When we look back on the Colorado Rockies’ 2022 season in a decade, what will be remembered most?
Is there a chance we may not recall much of anything from the slate of 162 games we just witnessed?
Any time a team fails to win the World Series – there are always 29 teams in this situation in a given year – there will always be room to contextualize what was askew in addition to what went properly or even better than expected.
We can learn a lot about 2022 by reflecting upon the 2012 Rockies.
That squad from a decade ago lost a club-record 98 games. They were three years removed from their last postseason appearance (2009) and would be another five from their next (2017).
The Jim Tracy era came to an end that season. Even with the best winning-percentage (.488) for a manager in franchise history, Tracy resigned with a year remaining on his contract.
Fans may recall Carlos González being elected as a starter for the National League All-Star Team, not to mention solid and consistent defense that resulted in winning a second Gold Glove Award.
Troy Tulowitzki played only 47 games. Rookies Wilin Rosario and Jordan Pacheco received some votes for NL Rookie of the Year. DJ LeMahieu and Charlie Blackmon were at the start of their careers while Todd Helton and Jason Giambi were at the end of theirs.
Otherwise, it was not a spectacular season. Little can be remembered fondly about 2012.
The same will be true of 2022.
Much like 10-seasons prior, there will not be any end of season awards handed out. No Silver Slugger Awards or Gold Glove Awards.
Last season was the first in franchise history that no member of the Rockies received a vote for the four major end of year awards: Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player.
Colorado may go without a single vote for a second consecutive season.
So what will we think of Colorado’s 2022 when we look back in 2032?
There was some, but not a lot to celebrate on the field, unfortunately.
C.J. Cron was the lone All-Star to represent the Rockies at Dodger Stadium. He set a career-high with 102 RBI, but came one home run short of becoming the first Colorado player to hit 30 since 2019.
His 21 long balls during the first half made him the 13th slugger to reach the mark for the Rockies ahead of the Midsummer Classic. Cron hit eight in the second-half, including one over the final 22 games of the season to fall short of the prestigious 30-100 club.
As a group, the starting pitching wasn’t the strength it’s been over the past several seasons.
Individually, only Kyle Freeland was able to finish with an earned run average under 5.00 amongst the starters. Germán Márquez didn’t take a no-hitter deep into any games, as is typically his wont.
The best start of the year came from Chad Kuhl, who’s impressive three-hit, complete game shutout came against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was also achieved at Coors Field, something Rockies’ fan had never seen accomplished by a starter against the NL West rival.
Daniel Bard, on the other hand, was incredibly strong in the bullpen. In the process of saving 34 games in 36 opportunities, Colorado’s closer posted the second-lowest ERA (1.79) for a reliever in team history (min. 60 IP).
Brendan Rodgers staked his claim as someone worth remembering in 2022.
The 26-year-old emerged as a top talent for much of the year after a historically slow start. He amassed a 20-game hit streak in the midst of what was a four-month reign as one of the best second baseman in the NL.
He recorded his first three-homer game, the third of which was a walk-off, game-winner.
Randal Grichuk and Elias Díaz each hit walk-off home runs to cap a two-homer performance at Coors Field just three days apart.
Rookies Brian Serven and Elehuris Montero each had two-homer games while Ezequiel Tovar opened with two hits on two pitches during his MLB Debut.
One dark horse for highlight of the year may be Colorado’s first alternate uniform since the black vests were introduced in 2005.
The Nike City Connect jersey and cap – along with various other pieces of paraphernalia for fans – were finally unveiled and worn by the entire roster during every Sunday home game.
Conversely, the beloved and iconic black vests were removed from the Rockies’ wardrobe much to the chagrin of the fan base.
New player attire isn’t typically the most notable detail from a given season.
But in a year when $428 million was invested in the roster to produce one of the worst records in club history, dirty laundry will often get noticed when it produces such a sour smell.
