Colorado Rockies: Carlos Gonzalez Heating Up At Perfect Time
Colorado Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez had a slow season at the plate in the first half, but he is currently putting the finishing touches on a hot month of September.
For a number of years now, Carlos Gonzalez has been an extremely productive bat for the Colorado Rockies. Between 2010-16, Gonzalez hit .296/.353/.535 while averaging 26 home runs per season.
However, the 2017 campaign has been a little bit of a struggle for CarGo. During the first half, he slashed only .221/.299/.338 with six home runs. That being said, he has been much better in the second half, hitting .310/.389/.515 with seven home runs.
Although he has battled a shoulder injury, September has been Gonzalez’s best month. With three games still remaining on the season, he has slashed a scorching .371/.488/.743 with five home runs so far in the month of September.
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Rockies nearing postseason berth
The Rockies are also on the verge of reaching the postseason. As of Thursday morning, Colorado holds a 2.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the second NL Wild Card spot. When the Rockies last reached the postseason in 2009, Gonzalez was an up-and-coming 23-year-old slugger. He hit .284/.353/.525 with 13 home runs in the regular season, and went on to hit an eye-popping .588/.632/.882 with a homer in the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The following year, Gonzalez had his breakout season, winning a batting title and finishing third in the NL MVP voting.
Clearly, the Rockies already have plenty of impact bats in their lineup. Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado are NL MVP candidates. Mark Reynolds has also been having an excellent season, far better than what was expected when he returned to the Rockies on a minor league deal in February. DJ LeMahieu, Gerardo Parra and Trevor Story have had good years at the plate as well.
But if Gonzalez can continue hitting the way that he has thus far in September, it will make the Rockies’ offense that much more dangerous heading into October, if and when they are fortunate enough to get there.
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Gonzalez will also be a free agent this winter as well. While it certainly appears that his stock has dropped a little this year, he is now reminding everyone just how good he can be. Moreover, if this is the final chapter of his career with the Rockies, it appears that he has a chance to make it a great one.