The Colorado Rockies have seemed reinvigorated recently. 5-5 in their last ten contests entering Wednesday’s affair with the Dodgers, the oppressive heat of June has seemed to bring with it optimism and better play from the residents of Coors Field. Players such as Jordan Beck and Tyler Freeman are providing offense to a lineup that needed some spark, while Hunter Goodman continues to make his case for a trip to Atlanta in the All-Star Game. Even Germán Márquez is starting to turn a corner.

Things are looking up.

Unfortunately, not everyone is experiencing the same degree of positive turnaround on the field. Brenton Doyle, the unquestioned MVP of the 2024 season for the Rox, has been searching for success since the outset of this year’s campaign.

Well, that’s actually not quite right.

Doyle got off to a hot start when he collected his in 10 of Colorado’s first 12 games. The last of those was on April 10th against the Milwaukee Brewers, a game that saw Doyle knock four hits (including a double and a home run) and drive in five runs en route to a commanding 7-2 victory. Doyle laid down in bed that night owning an average north of .320 and an OPS over .900. Not too shabby at all.

It’s been tough going since then.

Doyle had to miss some time early due to a quadriceps issue, and that seemed to mark a turning point in his season. He made his return on April 16th, but hasn’t quite looked the same.

Doyle has since hit at a .161 clip, homering just twice and finding consistency hard to come by. He’s striking out more and walking less than he did last season — albeit not by a huge margin — and he has the lowest batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage of any Rockie receiving decent playing time, all amounting to a -0.8 oWAR, per Baseball Reference. Baseball Savant ranks that in the lowest echelon of MLB hitters. Suffice to say, it’s been a summer to forget for the man that broke out into stardom just a year ago.

In 19 games in June, Doyle is slashing .143/.183/.208, yet to hit a round-tripper and having walked just four times compared to 23 strikeouts. Manager Warren Schaeffer seems to be acutely aware of the issues plaguing his Gold Glove-winning outfielder, giving him the day off on Wednesday in favor of Sam Hilliard in center field.

In fairness, it’s not all bad news for Doyle.

He remains one of the best center fielders in the game, with an unparalleled ability to read balls in the air and gun down runners on the bases (though Baseball Reference actually has his dWAR at -0.8 as well).

He also remains a valuable asset on the basepaths, something that’s valuable to one of the least-aggressive teams in terms of stolen bases.

Unfortunately, it’s his bat that’s holding him back.

It’s not necessarily his fault — Doyle appears to be a victim of brutal luck, as Baseball Savant notes him as owning an XBA of .246 and an XSLG of .416. Still, his stats are what they are, and it’s becoming harder to blame Lady Luck for all of these issues.

With the season nearing its halfway point and the Rockies firmly out of any reasonable contention window, it may be worth considering a tough scenario: giving Doyle a reset in Triple-A Albuquerque.

Hang on now. Put the pitch forks down, and hear me out.

In no way do I think that Doyle is anything but a bona fide MLB talent. He’s gone through incredible hardship on and off the field, and despite all that, there’s no question in my mind that he owns one of the highest ceilings on this current iteration of the Rockies roster. At the same time, it’s clear that he’s having a hard time in the batter’s box, potentially pressing in hopes of igniting the spark within. Maybe a quick detour to the Isotopes would serve as a way for Doyle to reset his body and mind for the better.

After all, Michael Toglia was in a similar situation just recently. His demotion came as a surprise at the time, but the time away from the bright lights of the Majors seems to have paid dividends for the switch-hitting first baseman as he’s hitting .303 since his return.

Maybe a short stint in Triple-A could provide Doyle with similar results. Or maybe sitting on Wednesday will help. Either way, it’s a shame to see last year’s most valuable Rockie become their least. Exactly what needs to be done to return Brenton Doyle to 2024’s prominence is hard to say, but I hope something is done soon. Right now, it’s hard to justify letting things continue as they are.

On the farm

Triple-A: Las Vegas Aviators 13, Albuquerque Isotopes 2

In the first of a few lopsided games on Wednesday, the Isotopes found themselves unable to match the offensive output of the Aviators as they lost big.

Five total hits – four of which came from the top three hitters in the lineup – weren’t going to cut it for Albuquerque, especially when Las Vegas piled on the runs against each member of the ‘Topes bullpen. Only Zach Agnos escaped the game unscathed.

Double-A: New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2, Hartford Yard Goats 1

The Yard Goats could muster just four hits against a game Fisher Cats pitching staff, which wasn’t quite enough for the win.

After New Hampshire took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, the Yard Goats found themselves unable to respond until GJ Hill’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. Unfortunately, that would be the only offense they could muster as the Fisher Cats worked out of that inning without further damage and collected the victory.

High-A: Spokane Indians 8, Hillsboro Hops 1

A five-run fourth inning was the difference-maker as the Indians rolled over the Hops with relative ease.

Jared Thomas led the way with two hits and an RBI, while EJ Andrews two RBI and two runs scored. Spokane’s bullpen threw 4 1⁄3 innings of scoreless relief after Braxton Hyde’s solid start.

Single-A: Stockton Ports 18, Fresno Grizzlies 4

Oof. In the most lopsided loss of the day, the Grizzlies were completely overpowered by the Ports in a game that was decided early on.

Fresno’s pitchers had it rough, as Angel Jimenez allowed three runs, Justin Loer eight, and Yanzel Correa six. The offense actually tallied 15 hits – just two less than Stockton – but went 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Roynier Hernandez and Derek Bernard each had three hits, while Robert Calaz and Blake Wright tallied two apiece.

For more on the Rockies farm system, check out this week’s Pebble Report.

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On the internet

Rockies Young Star Catcher Has Been Bright Spot in Otherwise Dark Season | Sports Illustrated

Of course we know that Hunter Goodman has been tearing it up this season, but it’s nice to see him gain some recognition on a wider scale.

The Rockies Are Having Their Worst Season Ever, but Drew Goodman’s at the Top of His Game | Westword

Drew Goodman is as much as staple of the Rockies as anyone. Westword breaks down why he’s such an integral part of the baseball experience in Denver.

NL West clubs could shake up Trade Deadline. Here’s how | MLB.com

Expect to see quite a few speculative articles like these in the coming weeks.

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