It may not have quite been the journey of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, but Colton Welker racked up a lot of frequent flyer miles during his path to the majors.

The 24-year-old corner infielder made four different stops after making essentially zero in 2020, given the cancellation of the Minor League season due to the pandemic.

At Double-A Hartford in 2019, Welker was an Eastern League All-Star despite being nearly two years younger than the average player. Before Welker could get back on the field and pick up where he left off, he had to sit out 80 games for testing positive for a banned substance that violates MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

In a statement released on May 6, Welker offered the following:

“I want to make it very clear that I have never willingly nor intentionally ingested any substance to enhance my athletic performance. Given the information provided to me by the players’ association and laboratory, the amount detected was so minimal that it would have no effect on enhancing my performance.

“I understand that a number of other players, like me, have tested positive for this metabolite at microscopic levels, and I intend to join them in seeking answers as to how this is happening in order to clear my name.”

Coincidentally, the same banned substance – Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone or DHCMT – ended up sidelining teammate Justin Lawrence for all of 2020. 

However erroneous the suspension, Welker jumped back into action on July 26 with the Rockies’ Arizona Complex League team before making two more stops on his way to Colorado.

“It’s been a little crazy this year,” Welker said of his 2021 season. “I think I’ve covered almost every level in minor league baseball and now at the highest level. So that’s pretty interesting. This is what I dreamed of ever since I was a little kid, so this is a special time for me, and I’m just cherishing every day now that I’m here.”

The 2016 4th Round Pick out of Stoneman Douglas High School (FL) spent just two games with the complex club before going to High-A Spokane where he slugged three home runs in eight games. He made his debut with Triple-A Albuquerque on August 8, slashing close to his career average (.286/.378/.476), and a month later it was time for a promotion to The Show. 

“It was pretty crazy,” he said of the Sept 8 game against the San Francisco Giants that made him the 22,231st player in MLB history. “I flew in early and got the pinch hit against (Tyler) Rogers, a submarine guy. It was pretty fun. All around, it was an awesome day. Something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time.”

While Welker saw his strikeout numbers rise over his 40 plate appearances, he didn’t appear overmatched and put together some solid at-bats when appearing as a pinch-hitter late in games.

He played the field just seven times, twice as a first baseman and five at third base where he made an impressive play on Sept 24 that beat the Giants’ Buster Posey by two steps. 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1441557905090629636

“I practice that play all the time,” referring to the defensive highlight often witnessed at Coors Field for nearly the past decade, “so if it gives me an opportunity for it, I’ll bring it out. I feel comfortable with the bare hand. I feel comfortable with the glove, too. Whatever arises, I’m there for it.”

Though Welker has seen more than 67 games in a season just twice (114 in 2018 and 120 in 2019) since being drafted as an 18-year-old and playing substantial innings with the Rockies next season are surely the intention for 2022, his approach to the offseason is one that could translate to achieving those goals.

“I want to lose like 15 pounds and come in here looking really good next year, more athletic, a little faster here and there,” Welker shared before adding, “And more versatility for me. I’m gonna make that happen.”

Assuming the organization is finally settled on keeping Ryan McMahon at third base and an opportunity for Brendan Rodgers to do his best Trevor Story impersonation, it’s not impossible to think Welker could take over at second base, so long as everything goes to plan for him this winter.