Why the Colorado Rockies should study the Toronto Blue Jays offense

Why the Colorado Rockies should study the Toronto Blue Jays offense

Today on Locked on Rockies, what can one of the worst teams in baseball history learn from the World Series matchup? Let’s talk about that, plus a crazy Rocky’s connection to the Blue Jays. You are Locked on Rockies, your daily Colorado Rockies podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. Rock on Rockies fans. Welcome into the Locked On Rockies podcast for today, the 21st day of October in the year 2025. I’m your host of the Lockdown Rockies podcast, Paul Holdton, bringing you your daily Colorado Rockies talk right here on the Lockdown Podcast Network, where you can find your team every day. And if your team is the Colorado Rockies, you’re in the right spot because that’s what we do around here. Talking Rockies baseball free and streaming on your favorite streaming services and on the Locked on Rockies YouTube channel where you can be part of the show. You can fire off your Rockies hot takes. You can let me know what’s on your mind when it comes to the Locked On Rockies podcast or the Rockies in general cuz this off seasonason I want to know what’s on your mind. I mean, what what are you thinking about as Rockies fans? is it’s a very interesting off season. And now at the World Series set, we’re going to take uh some takeaways from both of the Dodgers and the Blue Jays who pull off the I the comeback. I shouldn’t say the upset. They were favored going into the game. Uh but pull off the comeback on a big thing. And and how many times have we said it, man? Walks will haunt. We’ll talk about that and more coming up on today’s episode of Locked on Rockies. Before we dive into that, I want to let you know that I am Paul Holden, your Rockies fan extraordininaire. Been bringing you daily Rocky stock on the Lockdown podcast network now for a few seasons, four I think seasons now going on five. But want you to check out the Locked on Rocky’s YouTube channel. It really is. If when you like the videos, when you subscribe, you really, really are helping the show. And today’s episode is also brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on MLB for $20 off your first purchase. So, Blue Jays, Dodgers, and uh one of my first things that uh I I I and to make this Rockies related here, I mean, it just I think what one of the things I was just so impressed by watching the Mariners and Blue Jays series and and this goes for the Mariners in some cases, too. Not always. They had some some some instances where they they they weren’t as successful in this situation, but from top to bottom and that Blue Jays lineup, striking out just wasn’t a thing. It it it was crazy to see a team that was that that was so that was so successful at drawing out long at bats, drawing out uh uh getting pitch counts up, drawing p drawing full counts, fouling off things to get their pitch while also with the mix of being aggressive and jumping on pitches. the Blue Jays just being a team of professional hitters. Like in the ideal world, that’s the dream for the Colorado Rockies. If if you are if you are if you were able to to wave a magic wand and and take the Blue Jays lineup and put it at Kors Field just w mixed with everything and and the pitching staff, you know, too. See what happens with with with that factor. that that’s a a totally different thing that you can factor in. But you take that offense and again, you could put it in any ballpark. It doesn’t matter. But I I I this is a team that dominated at home. This is a team that was that had professional hitters throughout the lineup. We were able to again, like I said, get those long at bats, foul off pitches, 10 pitch at bats, eight pitch at bats, winning the 3-2 counts, limiting the strikeouts, being a team that’s very difficult to strike out. When you’re talking about of the profile of a of a team that you would love to see for the Colorado Rockies, it would be that a team that doesn’t strike out, a team that has hitters across the board, a team that gets production, elite level production on offense from multiple guys, and has guys that are able to not strike out and and have professional at bats throughout the entire one through nine. And again, the regular season was probably different. I didn’t watch all the Blue Jays this season, but but in the these big this big moment in this big series against a great pitching staff, they didn’t back down. And while we’re talking about like the things to like learn from and obviously be great if the ro like like when you’re looking for things to recreate, you need to find hitters that are that do what the Blue Jays hitters do. You need to you need to create an offense like that. And obviously I’m sitting here probably, you know, only only looking at the rosy things here, but again, look at the other factors. Dominant at home. That’s when when the Rockies have been great. What have they been dominant at home? What do they have? A unique home environment that’s supposed to favor offense and punish pitching. So again, if you if you’re able to take a good pitching staff and put them in the ringer, not only through your offensive abilities, but through the uh more offensive centric ballpark mixed with, you know, depending on how how much you buy into it and such, the uh you know, the the altitude and the and the fatigue factors as well, that does paint a pretty interesting picture of of of that would that would definitely work for the Rockies. And when you have an offense that can that can break out and have big innings in big moments like the Blue Jays have getting the setting up the three-run home run from Springer with two walks. Obviously those were there were some pitches there that necess not necessarily the the most difficult takes but being confident in being disciplined enough to take those pitches in those situations to be patient. The Rockies ultraaggressive swinging going down on three pitches. The Rockies not being able to put together those solid at bats. That’s what puts them behind and that’s what makes them not able to to to be a dominant offensive force. But when every single player on the Blue Jays lineup is giving every single Mariners pitcher fits outside the first two games, the the the last five games of the series, the Blue Jays were able to make the adjustments after seeing the pitching of the Mariners and were able to be successful in that way. And and there’s there’s no doubt obvious. Again, I understand I understand that this is wishful thinking, but as the Rockies are now looking at step one of of of of the rebuild of of of forming an identity, the Blue Jays should be a team that you look at. And again, the Blue Jays are a team that have been in a division with people that spend a lot of money. And the Blue Jays have ended up spending, you know, they’ve been a team that have been, you know, willing to to to go out and bring free agents. They they’ve been they’ve, you know, been able to develop their own talent. Signing, of course, they’re they’re the guys they really believe in, but they’ve certainly been at least rumored and connected to and signed, you know, bigname a free agents in the off season. There’s an argument to be made that the Blue Jays could be a a it’s not going to be one for one, but it’s how big truly is. And I get it. It’s all of Canada, but it’s an interesting market. And again, I argue that the Rockies have a certain, you know, uh they have a land mass that they’ve lost now to the rest of uh the rest of especially the NL West. you know, Dodgers just being a huge team and Arizona being in between. The Rockies missing out on geographically a bunch of places that they could have become the team for if they were a good baseball team. The the Blue Jays might be we were talking LA, you know, last week about the models and and who to look at. That would be a very interesting team. And again, I think as you point, wasn’t it Click that’s in the Blue Jays organization right now? So, that’s one of my main like like just seeing an an a an an an amazing offense. And on the flip side, seeing a Mariners offense that that kind of paralleled the Rockies postseason rosters a little bit when you think about it. I I just think it’s it just as much as I was proven wrong this year and again admitting that I was totally wrong that that pitching continues to be the main need and the main f the main focus for the Rockies, the key for the Rockies, the thing that will get them over a h the hump whenever they get to that eventual hump of getting into the postseason and and then and then competing in the postseason. It’s going to be a a dominant professional great offense that leads the way. I I I just I just firmly believe that when you think about the rock the success when the Rockies have had it, offense has just been such a major role. and and and I go back to my Mariner the the point here when I’m talking about the Mariners here where you’re talking about a lineup that’s got some stars and some guys that can make impacts you know you know huge names and guys that were great the Rockies in their playoff runs we’re talking about you know Charlie Blackman performing we’re talking about Nolan Areronado we’re talking about Trevor Story we’re talking about DJ Lameheu and then what happened right obviously Tony Walters comes up with the big hit but the Rockies had such a problem with the back end of their batting order in the big situations and in the big clutch moments. The blue the the Mariners were able to get a lot more clutch performances from their stars than the Rockies did in the postseason for for the limited time that the Rockies were there. That’s what big reason why the Rockies got swept out of there and and and didn’t have a chance against the Brewers. Um and then also fell behind and and were unable to keep up with the uh the Diamondbacks in the the oneame wildard playoff. I just I just think my main takeaway is it, you know, it it was just so impressive to watch every single Toronto batter be able to be were were prepared and able to handle just about everything the Mariners threw at them and calm themselves, didn’t over, you know, didn’t pressure themselves too much, stayed cool, and were big in the clutch and unfort you know the rock the Mariners unfortunately coming up short there they just they they they they left a lot of runners in scoring position they left a lot they had a lot of bad production from the bottom of their order and we know how that goes as Rockies fans in the postseason and and and it bit him there mixed with incredible highs as well if you’re if you’re the Mariners you’re also facing a situation And I think again where the Rockies were we’re we’re at where we say let’s we know this is good. We need to double down and give it one. We need to fully invest and buy in and go all in on this. The Mariners are going to be in a situation where you know they they can sign Naylor and I don’t know who else is up you know what who else they need to sign or what else they need to do to to to bring back this team. But if the Mariners bring back Naylor and the Mariners are also, you know, more aggressive and and maybe maybe add another, you know, who knows what they do. If if they if they decide to say, “We know we have something here. We are we truly believe that we have built something that is going to finally end this thing.” And they were eight out nine outs away from doing it. They were that close. It would be so foolish for the Mariners to bail on that just as it was foolish for the Rockies to bail when they finally were building some back-to- back playoff appearances. And again, it it flamed out. But when you’re talking about the Mariners here in that comparison, it’s like you’re that close. Why would you not buy in and believe in yourself to do it again when when you when the and it can be really difficult to do? Obviously, it’s very difficult to do, but the Dodgers just went to back-to-back World Series. Teams make it to the postseason all the time. Give yourself that fighting chance. Make making the postseason and being a postseason contender the norm for a team like the Mariners, just like it should have been and could have been for the Rockies in their window. All right, let’s talk about what we’ve uh learned from the Blue Jays coming up or not the Blue Jays, the Dodgers on the other side of this. And uh we also have a crazy connection with the World Series, specifically with the Blue Jays from Patrick Lions. And again, if you need Rocky’s facts, got to be following Patrick Lions. He’s got everything you need to you need on the helpful Rocky’s tidbits and trivia. We’ll dive into all that and more coming up next on today’s episode of Locked on Rockies. Before we do that though, got to tell you about the folks that helped make this show possible and that includes FanDuel. The NFL season is in full swing and FanDuel has an offer you don’t want to miss. And oh my goodness, folks, the Denver Broncos. Were you in on the live betting on the Denver Broncos, you could have probably if you if you believed in Bo, if you weren’t doubting like unfortunately I have to come clean like I was. What a ride it that game was. And it would have been a lot more of a ride if you got in on the action on FanDuel because right now when you pick a bet, put down five bucks, and when that $5 bet wins, you’re going to get $300 in bonus bets. If you win, you can use those bonus bets across the app on parlays, player props, and you can follow live like we’re saying, the Broncos in that Giants game uh there. It makes watching football even more exciting when you got a little more something riding on the action. 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And I want to know what’s on your mind, Rockies fans, throughout this off seasonason full of change. It should be a busy one or a different one. Maybe that’s the the best way to say it. Not so much of the doldrums of last year. This uh this this off season certainly is bringing a new direction to the team. So I want to know what’s on your mind when it comes to the Colorado Rockies. Okay. So, we talked a lot about the what the Rockies and and why I just in a perfect world would love to see a Rockies lineup be as much of an offensive force and a home threat as the Blue Jays uh were in this not only this series but throughout the regular season just as a team in general. But my main takeaway from seeing the Dodgers go to back-to-back uh postseason and or World Series appearances and show Otani of literally the greatest BA postseason performance of all time. Again, I I’m I you know, you can point to some stuff or, you know, maybe three home run games and and things, but you don’t have three home run games and 10 strikeouts in the same game. I mean, I I I Hey, as much as I am not a Dodgers fan, as much as I will not I do not root for the Dodgers or anything, I will not uh I will not shy away from the greatness that is Show Otani. But that’s kind of I guess where where to start. The Dodgers, who are a divisional opponent of the Colorado Rockies, have set the standard of we do what it takes to win championships. Doesn’t matter about the division, doesn’t matter about the regular season. We have a philosophy and an approach that is going to make us a force to be reckoned with every single October as long as we’re healthy. You know, health is the the the Achilles heel of every sports team and and every run ever. Uh for for for some team I mean in reality they are stacked across the board. And none of this is new information to you the Rockies fan. my my when we’re when we’re talking about what can the Rockies learn from the Dodgers in this situation is learn that this is their standard. Learn that this this is what it takes. And again, you know, it it as much as great as the uh the Championship League series was for the American League, the Dodgers made quick work of folks in on the on the National League side. the the the the Blue Jays will not be favored in this series. And if the Dodgers need to address problems in the offseason or address where they come up short here in this run, that again leads them to the post to the to the end of the postseason. No more, you know, short season quarant, you know, you know, COVID jokes or anything like that. No more playoff choking jokes about the the the Dodgers here anymore. This is the that is the that is the team to beat and and I think is going to be right now if you had I I think it can change. I think a wonderful matchup when you’re talking about juggernaut teams. I I I I think how the how this Blue Jays offense can attack this uh this Dodgers pitching staff is going to be a fascinating watch, especially considering what the you know that matchup, the Blue Jays being in a spot where they just saw such good pitching now going up against re you know another round of it. And on the flip side, can the Dodgers contain each of these offensive pieces going up against teams that might not might not have the same thump, but still plenty of firepower, right? Uh to get there because they beat uh who they beat because Philly obviously was the team that you know you would you would argue with when you’re talking about offensive weapons here. But this is going to be a really good matchup and the Dodgers are obviously geared up to a position to do this and and so it just it just highlights how far the Rockies have to go in this area, but it also is just that reminder of of this is big brother. I mean, and and while you’re forming this identity, you’re going to have to find the you’re you’re going to have to be make make part of your priority here somehow becoming a Dodgers killer. There’s no answer to that situation right now. There’s no answer to that question or that equation at this moment. But event, you know, you’re you’re you’re going to go through a lot of growing pains through this rebuild. and and if things start rolling and then maybe you know you might get there but you you you’re going to take your lumps along the way but eventually you’re going to have to be able to seize that moment and seize that opportunity and and and the Dodgers have been a team that have been so good at doing that that that’s what obviously great teams do. That’s what the multi-time champions do. It’s what the the continual postseason contenders do. It it’s it just drives the point home of just the the work the the journey to that level is going to be a long one. But along the way if if if if you are actually buying into being open-minded, taking in these new approaches, taking in new philosophies, looking into new approaches, you can do a lot of growing along the way. And it’s still going to be a while for us Rockies fans to, you know, for for things to really heat up and get exciting competitive wise, but the Rockies do have the potential to be a fascinating baseball team, a competitive baseball team, a good baseball team with unique environments and and unique things about them. But it’s going to take this team being able to create that. And and as much as you want to just say the Dodgers, you know, throw the money around, they still create it through their, you know, good good farm system. They still create it through trades. They they they still create it and and they do create it through spending money and and using their resources effectively. But every team should try to do the same thing with their resources. And it’s not one for one. Obviously, the Dodgers do have the advantage of the best that that TV deal, of course, but that can’t be that can’t be the excuse much longer. Eventually, I don’t want to hear it. I want to see how are you going to combat it. It’s like kind of like the tush push. I don’t, you know, you just going to hope for a rule change. Hope for some hope for a salary cap. That’s going to be the thing that saves you just so you can justify not putting, you know, you know, being not only spending money but spending money effectively on the right guys using, you know, good approaches to free agency. Something the Rockies have struggled with. It’s it’s it’s just kind of like, of course, it’s the Dodgers, man. What What else can you say? The Rockies could only dream to be like the Dodgers. And the takeaway it just comes down to you still see you’re going to see them for multiple series throughout every year until expansion if expansion actually happens and realignment actually happens. So how do you respond to that? And then how do you respond to them in the playoffs in a situation if you find yourself matched up with them if you ever make it back? It’s going to be a really fun World Series. As much as Hey, I you know, if you follow the show, you know I’m in Mariners country. Bummed out for the Mariners. Was rooting for them. Tough way to go out, man. Walks will haunt, man. You just You just It’s what makes baseball so brutal, but so great at the same time. one swing of the bat, 12 pitches or whatever it was, you know, for for for the walks and into the into the home run and for it to be Springer and oh my goodness. I mean, there’s just so many layers. So many layers and and and and that’s it. It’s it’s it’s what just makes winning a World Series so special because it’s so hard, so difficult to do. All right, crazy connection here I want to finish out the show with here uh for that Patrick Lines pointed out. Uh let’s do that coming up next on today’s episode of Locked on Rockies. Before we do that though, got to tell you about the folks that help make this show possible. That includes game time. 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It’s faster, cheaper, and less stressful than any other way I’ve bought tickets. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on MLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms do apply. Again, that’s promo code LOL Ko NLB for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go download game time today. All right, locked on Rockies here. Segment number three coming to a close on this episode of Locked on Rockies, the 21st day. Uh, I want to just read this uh crazy stat here and I’ll also read some comments from the Locked on Rockies YouTube comment section to close out the day. But Patrick Lines here on Twitter, the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays do what the 201516 team helmed by Troy Tulowitzky couldn’t win the ALCS and reach the World Series. A decade later, the final three outs come courtesy of Jeff Hoffman, the top prospect included in the trade that brought Tulo over from the Rockies. What are the odds of that? Isn’t that crazy? I I mean I mean and and just talking about the the the full circle there and you’re just talking about Jeff Hoffman being you know another example of a Rocky that that is going to carve himself has the chance to carve himself a a World Series story. Allah John Gray uh you know these these great pitchers that that that helped the Rockies before um guess but wasn’t Hoffman a starter for the Rockies? I was trying to remember that. I don’t believe I don’t believe he was out of the bullpen for for the Rockies, but Carlos Cast again, you know, he’s been on a bunch of teams, been successful. Just because you’re a Rocky’s pitcher doesn’t mean you’re bad. And uh there’s been plenty of examples of Rocky’s pitchers going in. I I just thought that that was very interesting. And of course, you know, it’s a it’s it’s a huge thing. I think, you know, of course, when you’re talking about Hoffman being drafted by the Blue Jays, getting traded just a year later, going through his entire journey to get back to the Blue Jays there and then to go out and have that dominant performance to shut the door uh and get the job done for the Blue Jays. What a moment. What a moment for uh for for Toronto as they try to take down the Dodgers in the championship. All right, let’s uh take a look at the locked on Rocky’s YouTube channel for some comments here. Let’s see. Um uh Luke says, “I appreci that the Rockies team lacks major league talent. We have to reach in order to call five of our position players MLB caliber. Goodman, Tovar, Doyle, Moniac, Beck, and Rocky’s fans are so sick me that we’re we’re ready to run this back this exact same outfield for 2026 after the worst season in baseball history.” And and this is a question for a bigger this is a topic for a bigger time and maybe I’ll get into that this week. Maybe maybe even we’ll see where it takes us here. But if but right now, Purple Row is doing their uh ranking the Rockies series where they’re all basically their whole thing is they rank the Rockies based on wins above replacement. Here’s here’s again how it’s described. I’ve described this as the purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The ranking is an organizing principle that’s drawn from baseball references war. It is not something the staff debated. They’ll begin with the player with the lowest war and end up with the player with the highest war. Chris Bryant finished the season with a negative.5 war. Mickey Monia finished the season with negative.6. Are we really ready to fully buy into the Mickey Moniac hype immediately? My mic my mic is, you know, was wondering the same thing. So I I I’m with you. Reach is is tough. But I would say Goodman, Tovar, and Doyle. Doyle’s glove, even though it regressed, I I do think Doyle, they’re all MLB caliber. And I think Beck has a strong chance, too. If he if he can if he follows LA this year up with the strong season, an improved season, I think that he won’t be as much of a reach. But I I I feel you there. And uh honestly, we’re out of time, folks. You got to leave more comments. You got to keep letting me know what’s on your mind. Got plenty more uh comments there. We got lots of Rockies fans uh talking with each other, hanging out in the Lockown Rockies YouTube comment section. So, go check that out there. Let me know what’s on your mind. Fire off your Rocky’s hot takes in there. Tell me what uh your World Series hot takes are, what you think the Rockies should be learning from these two teams. Folks, I am Paul Holden wrapping things up on today’s episode of Locked On Rockies. For your second listen of the day, go check out Locked On MLB. And if you need more Colorado sports coverage, Locked On Broncos, Avalanche Nuggets, and Buffs free and streaming on your favorite streaming services. Until next time, I’m Paul Holden saying so long from the Lockdown Rockies podcast.

The World Series is set and it features two teams who the Colorado Rockies would love to be. What can the Rockies take away from the Blue Jays and Dodgers?

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