Colorado Rockies Position Preview: Catcher

We are less than two months away from Opening Day 2013, and Rockies fans need to get into the baseball spirit at some point. Every other day for the next month or so, I will be posting a preview for each position on the Rockies. I’ll post who I expect to play there, how I expect them to perform, among other topics.

We’re going to start the preview out with the catcher position. If nobody saw my article on my two Rockies players to look out for this year, you might want to take a look. I mentioned how I can see Tyler Colvin and Wilin Rosario having good seasons for the Rockies this year, and Rosario is first on my list for players to preview.

Wilin Rosario was a rookie last season, and posted the best numbers on the team, of course behind Carlos Gonzalez. He is only 23-years old, and has a very bright future ahead of him. There aren’t many players on the Rockies you can say are “up-and-coming”, but if I had to pick one, it would definitely be this guy.

Sept. 28, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario (20) chases down a wild pitch in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

In that article, I did a whole breakdown between Rosario and a couple other National League rookies from a season ago. Rosario’s numbers may have been the best out of him, Bryce Harper, and Todd Frazier, but he barely got any credit. I think that changes this year.

In a lineup that looks pretty weak heading into 2013, Rosario may end up being one of the more reliable hitters in it. You obviously have Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki, and Michael Cuddyer on that list, but come October, I can see Rosario being right up there. He’s a young catcher who has already developed into a good player, and people often refer to catcher as the toughest position on the field.

Assuming he stays healthy, which is never any guarantee for a Major League athlete, especially at the catcher position, I see Rosario starting roughly 125 games, with about 145 games played in all together. Hitting in Coors Field for 50% of your games is always a big perk, and I don’t see thirty home runs being out of reach. It’s obviously a huge goal as only 22 players in the league did it last year, but Rosario had 28 homers last season, and he is only going to improve.

August 2, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies pinch hitter Wilin Rosario (20 is greeted by catcher Ramon Hernandez (55) after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field. The Rockies won 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Rosario’s backup this season will be the veteran, Ramon Hernandez. Say what you want about the 36-year old, but there aren’t many backups in the league better than him. He’s in his final years of a successful career, and will not be remembered all that much once he calls it quits, but he’s an overall solid baseball player who will definitely help out off the bench. He handles pitching staffs well and will hopefully be able to teach Rosario a couple things over their last year or two together.

There you have it, my preview of the catcher position for the 2013 Colorado Rockies. I’ve talked up Rosario’s a lot these past few articles and hopefully at the end of the season my readers will understand why.