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20/20 Retrospective – The 20 greatest Rockies players in the 2000s

Jan 7, 2020, 7:36 AM | Updated: Feb 4, 2020, 6:01 am

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Since the start of the new millennium, the baseball gods have taken the Colorado Rockies through a rollercoaster of highs and lows — from its first World Series berth in 2007 to nearly a 100-loss season in 2012.

Through the past two decades, myriad players have worn the purple pinstripes, with torches being passed from the Blake Street Bombers to Todd and the Toddlers to perhaps the greatest assembly of ballplayers the club’s ever featured today.

In honor of the past 20 years of Rockies baseball, take a look back on some of the best to play under the Coors Field lights over the past two decades:

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PHOENIX, AZ - JULY 22: Starting pitcher Aaron Cook #28 of the Colorado Rockies reacts on the mound during the Major League Baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 22, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

20 | Aaron Cook | P | 2002-11

Among a dying breed of sinkerballers, Aaron Cook embodies the 2000s in relation to the Rockies.

The 1997 second-round draft pick grew up in the organization, making his debut in 2002 during perhaps the worst era in the club’s history. However, Cook played a key role in the team’s magical run to the World Series in 2007 and postseason berth again in 2009.

Cook would finish up his Rockies career in 2011 — aside from a brief minor league stint in 2013 — compiling the most innings pitched in franchise history (1,312 1/3).

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DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 8: Charlie Blackmon #19 of the Colorado Rockies follows through on a fifth inning 2-run homerun against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field on September 8, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

19 | Charlie Blackmon | OF | 2011-19

Another homegrown product, Charlie Blackmon has morphed from a clean-shaven young prospect into a fully-bearded — and mulleted — fan favorite.

The outfielder has played his entire career in Colorado, earning four trips to the All-Star Game, two Silver Slugger awards and a National League batting championship in 2017.

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DENVER - MAY 21: Closing pitcher Brian Fuentes #40 of the Colorado Rockies throws against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning on May 21, 2006 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies won 5-3. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

(Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

18 | Brian Fuentes | P | 2002-08

The early 2000s weren’t necessarily kind to Rockies pitching, but closer Brian Fuentes managed to rack up a number of team records to go along with three All-Star selections.

Fuentes’ resume includes franchise top marks for ERA (3.38), WHIP (1.24) and saves (115).

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DENVER, CO - APRIL 11: Pitcher Adam Ottavino #0 of the Colorado Rockies throws against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on April 11, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

17 | Adam Ottavino | P | 2012-18

The man with no number, Adam Ottavino — much like Fuentes — developed into one of the Rockies’ most prominent relievers.

Despite dealing with elbow issues, Ottavino managed to hold down the closer role for Colorado for parts of three seasons from 2015-2018, setting a new franchise record for scoreless appearances (37) over the span on 31 innings during that time.

However, in 2019 Ottavino took his nasty slider to the Bronx, earning a three-year deal worth $27 million.

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23 Apr 2000: Jeffrey Hammonds #4 of the Colorado Rockies watches the ball as he runs to base during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. The Cardinals defeated the Rockies 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport

(Photo by Elsa Hasch /Allsport/Getty Images)

16 | Jeffrey Hammonds | OF | 2000

In his only season in Colorado, Jeffrey Hammonds had perhaps the best year of his 13-year career.

An all-star for the only time in 2000, Hammonds racked up career highs in batting average (.335), OPS (.924) and RBI (106).

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DENVER, CO - APRIL 10: Carlos Gonzalez #5 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates his solo home run off of Brandon Maurer #37 of the San Diego Padres to take a 6-3 lead in the eighth inning on April 10, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies defeated the Padres 6-3. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

15 | Carlos Gonzalez | OF | 2009-18

Little Pony will always have a place in the hearts of Rockies fans, which is considerable since he was on the other end of perhaps one of the biggest trades in club history.

During his decade in Denver, Carlos Gonzalez earned three All-Star Game nods, two Silver Slugger awards, three Gold Glove awards and finished third in MVP voting in 2010.

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CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 09: DJ LeMahieu #9 of the Colorado Rockies throws to first base against the Cleveland Indians in the eighth inning at Progressive Field on August 9, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Rockies defeated the Indians 3-2 in 12 innings. (Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images)

(Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images)

14 | DJ LeMahieu | 2B | 2012-18

Another former Rockies player who turned to the dark side that is the New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu’s tenure with Colorado is perhaps one of the most understated.

A grinder, LeMahieu played 125 or more games in all but two seasons for the Rockies, quietly grabbing a trio of Gold Gloves and two All-Star nods.

However, his best season came in 2019 for New York, where he finished fourth among MVP voting in the American League.

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DENVER, CO - AUGUST 16: Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Miami Marlins in the first inning of a game at Coors Field on August 16, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

13 | Jon Gray | P | 2015-19

A promising prospect out of Oklahoma, Jon Gray went third in the 2013 MLB draft to the Rockies. And while his five years in the Majors has been bumpy at times, Gray’s become one of the franchise’s best homegrown pitchers.

After perhaps his best season in 2017, Gray had a markedly down year in 2018, wherein he was demoted to Triple-A Albuquerque for a time. But 2019 saw a bounce-back season for Gray, who went 11-8 with a 3.84 ERA in 25 starts.

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DENVER, CO - APRIL 7: Jhoulys Chacin #45 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the San Diego Padres in the first inning of a game at Coors Field on April 7, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

12 | Jhoulys Chacin | P | 2009-14

Jhoulys Chacin had a promising young career building in Colorado during the early 2010s before dropping off a cliff in 2014, but he managed to put together a string of remarkable seasons for the Rockies.

From 2010 to 2013, Chacin posted a 3.58 ERA with a WHIP of 1.323 and managed to rack up the second-best Wins Above Average mark (9.2) for the club since 2000.

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DENVER - AUGUST 13: Pitcher Jason Marquis #21 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Coors Field on August 13, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

11 | Jason Marquis | P | 2009

Much like Hammonds, Jason Marquis’ tenure in Colorado was short-lived but masterful.

In 2009, Marquis helped the Rockies to a postseason berth with a 4.04 ERA and 1.380 WHIP to go along with his only All-Star Game appearance.

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DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 19: Starting pitcher German Marquez #48 of the Colorado Rockies throws in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field on April 19, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

10 | German Marquez | P | 2016-19

Among the new, young corps of the Rockies, German Marquez christened his new five-year, $43 million deal last April with the first one-hit complete-game shutout in franchise history.

The team’s ace ended up with a 12-5 mark before succumbing to injury late in the season to follow up his best season in 2018 (3.77 ERA / 14 wins / 1.204 WHIP).

Marquez also earned a Silver Slugger award in 2018 for his talents at the plate, and in 2017 finished fifth in the vote for National League Rookie of the Year.

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18 Sep 2001: Jeff Cirillo of the Colorado Rockies stands at bat against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the game at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies won 10-9 . DIGITAL IMAGE . Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/Allsport

(Photo by Brian Bahr/Allsport/Getty Image)

9 | Jeff Cirillo | 3B | 2000-01

Despite having, statistically, a better season in 2001, Jeff Cirillo turned in an All-Star Game-worthy performance in 2000 in his first of two seasons with the Rockies, posting career highs in RBI (115) and batting average (.326).

Despite his short tenure in Colorado, Cirillo ranks among the top 10 in club history in Wins Above Average (per season) at 2.25 — besting players like Matt Holliday, Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu and Carlos Gonzalez.

And a bonus fun fact, Cirillo holds the single-season franchise record for sacrifice flies (12, 2000).

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ANAHEIM, CA - JUNE 23: Pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez #38 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on June 23, 2009 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Angels won 4-3. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

8 | Ubaldo Jimenez | P | 2006-11

A budding star during the Rockies run to the World Series in 2007, Ubaldo Jimenez blossomed into one of the franchise’s all-time best starters and turned in a season for the ages in 2010.

Not only did Jimenez post the first no-hitter in club history in April 2010, the ace became just the third pitcher in MLB history to win 11 of his first 12 games of the season with an ERA under 1.00 (0.93). His 0.78 ERA was the lowest through 11 starts in MLB history.

The wheels fell off, however, after his first (and only) All-Star Game appearance. Needing five more wins to five Colorado its first 20-game winner, Jimenez finished the season 4-7 for an overall record of 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA.

The following season, after going 6-9 in 21 starts, Colorado traded Jimenez to the Cleveland Indians.

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WASHINGTON - JULY 21: Matt Holliday #5 of the Colorado Rockies bats against the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium July 21, 2007 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

7 | Matt Holliday | OF | 2004-08 / 2018

The engine behind Colorado’s World Series run in 2007, Matt Holliday turned the best season of his career only to fall just short in the MVP vote to Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

A three-time all-star for the Rockies, Holliday posted career highs in home runs (36, 2007), RBI (137, 2007) and WAR (6.0, 2007), during his six-year run with the team.

Colorado traded Holliday in 2009 to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Carlos Gonzalez, and the outfielder spent the majority of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals before a brief stint with the Yankees and returning to the Rockies in 2018.

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DENVER, CO - JUNE 10: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning of a game at Coors Field on June 10, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

6 | Kyle Freeland | P | 2017-19

Kyle Freeland had objectively one of the best, if not the best, seasons for a Rockies pitcher in 2018.

With a 17-7 record, Freeland had the highest single-season WAA (6.8) to go with the lowest single-season ERA (2.85) in club history on his way to a fourth-place finish in the N.L. Cy Young vote.

The Denver-area native also finished seventh in rookie of the year voting in 2017 but had a clunker of a season in 2019, going 3-11 with a 6.73 ERA in 22 starts.

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DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 19: Todd Helton #17 of the Colorado Rockies plays defense against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field on September 19, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

5 | Todd Helton | 1B | 2000-13

The only Rockies player with his number retired, Todd Helton has earned his spot on the Mount Rushmore of Colorado baseball.

While the early 2000s weren’t kind to the Rockies on the whole, Helton had a stretch from 2000 to 2004 in which he turned out perennial MVP-caliber numbers.

Earning five consecutive All-Star Game nods during that stretch, Helton tallied an average of 39 home runs, 127 RBI and 204 hits to go with his .349 batting average and 1.093 OPS.

Helton also posted three of the top five single-season WAR marks (8.9 in 2000, 8.3 in 2004 and 7.8 in 2001) in club history.

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DENVER, CO - JUNE 12: Trevor Story #27 of the Colorado Rockies fields a ground ball against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on June 12, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

4 | Trevor Story | SS | 2016-19

Stepping into the nearly impossible role of replacing shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Trevor Story has done so to the tune of back-to-back All-Star Game appearances and Silver Slugger awards in the past two seasons.

Story earned votes for MVP during the past two seasons as well to go along with a fourth-place finish for N.L. Rookie of the Year in 2016.

The homegrown prospect also became the fastest shortstop to reach 100 career home runs, doing so in 448 games to surpass Alex Rodriquez.

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CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 02: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies throws to first base in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs during the National League Wild Card Game at Wrigley Field on October 2, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

3 | Nolan Arenado | 3B | 2013-19

If you have your own hashtag trending nightly, you deserve a high slot on this list — which future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado does.

Over the past seven seasons, Arenado has collected seven straight Gold Glove awards. In the past five seasons, he’s finished in the top 10 in MVP voting and attended five consecutive All-Star Games. And don’t forget his four Silver Slugger awards from 2015 to 2018.

Arenado’s led the National League in RBI twice (2015 and 2016) and home runs three times (2015-16, 2018).

Oh, and Arenado helped lead the United States national team to a 2017 World Baseball Classic gold medal.

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PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 29: Troy Tulowitzki #2 of the Colorado Rockies bats against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the MLB game at Chase Field on April 29, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

2 | Troy Tulowitzki | SS | 2006-2015

What a career Troy Tulowitzki could have had without facing injury problems year after year.

Tulo burst onto the MLB scene in 2007, helping guide the Rockies to its first World Series berth while earning a second-place finish in rookie of the year voting.

However, the prolific shortstop missed more than 60 games the following season during one of what would become several injury-plagued years.

Tulowitzki represented the Rockies in the All-Star Game five times, finished in the top five of MVP voting twice, and earned a pair of Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in 2010 and 2011.

But for all of his accolades, Tulowitzki leads the franchise in just one category, single-season assists (561, 2007) but does rank second in WAA per season, just behind the franchise’s top player of the past two decades.

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14 Jun 1998: A portrait of Larry Walker #33 of the Colorado Rockies during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Rockies defeated the Dodgers 3-2.

Larry Walker

1 | Larry Walker | OF | 2000-2004 

By the time the new millennium rolled around, Larry Walker’s best days had passed the Hall of Fame-worthy outfielder. But, if the late 1990s were the prime of his career, Walker certainly followed them up with remarkable seasons to finish his Rockies career.

Since 2000, no Colorado player has posted a higher average WAA mark (4.45) than Walker.

Between 2000 and 2004, when he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, Walker posted an OPS of 1.008, an average of .321, 95 home runs and a WAR of 21.7.

Among the annals of Rockies history, Walker ranks tops in average (.334), on-base percentage (.426), slugging percentage (.618) and OPS (1.044).

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