BSN Exclusive: DJ LeMahieu and the Rockies are unfazed by first-game stumble

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Colorado Rockies spent their offseason shelling out big bucks for a bold and bombastic new bullpen, reuniting with franchise icon Carlos Gonzalez, and looking toward the future with a cavalcade of young players on the cusp of making waves in MLB.

There is as much hope and expectation on this club as ever. Probably more.

And while getting out of the blocks well is always important, it is far less so in a marathon.

Colorado stumbled a bit in their first game of the 2018 season, falling 8-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a game that just kept slipping away the deeper into the night it went.

But the Rockies did actually have the lead in the first inning, getting a solo home run from DJ LeMahieu in his first at-bat of the year. The old “singles hitter” has often been scrutinized for his lack of power, and every year he shows flashes that he might add a bit more to his game. This worked for a while in 2016 when his slugging rose up to .495 with 11 home runs and 32 doubles, all career highs. He also won the batting title.

It was a very good year.

In 2017, he came back down toward his usual numbers, slugging just .409.

It’s way, way, too early to be reaching any conclusions about the power expectancy but LeMahieu did slug .519 this spring and looks completely locked in at the plate.

I asked him if he’s consciously trying to add more power this season. “Not necessarily,” he replied. “Just trying to be a better hitter. Trying to hit the ball harder. I feel like I had a good spring and I’m just trying to continue it throughout the year.”

Still, he couldn’t have asked for a much better start with the stick. “I feel like that first hit is always the best feeling cause you spent all offseason thinking about the season,” he said. “The first hit always feels good. The homer definitely felt good.”

But whether it was LeMahieu or relief pitchers Chris Rusin and Adam Ottavino getting off to inspiring starts, or the rest of the team’s struggles in game one, it is just one game. And a weird one, at that.

“They did a good job of putting a lot of pressure on us,” Colorado’s second baseman said. “Every time they needed a hit, seemed like something blooped in there or was an infield hit. But they had runners on base and good things happen for you when you do that.”

But it changes nothing. 161 to go.

“We’re a confident group,” LeMahieu added. “We’re not gonna let this game change our minds.”