BSN Exclusive: Pat Valaika shares the eye-opening moment when he made a serious change to his swing

The Colorado Rockies have officially placed first baseman Daniel Murphy on the Injured List and have called up infielder Pat Valaika to fill his roster spot.

What comes as a disappointing beginning to the Rockies career of the newest member also comes as an opportunity at redemption for their best pinch-hitter from two seasons ago.

Valaika, lest the short-memoried forget, was an instrumental component of the Rockies first postseason appearance in eight years and even came just a few feet from breathing new life into the team in that wildest of Wild Card games in 2017.

But 2018 was a different story entirely.

Starting out in the worst possible way after making the Opening Day roster, Valaika was never in contention to contribute thanks to an injury he sustained in spring training.

Once he got himself healthy, he was quickly given a chance at his old job but was unable to duplicate the success from the year prior.

Struggling mightily with a .156 batting average and a .214 on-base percentage over 133 plate appearances, Valaika was not a candidate for playing time late in the season, and certainly not for a postseason roster spot this time.

So he entered the winter looking for ways to get back to his best self.

And things got off to a bumpy start.

Heading down to the Mexican League in the offseason to get a bit of extra field time in live-action games, Valaika’s struggles continued even against the lower level of competition.

“I played terrible,” he told BSN Denver. “It just kind of proved that there were things, some glaring issues in my swings that I need to correct. I guess I am glad I went down because it proved there were certain things I needed to work on and fix them by playing.”

As is often the case in baseball, failure can be the best teacher.

“I went down, struggled, came back, broke my swing down and saw some things in it that were causing a lot of issues,” he continued. “So, it was good to realize what I was struggling with and what I need to improve upon.”

Just as Valaika was coming to understand the root of the issue, he arrived in Scottsdale to meet the team’s new hitting instructor. And like so many of his teammates, he struck up a quick rapport with Dave Magadan.

“He’s great, he’s awesome,” says Valaika. “I think at the start of spring, he was just trying to observe and see guys and see how they work, how their bodies work. It’s good working with him. Great coach. It’s going to be a good year with him.”

The utility infielder wouldn’t get into specifics of what he has done to change his swing or approach, simply saying, “We worked on a lot things this offseason to prepare and I feel like I’ve done my job. I’m happy with where I’m at going into the season. So, I feel good.”

A prime reason for Valaika to feel good is that he has a year on his resume that shows he can be exactly what the Colorado Rockies need him to be; a weapon off the bench that can impact close games late.

After all, he isn’t just a single season removed from being the Rockies best at that particular job, he is a season removed from being among the very best in baseball at that particular job.

“I know what I’m capable of and I think it’s more of a consistency thing,” he says. “Being able to not play for a few games and still go up there and have that same swing. I feel good about where I’m at and to repeat it.”

Unlike a lot of other bench players in MLB, many of whom view their station as a temporary pause on their journey to the starting lineup, Pat Valaika – who no doubt still fights for every inning of playing time he can get – has taken to tailoring his game to being the best bench player he can be.

He has excelled in this role once before. And now, with the injury to Daniel Murphy, he will get another opportunity to prove his mettle.