Why The Colorado Rockies Are Currently In Second Place

At the beginning of the year, it was believed that the Colorado Rockies did not have much of a chance at making a playoff run. Now, they are in second place in the NL West and have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. Their rise in the standings is no joke. They are getting All-Star play from multiple players and their role players are performing well. Here are three important reasons on why they are succeeding.

1. Carlos Gonzalez is an MVP candidate

Carlos Gonzalez
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Gonzalez is playing like an MVP. So far, CarGo has 23 home runs (NL league leader), 61 RBIs, 20 doubles, six triples, 96 hits, and 197 total bases (NL league leader). He is hitting .294, has on on-base percentage of .363, a slugging percentage of .604 (NL league leader), an on-base plus slugging percentage of .967, and an OPS+ of 145. Those are excellent number. The one thing he will need to cut down on is his strikeouts. They are way too high. His defense is also very good. He leads all outfielders in assists with nine. Gonzalez role is also much bigger with Troy Tulowitzki out with an injury (Tulo was also playing extraordinary before going down with a broken rib). With Tulowitzki being an injury prone player, Gonzalez has become the star and drive of the Rockies. They will only go as far as Gonzalez can lead them.

2. Dexter Fowler and Michael Cuddyer

Dexter Fowler and Michael Cuddyer have played so well this year that the Rockies outfield is one of the best in the league. Michael Cuddyer is on pace to have his best season in his career. He is second in the NL in batting average with .339, has an on-base percentage of .391, and a slugging percentage of .579 (second behind Gonzalez). He also has 14 round-trippers and 49 ribbies. Dexter Fowler is also playing well. He is hitting .291, with an on-base percentage of .390, and an OPS+ of 122. These two players, along with Gonzalez, make up one of the best outfields in baseball. They have everything.

3. The NL West Is Has Not Been Competitive Division

The Teams of the NL West
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The NL West has been sub-par heading into the Fourth of July. However, in the last few weeks the race for first has picked up steam. The standings heading into today is Diamondbacks (43-41) in first, Rockies (41-44) in second, the Dodgers (40-43) coming in third, Padres (40-45) in the four spot, and the defending World Series champs, the Giants (39-45), are in last place. The two favorites coming into the season, San Francisco and Los Angeles, have had big slumps that have set them back. If both teams have not struggled, the standing may have been different. I would expect the Rockies to stay in contention for most of the season. However, by the the end of the season, the Rockies be getting an early start on their winter vacations.