It's been a season of pleasant surprises for the Colorado Rockies , even though they've already clinched another losing season.
Some of those pleasant surprises are rookies like first baseman TJ Rumfield , who has slugged his way into the National League rookie of the year conversation. Others have more Major League experience but are taking advantage of the opportunity, such as outfielder Jake McCarthy.
The Rockies acquired McCarthy in a trade this offseason with the Arizona Diamondbacks . To that point he had been a solid fourth or fifth outfielder but had difficulty getting regular playing time, aside from 142 games in 2024.
That hasn't been the case in Colorado. He's been a regular starter from nearly the beginning of the season and as the Rockies hit the home stretch, McCarthy said another career mark in Friday's game against the Seattle Mariners .
With an RBI single in the fourth inning that cuts Seattle's lead to 3-2, McCarthy extended his on-base streak to 20 games, which is a new career high. It's just another career best in a season full of them.
He's already on pace to have the best season of his career at the plate. He's flirting with a .300 batting average (his previous best was .285 with Arizona in 2024). He's already set career highs for home runs (15) and RBI (82) in a season. His previous bests were eight home runs and 56 RBI in 2024. His 30 doubles is also a career high and he's on pace for his first season with an OPS of .800 or better.
For an organization that has been searching for answers at the plate when it comes to batting average and slugging, the left-handed hitting McCarthy has fit the bill all season. He's been a snug fit defensively as well and his emergence helped allow the Rockies to move on from Brenton Doyle at the trade deadline.
The best part about McCarthy's breakout is that the Rockies still have him under team control for two more seasons. Even though he's made his Major League debut with Arizona in 2021, based on service time McCarthy has two more arbitration seasons in 2027 and 2028.
Given his breakout, the Rockies could also choose to extend him to a long-term deal that would eliminate the vagaries of arbitration. The Rockies did that with outfielder Mickey Moniak earlier this season. It's clear McCarthy has made himself part of the future in Colorado. It might be time for the Rockies to ensure he can't go anywhere beyond 2028.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/rockies/onsi as Jake McCarthy's Latest Career Best Another Example of Rockies Breakout Campaign .
