Charlie Blackmon hits a home run the Arizona Diamondbacks during a torrid April in which he hit .389. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)
His beard. His hustle. His intensity. His stolen bases. His first All-Star Game. All of those things defined Charlie Blackmon’s 2014 season.
Add another image to the list: Blackmon sitting in front of a screen in the Rockies’ video room, breaking down his own swing, studying opposing pitchers’ tendencies and figuring out multiple ways to be a better ballplayer.
Blackmon stole 28 stolen bases — the most by a Colorado player since Willy Taveras set a team record with 68 in 2008 — not just because he has good speed, but because he built himself into a base stealer. Rather than bulking up for power during the offseason, Blackmon focused on improving his speed and ability to get a quick jump.
“It’s paid off.” manager Walt Weiss said near the end of the season. “He’s turned into a very good base-stealer. I think it’s about increased confidence. He started thinking like a base-stealer.
“And he’s a student of the game. He studies a lot of video of opposing pitchers, so he knows who he can run on. He goes into a game very prepared.”
Blackmon’s breakout season opened with a thunderbolt. In the Rockies’ home-opener, he went 6-for-6 with three doubles and a two-run homer in a 12-2 victory over the D-backs. At the end of April he was hitting .389.
There was no way he could sustain that level of performance. He slumped badly in August, hitting .245, rebounded with a .286 average in September and finished the season hitting .288. Realistically, that’s about what the Rockies should expect over the course of a long season.
Blackmon appeared in a team-high 153 games, and although he was primarily a center fielder after Carlos Gonzalez got hurt, he also played right and left. Right now, he’s clearly the club’s most versatile and dependable outfielder.
The Rockies’ plan going forward is to bludgeon teams with offense, and that makes Blackmon a very good leadoff man. His 19 homers from the top spot were second in the NL only to the Brewers’ Carlos Gomez (20). His 59 RBIs from the leadoff spot were second to St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter (69). Blackmon’s .335 on-base percentage was a decent .335 (fourth among NL leadoff hitters) but nothing spectacular.
Blackmon, however, shared one very troubling flaw with most of his teammates: his home-road splits were dramatic. It’s as if he were two completely different players. At Coors Field he hit .331 vs. .241 on the road. OBP: .391/.269. HRs: 13/6. RBIs: 48/24. Stolen bases: 19/9.
Blackmon’s home-road splits, and those of most of the other Rockies, is a big reason why they won an embarrassing, franchise-worst 21 games on the road.
New general manager Jeff Bridich could receive some hot stove calls regarding Blackmon. But With CarGo coming back from injury, it’s doubtful the Rockies would shop Blackmon, so he’ll likely be the Rockies’ regular center fielder in 2015. If he can be more productive away from the friendly confines at 20th and Blake, he’s a real strength on a team with plenty of weaknesses.
2014 Salary: $501,000
2015 Salary: $502,000
Stat of Note: .391 vs. .269 Blackmon’s on-base percentage splits, home vs. road in 2014.
GRADE: B
Tags: Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, Walt Weiss
