The all-time Colorado Rockies team that could've won it all
If you put the best player of all time at each position, could the Rockies win a World Series?
The Colorado Rockies are one of the youngest clubs in baseball’s storied history, but the team has penned its own legends with icons littering the diamond in one of the sport’s newest cathedrals.
Over the Rockies 32 seasons they’ve only reached the postseason five times, but each instance, including a 2007 trip to the World Series, the club was carried by extraordinary players. In fact, the Rockies have been lucky enough to boast players who have won individual awards at just about every position on the field. This is how we would assemble of the club’s all-time lineup
First Base: Todd Helton
Not only is Todd Helton the team's greatest first basemen of all time, he’s also the greatest Colorado Rockie of all time. He spent his entire 17-year career at Coors Field and attributed the team’s highest Wins Above Replacement (WAR) ever at 61.8.
Helton was truly a generational talent, finishing his career with a batting title, three-time Gold Glove winner, four-time Silver Slugger and five-time All-Star. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.
He is the face of the most iconic photo in team history, when he fell to his knee after catching the final out that sent the Rockies to the World Series.
Second Base: DJ LeMahieu
DJ LeMahieu was in Denver from 2012-18. During his time in purple, he won three Gold Gloves, two All-Star nods and won a batting title.
His attack was limited to base hits, which he did extremely well, even finishing with a NL-leading .348 batting average in 2016 giving him the first batting title of his career. LeMahieu still contributed a great 16.6 WAR during his time with Colorado, and is still swinging for the New York Yankees heading into 2025.
Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki
Honorable Mention: Trevor Story (26.8 WAR)
Troy Tulowitzki is a player all fans remember, nearly spending the first decade of his career with the Rox. He was a young buck when they made the World Series, even getting MVP votes that season, boasting a 109 on-base plus slugging percentage+ (OPS+). His impenetrable defense at shortstop and cheer to his nickname “Tulo” quickly turned him into a fan favorite.
Tulowitzki’s prime stretched an incredible six seasons, always being a well above-average bat, while collecting five all-star appearances and a pair of Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. Tulo would attribute 39.5 wins to the Rockies in his time.
Third Base: Nolan Arenado
Honorable Mention: Vinny Castilla (17.5 WAR)
Nolan Arenado is another staple in Rockies history and could go down as the greatest defender the team's ever had. He was drafted by Colorado in 2009 and stayed with the team until a blockbuster trade sent him to St. Louis in 2021.
Arenado was the face of the 2018 team that reached the NL Division Series, with the sixth most home runs that year with 38. He almost won the Gold Glove for a decade straight, but fell just short after an uncharacteristic 2023 season with the Cardinals. Nonetheless, every season he played for the Rockies ended with a Gold Glove.
What he accomplished with the Rockies was unprecedented, eight straight Gold Gloves and four straight Silver Slugger awards. He finished top eight in MVP voting for five seasons in a row. Those were just one side of his game, he was also the best fielder in the league.
From 2015 to 2021, odds are you could catch him leading the NL in putouts, assists, double plays turned and range factor per game, all while playing at the hot corner for 150 games a season.
Arenado finished with a 40.1 WAR playing with the Rockies, which is 3rd on the team all-time. He is fourth all-time in home runs and fifth in slugging percentage, while being the best statistical defender the team's ever had, with a 15.6 defensive WAR. Second most is Tulowitzki’s with 13.9
Left Field: Carlos Gonzalez
Honorable Mention: Matt Holiday (18.6 WAR)
Carlos Gonzalez fits right in with Tulo as a fan favorite. Known as “CarGo,” he was the prize package of the Matt Holiday trade, who was the best left fielder in club history until this sweet-swinging lefty joined the Rockies.
Cargo had his best season in 2010, finishing third in MVP voting off a high batting average year. That year, he led the NL in hits and average with .336 and nearly single-handedly took them into the postseason. His time with the Rockies would earn him three All-Star nods, three Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger wins, equating up to a 23.8 WAR.
While his production quickly diminished after leaving the Rockies in 2018, signing with Cleveland that fall, he is still a true Rockies legend.
Center Field: Charlie Blackmon
Charlie Blackmon has been through the thick and thin of Rockies baseball and just finished his career in 2024. “Chuck Nasty,” as he was known, was a homegrown pillar for Colorado since his debut in 2011, and every fan could sing his walk-up song from heart.
Since Helton was introduced earlier as the greatest Rockie of all time, Blackmon should be third on the list. He is second all-time in Rockies games played, hits, doubles, total bases, and leads the team in triples.
Blackmon consistently played 150 games a season and proved to be a valuable batter year in and year out. He wrapped up his 14-year career as a four-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and captured the 2017 batting title.
Right Field: Larry Walker
Next was the Rockies first Hall of Famer, Larry Walker. He struck his prime in the late 1990s, winning the NL MVP in 1997. That year, he swung a 1.172 OPS with 49 home runs. Not only could Walker hit for tremendous power, but his contact ability to get on base added up for some of the most eye-popping batting average’s you’ll see.
He retired in 2005 with seven Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, three batting titles and five All-Star appearances. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.
Catcher: Chris Iannetta
No catchers make an appearance in the Rockies Top 24 list of all-time WAR, but the greatest player the team's had at this position is Chris Iannetta. He played his first six years here after making his debut in 2006, then returned for the final two seasons of his career after a six-year hiatus.
He attributed a 7.0 WAR in his time, highlighted by his career 24% caught stealing percentage. Innetta had a good year at the plate in 08’, wielding a .895 OPS with 168 total bases.
Every player on this list was likely apart of one of two eras of Rockies baseball, either the late 2000s team that made it to the World Series or the late 2010s team that made back to back postseason appearances. Iannetta however bridges the gap between the two eras and played loyal to the team for eight seasons.
Starting Pitchers: Ubaldo Jiménez, Kyle Freeland, Aaron Cook, German Marquez
Honorable Mention: Jorge De La Rosa
The organization is infamous for always having negative pitching, but these four have contributed the most statically in their time spent at mile high.
First is Ubaldo Jiménez, who pitched for the Rockies from 2006-11, making his mark as a consistent starter for three years. He had his best year in 2010, finishing third in NL Cy Young voting with a tremendous 19-8 record and 2.88 earned run average (ERA).
He leads the team all-time in ERA, hits and home runs per nine innings pitched and more. Jiménez finished with an 18.3 WAR with the Rockies.
Second is surprisingly Kyle Freeland, who has analytically become one of the worst starting pitchers in the league over the last couple of seasons. He’s played his entire career with the Rockies and has had one true great season in 2018, with a 2.18 ERA and 17-7 record. Outside of that, he hasn’t had an ERA lower than four, but his eight years of pitching for the Rockies gives him the second most WAR with 17.9.
Third is Aaron Cook, who gave a decade added up to 17.1 WAR. Cook didn’t do anything especially well, but was a consistent starter for five years. He made an all star appearance in 2008 with 16 wins on the bump. Cook has the most starts and innings pitched of any Rockie with the second most wins, behind Jorge De La Rosa who just missed out on this list.
Last is another active arm, German Marquez. He has a 15.9 pitching WAR in his nine years, being a little more accurate than Freeland. Marquez has a 65-56 all-time record with a career 4.42 ERA and the most strikeouts in franchise history.
And that's the all-time Colorado Rockies team. The organization has seen some great players but hasn’t put it all together. Yet.
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