There was a time when a Colorado slugger wasn’t quite the anomaly it is today. Every Rockie, it seemed, went deep as the result of muscles or physics, souvenirs flying out with the same frequency as Blake Street sellouts.
The steady jet stream to the bleachers closed when the humidor opened in 2002. The Rockies haven’t had a 40-home run hitter since. Even with an eyebrow- raising September, Coors Field enters tonight’s game ranked only 18th in baseball in home runs surrendered (158), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
It is this backdrop that illuminates the significance of Garrett Atkins’ power surge. Atkins always could hit, the joke being that he was born not with a silver spoon in his mouth but a silver slugger in his hands.
But the Rockies never expected this. Atkins’ force has extended beyond the barrage of doubles. Mistakes that flee his bat often don’t come back. The former UCLA star has 27 home runs this year, including 16 since the all-star break. He hit 13 in 138 games with the Rockies in 2005.
The idea that Atkins can be a slugger has legs because of, well, his legs. Watch as he loads his weight onto his back foot and explodes through his swing, the barrel staying through the hitting zone, as teammate Clint Barmes described it, “forever.”
“I can tell the difference. It used to be even when I hit one perfectly, it wouldn’t go out,” Atkins said. “Now that ball is no longer at the warning track.”
To understand the 26-year-old’s effectiveness, consider that only once has Vinny Castilla had a higher OPS (on- base percentage plus slugging percentage) than Atkins’ .932 mark this season. Atkins ranks in the top five in the National League in batting average (.321), doubles (47) and RBIs (114).
“He hits like a veteran,” Padres general manager Kevin Towers said.
Even for Atkins, his power has been a blindside hit. As he advanced through the minor leagues, he drew comparisons to Detroit’s Sean Casey. Most figured Atkins’ ceiling would be about 20 home runs, Atkins among them.
“I never put numbers on myself, but I thought 20 would be nice,” Atkins admitted. “A lot of people who have seen a lot of hitters in the big leagues said that’s where I’d be, so I figured they were right.”
The projection didn’t account for the development of Atkins’ body and maturation of his swing. Following the 2004 season, Atkins embarked on an intense workout program with Phillies star Chase Utley. He became more athletic and stronger. His appearance wasn’t the only thing that changed.
Atkins became comfortable with an open stance, which allowed him to pull pitches with authority. This year, that swing has evolved as Atkins has shed his image as a one-dimensional, opposite-field threat.
“He has developed into a complete hitter. He has tough at-bats and he’s also very dangerous,” Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes said. “He has learned how to punish the inside fastball.”
Utley predicted at the All-Star Game that Atkins would grow into his power. That happens, Castilla said, when a player learns to lift the ball in batting practice. He has seen Atkins’ transformation, comparing it to his own in the mid-1990s.
“You learn the pitchers, and get idea of how to get more lift on the ball,” Castilla said. “He’s big and strong, so I am not surprised.”
Todd Helton marvels at Atkins’ consistent approach, how he doesn’t change for the pitcher or the situation. Atkins strikes out only once every eight at- bats, and as Mets reliever Roberto Hernandez noted, he never gives in, as evidenced by his .298 average with an 0-2 count.
“I have been able to stay with the same stroke, and that’s allowed me to drive the ball,” Atkins said. “And when I haven’t, it’s only been for a couple of days, not a couple of weeks like in the past.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
