:11 PM ∙ Jul 6, 2021

---

What I’m Reading

• Patrick Saunders’ “Rockies Numbers Tell Story of their Split Personality” (Denver Post) — Saunders does a terrific job here of explaining just how bizarre the Rockies home/road splits are in 2021. Folks who say, “The Rockies are a bad team” aren’t paying attention. The Rockies are a fascinating team though in a very strange way.
• Connor Farrell’s “Same As It Ever Was” (Talkin’) — Farrell describes the self-satisfied stasis of the Rockies front office.
• David Roth’s “Press 3 to Request a Trade from the Colorado Rockies” (Defector) — If David Roth is writing about the Rockies, it’s must-read material.
• Bryan Kilpatrick’s “How Germán Márquez Turned a Slow Start into an All-Star First Half” (MileHigh Sports) — Márquez will be only the eighth Rockies pitcher ever in the Midsummer Classic. Kilpatrick explains why.
• Neil Paine — “The Rockies Have Their Worst Coors Field Hangover Yet)”(FiveThirtyEight.com) — Paine gets the numbers right, but he’s missing a lot of the nuance about what makes this team especially weird. (And to discuss the 2021 Rockies without the implosion of their analytics department seems like an obvious mistake.)
• Thomas Harding’s “Son, 5, Reignited Chacín’s Love of the Game” (MLB.com) — Chacín is one of my favorite stories of this season.
• Geoff Grammer’s “After Cancer Scare, Connor Joe Is Loving the Game Again”(Albuquerque Journal) — Any story about Connor Joe is worth reading.
• Lauren Theisen’s “Could a ‘Bad Fielder’ Do This? (Yes)” (Defector) — This is one of the best things I’ve read about Fernando Tatís Jr.
• Mike Petriello’s “Ohtani Might Just Be a Real-life Super Hero” (MLB.com) — Petriello explains just how good Ohtani is (and there’s a mention of Trevor Story).

---

Weekend Walk-off 

Last week Nolan Arenado returned to Coors Field. Much has been written about it, so I’ll spare you more rehashing and just add a personal observation.

It must have been weird for Arenado, returning as a visitor to the stadium he knows best. He stayed in the opposing team’s clubhouse and experienced Coors Field from an outsider’s perspective. He’s always been clear that he liked Denver and his teammates and coaches and the fans — and that came through last weekend. But this time, he was the outsider.

The Rockies’ walk-off win on Sunday had to have been especially hard. Yes, the Cardinals lost — we know he hates losing — but it must have been strange, watching his old friends celebrate in the outfield after his cousin scored the winning run as his family looked on. Meanwhile, Arenado got to collect his things, return to the visitors’ clubhouse, and prepare to leave for San Francisco. Surely in that moment, the consequences of his choices became clear. That’s not to say his request for a trade was a good or bad decision; rather, his stay in Denver served as a reminder of what he’d left behind because decisions always have consequences.

In the meantime, I appreciated this conversation with Ryan Spilborghs:

RoxGifsVids @RoxGifsVids

8:53 PM ∙ Jul 4, 2021

---

We’ll see Arenado again at Coors Field next week, and perhaps this time will be less weird.

Thanks for reading, and, if you’re going, have a great time at the All-Star Game festivities —

Renee

@307Renee