Colorado Rockies: Why Charlie Blackmon deserves the NL MVP
The Colorado Rockies five-tool outfielder Charlie Blackmon is a superstar who has gone under the radar but will he finally get the recognition he deserves?
Rocktober is back, with the Colorado Rockies making the postseason for the first time since 2009, doing so against all odds, due to the fact of playing in the brutal NL West with two other postseason teams, as well as bottom feeders in San Diego and San Francisco with loads of talent. They also had to fend off the surging Brewers and Cardinals who both ran out of gas, beating up one another in the process, leaving the Rockies alone for the final MLB playoff berth.
With an assortment of talent — MVP candidates Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado — and finally some decent arms — Jon Gray carrying the starting rotation and Greg Holland (who is finally over his mid-season struggles) as the hammer in the back-end of the pen, also with postseason experience with the Royals — the Rockies the balance within their squad to have reached the playoffs for the first time since their 2009.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Speaking of MVP hopefuls, I narrowed my NL top two candidates down to: Blackmon and the Washington Nationals first ever draft pick, Ryan Zimmerman, who is having his best season to date. After much thought and inner-debate, I finally settled on Blackmon as my NL MVP vote. He can do it all, folks. He plays Gold Glove caliber defense in center field, while playing 81 games in one of the largest MLB ballparks, chasing down balls in the gap and reeling in highlight play after highlight play. His stat-line also speaks for itself:
- .331 Batting Average
- 37 HR
- 137 Runs
- 104 RBI
- 14 SB
His 104 RBI is the most for a lead-off man in Major League Baseball history, previously held by former Los Angeles Angels outfielder Darin Erstad, who drove in 100 runs in 2000. Blackmon is also in contention to win one of the Gold Glove spots in the outfield as well.
Off the field, Blackmon is the true MVP. Don’t take my word for it, but take it from the mouth of babes, who we know cannot lie:
Blackmon’s biggest fan had the opportunity of a lifetime, where his hero arranged for the two to meet. What a moment:
If I had a vote for the National League MVP, here would be my top choices:
Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies
Justin Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers: .351, 15 HR, 72 Runs.
Honorable Mention: Bryce Harper would be high on my voting list, if not at the top spot if it wasn’t for that gruesome injury that kept him out for months.
Paul Goldschmidt is the front-runner to win the award from browsing around on social media, but I think that Blackmon deserves the nod, with his impact not only on the stat-line but his clutch play and impact on the team as a whole. There really isn’t much separation in stats and impact between the top four candidates, however, being one of the toughest NL MVP votes in years. One thing that will hurt the two Rockies sluggers is the fact they play on the same team, and more importantly, they both play 81 games in the thin air/high elevation of Coors Field, which MLB voters (for any award) take into strong consideration.
Next: Gray has the stuff to lead Colorado this postseason
Three NL MVP candidates are in action tonight when the Rockies travel to sunny Arizona for a winner-takes-all Wild Card game — 8 P.M. EST on TBS — with the victor heading west on the highway to Los Angeles to play the hated Dodgers.