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Don't Sleep on What Rumfield Accomplished With Rockies
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- Don't Sleep on What Rumfield Accomplished With Rockies
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
This season saw a few young players make a firm statement on their contributions with the Colorado Rockies . While eyes have been on Cole Carrigg, and rightfully so, those same eyes should have been glued to TJ Rumfield.
Rumfield just established himself as a key part of the Rockies' roster. He had 547 official at-bats for a team that lost 100-plus games for a fourth consecutive season.
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Looking at the overall product, Colorado did show improvement when it comes to getting more wins this season than the porous 2025 team. That might not impress Rockies fans who are patiently waiting for the ballclub to get back into some type of postseason conversation.
A player like Rumfield, though, can keep Colorado going in the right direction next season.
Rumfield's slash line impressive for Rockies
He put together an incredible slash line this season at .300/.390/.453 with 16 home runs and 72 RBIs. One cannot go to sleep when Rumfield steps up to the plate. The talented first baseman also had a knack for playing decent defense, something that Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer can look upon and look for improvement.
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According to Baseball Savant , Rumfield ranked in the high levels for batting run value, LA sweet spot percentage, whiff percentage, strikeout percentage, walks percentage, and fielding range (OAA). Knocking down that strikeout percentage number is something Rumfield must address in Spring Training.
He was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2021 MLB Draft, becoming a 12th-round pick (No. 355 overall). Rumfield played college baseball at Virginia Tech.
This season, he showed a knack for spraying the ball across the field when connecting for singles. As a left-handed hitter, Rumfield pulled the majority of his home runs over the right-field wall at Coors Field along with road games, too.
Room to grow for Rumfield
Remember, this was Rumfield's first season in the major leagues. He's still getting his footing as a Rockies player, which proved to be challenging at times. What Rumfield can do is take this data and information, size it up with looking at video from his at-bats, and make improvements.
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At some point in the offseason, Rumfield should get some time in a batting cage for himself. He can work on his swing and make changes to it so he can cut down on his strikeout numbers.
As everyone knows, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are in the midst of trying to avoid a lockout. If one does happen, then Rumfield and the Rockies will have to make adjustments when it comes to Spring Training.
This makes it all the more important for Rumfield to do whatever he can to come into camp with a solid mindset, improved swing, and the ability to handle fielding around first base.
Don't put it past him to make those improvements.
