Center fielder Jake McCarthy has been drawing lots of attention for his efforts in the past two games. Can he deliver again on Saturday night against the San Francisco Giants?
In case you have been living under a rock, then you might have missed what Colorado Rockies center fielder Jake McCarthy has been doing at the plate.
McCarthy has put together back-to-back solid nights in helping the Rockies score 14 runs on Thursday night in a 14-4 win over the Miami Marlins and 15 runs on Friday night in a 15-3 victory against the San Francisco Giants.
McCarthy led off the game on Friday night with a solo home run, then added a grand slam later on as he became just the seventh player in MLB history to complete such a feat.
Jake McCarthy Hitting on All Cylinders
Entering Saturday night's game at Coors Field in Denver against the Giants, McCarthy is hitting 40 points above his career batting average. He has a slash line of .308/.346/.868, but his overall MLB batting average is .268.
He has nine home runs and 47 RBIs right now, but three of those home runs have come in the past two games. McCarthy even got the packed house of fans at Coors Field on their feet Friday night when he smashed his grand slam.
How hot has McCarthy been in the past two games? He's gone 6-for-10 at the plate, hitting three home runs, totaled 10 RBIs, and has scored five runs.
In his past seven games, McCarthy is 10-for-29 with those three home runs, 13 RBIs, scored seven runs, and also has two stolen bases as well. His slash line over that period of time? A not-too-shabby .345/.367/.793. McCarthy was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Want one more McCarthy statistic? In his last 30 games, he's hitting .347 at the plate. Those numbers are really strong, ones that he probably wants to keep on growing as the 2026 MLB season rolls along.
Schaeffer Pleased with McCarthy's Play
Sure, Hunter Goodman is getting attention, too, for his slugging ability right now. Yet McCarthy has given his team and Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer a big boost in the last two games.
“It’s been most of the season,” Schaeffer said after Friday night's win, according to Rockies reporter Thomas Harding of MLB.com. “It’s just the way he plays. It’s nothing mechanical. It’s the way Jake comes to the ballpark, ready to play every day, with the intensity that he plays with, knowing himself very well.”
What's even more impressive about McCarthy, Goodman, and the Rockies is that they are just one game behind the Giants for fourth place in the National League West Division. San Francisco is 36-51 after their Friday night loss, while the Rockies are 36-53 overall.
“I’m just feeling good, not trying to get caught up in the result,” McCarthy said. “It’s easy when guys around you are having really good at-bats. Besides my first at-bat, it just seemed like I was on deck for 12 pitches.
“It’s contagious," McCarthy continued. "It’s fun, a night like that, when everyone’s contributing and we’re pitching well, and a lot of fans … Tonight was special.”
Will Saturday Night Become Special for Rockies?
If the Rockies can get a win on Saturday night, then they'd be tied with San Francisco. Now, if Colorado ends up sweeping the Giants this weekend, then the Rockies will be out of the NL West cellar.
Colorado is currently on a three-game winning streak thanks, in large part, to McCarthy. In looking at the big picture, the Rockies are eight games in back of the San Diego Padres and Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card picture.
Now, Rockies fans will wait to see if McCarthy can stay red hot at the plate on Saturday night.
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