Fantasy Take: The Colorado Rockies 2006

Fantasy Take: The 2006 Colorado Rockies

The Rockies don’t offer a lot of sure things once you get past Todd Helton and Matt Holliday but playing at Coors Field can do wonderful things to your offensive numbers. Because of that, most Rockies are worth a few dollars and there are some guys with huge upside hidden this team.


The Best of The Bunch:

Todd Helton (1B) - Perhaps the most elite of all National League first basemen, Helton had a rough first half last season and finished with his worst full season in Colorado. When your worst full season is .320-20-79 with 92 runs scored you can only be classified as elite. Some real protection in the order would make him even better.

The Second Tier:

Matt Holliday (OF) - Holliday was just a whisker away from a 15-15 season last season and he finished with a .307-19-87 season with 14 steals. At 26 years of age he still has room to improve and should fit in at the bottom of the second tier of outfielders, or top of the third tier.

The Question Marks:

Clint Barmes (SS) - Clint was a monster over the first 54 games of last season going .329-8-34 before breaking his collarbone in June. He returned in September to complete a dismal .216-2-12 (in 27 more games). If he can recapture that first half magic he might be something special, but it’s hard to decide whether he was the real deal, or if the last month of the season might have some lingering effects.

Brian Fuentes/Jose Mesa (RP-CL) - Let’s be honest, both of these guys are likely to get saves during the season and while manager Clint Hurdle will likely try to put the burden largely on Fuentes he’ll probably ride the hot hand for as long as it lasts. That means Mesa could steal the majority of the saves, or he may just get a few.

Luis Gonzalez (2B) - Gonzalez has been showing a little power down in Venezuela while playing winter ball. If he can build on last season’s .292-9-44 then he could be a very pleasant non-speed surprise.

Jeff Francis (SP) - It’s hard to get all that excited about a pitcher that had a 5.68 ERA with just 128 K’s in 183.2 innings, but this guy has been billed as the savior of pitching in Colorado. He mastered the art of keeping the ball in the park when playing at AAA Colorado Springs and the Rockies think that he might one day be able to manage that at the big league park.

Cory Sullivan (OF) - Sullivan has not yet really showed much in the way of power but he has decent speed and can hit .300. He has some potential for growth but not a huge amount.

Yorvit Torrealba (C) - Torrealba isn’t a great offensive power but he’s playing at Coors and neither of the other Rockies candidates for the starting job has done much. If he can win the starting gig this spring then he has the potential for his best season ever. Maybe .270-10.

Brad Hawpe (OF) - Hawpe has the potential to hit 25+ home runs at Coors Field but whether he’ll ever get there is a big question. He certainly did at AAA and could be a steal at the end of a draft if he grows into his potential.