The Colorado Rockies found a diamond in TJ Rumfield.
When the Colorado Rockies traded for first baseman TJ Rumfield in January, they must have seen something in him before he even made it to Coors Field.
They certainly recognized potential that Rumfield’s previous organization, the New York Yankees, did not. Now, the latter might be regretting their decision, while the former is thriving in a role that can help Colorado in the future.
Possibly overlooked
Rumfield, 26, did not make his way to professional baseball as an elite prospect who was on everyone’s radar.
In the 2021 MLB Draft, he was selected 355th overall in the 12th round by the Philadelphia Phillies. In November of that year, he was traded to the Yankees.
For the next four seasons, Rumfield was in New York’s minor-league system developing, but he never got his shot at The Show with the Yankees. Then, they decided to engage in a trade with Colorado that brought them 24-year-old right-hander Angel Chivilli.
Chivilli came to New York as a major-league-ready arm, and he has appeared in 15 games for the Yankees this season. However, his impact has not been that of Rumfield’s with the Rockies.
Sure, New York is bound for the playoffs, while Colorado is barreling toward its fourth-straight 100-loss season, but according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, that has not stopped the Yankees from possibly regretting the trade, and it certainly has not stopped Rumfield from doing what he can to be a star with his new team.
Why it matters for the Rockies
In 144 games this season, Rumfield has posted a .298 batting average, a .390 on-base percentage, a .456 slugging percentage and an .846 OPS with 15 home runs.
As Kuty wrote, those numbers have propelled Rumfield into the conversation for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. The individual accomplishments of Rumfield cannot be denied, but it also says something about the direction the Rockies are heading.
There is no doubt it has been another brutal season for the Mile High City’s professional baseball team, but players like Rumfield demonstrate that a light at the end of the tunnel may be closer for this organization than it seems right now.
In his first year as President of Baseball Operations, Paul DePodesta made the trade for Rumfield and another good contributor, Jake McCarthy. These two players are complementary pieces for All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman, and they help form a promising core.
Despite the rumors surrounding Goodman’s future with the Rockies, the organization chose to keep him and others past the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. When asked about it, DePodesta expressed confidence in what the team is building.
If Rumfield’s season is any indication of that, it shows that a slow and steady approach by Colorado, in which it endures losses now, might lead to brighter days ahead in the near future.
