With just four days left in the Rockies’ disappointing season, the timing is right to hand out my awards for this most confounding of teams. So here goes:
MVP.
It’s got to be Matt Holliday. True, his numbers are down from last season — he won’t hit 30 homers or drive in 100 runs this year — but he’s improved as an outfielder and as a base-stealer. He remains the most feared hitter in the lineup and the team’s best overall player.
Most improved.
Catcher Chris Iannetta is an easy choice. He will finish the season with close to 20 homers, 65 RBIs and a .275 average. He’s learning to handle the pitching staff better, and though he needs to throw out base-stealers at a higher clip, he certainly has the arm to do it. The Rockies have found their homegrown catcher, at last.
Most disappointing.
Pitcher Jeff Francis edges out shortstop Troy Tulowitzki for this dubious award. I really thought Francis had a shot to win 20 games this season. Instead, the Rockies’ “ace” went 1-5 with a 6.13 ERA through May, setting the tone for the season.
Most confounding.
Third baseman Garrett Atkins gets the head-scratcher award. Atkins turned in a solid season — hitting .289 with 20 homers and 95 RBIs through Tuesday — but it could have been much better. He has hit just .228 in the clutch this season. Atkins will deliver big hits again, just maybe not in a Rockies uniform.
Most contradictory.
Center fielder Willy Taveras has killer speed and a club-record 68 steals, but in some games you hardly notice he is out there. That’s what comes from hitting just .251 with a .308 on-base percentage, not acceptable figures for a top-of-the-order hitter. The scenario was supposed to work this way: Taveras gets on first, steals second and scores when the big boys drive him home. It hasn’t worked out that way. Taveras ranks tied for 66th in runs scored in the National League.
Most promising.
Pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez wins this hands down. The affable right-hander has incredible stuff. Once he learns, once and for all, that he is first and foremost a fastball pitcher, he’s going to join the elite. Teammates and opponents speak in reverent tones about the raw ability he’s just now beginning to harness.
Most maddening.
Rockies management’s inability to build an acceptable rotation. When the likes of Kip Wells, Mark Redman and Livan Hernandez take the mound, what kind of message does that send to the players and the fans?
