Brenton Doyle has been one of many brightest spots amidst a horrible two-year run for the Rockies. The previous fourth-round choose has emerged as a high quality on a regular basis heart fielder. Doyle has gained Gold Gloves in every of his first two MLB seasons. The protection was the one worth he supplied as a rookie, as he was arguably the league’s worst common hitter in 2023. He took an enormous step ahead in his sophomore season to interrupt out as a high quality all-around contributor.
Doyle hit .260/.317/.446 with 23 dwelling runs throughout 603 plate appearances final season. That is basically league common offense based on park-adjusted metrics that account for Coors Area. That is a serious leap from his .203/.250/.343 displaying as a rookie. Doyle can be an All-Star caliber participant if he can merely preserve league common manufacturing on the plate. He leads all outfielders in Statcast’s Outs Above Common since making his debut. Solely Daulton Varsho has extra Defensive Runs Saved. Doyle might be a high three defensive outfielder within the sport. He went 30-35 on stolen base makes an attempt final 12 months.
Final season’s offensive strides got here with an actual change in course of. The precise-handed hitter had a markedly improved plate self-discipline profile. He reduce his strikeout price by virtually 10 proportion factors. After fanning 35% of the time throughout his rookie season, he struck out at a 25.4% clip final 12 months. He chased fewer pitches off the plate and elevated his stroll price by a pair factors. Amongst gamers with 400+ plate appearances in every season, solely Purple Sox’s catcher Connor Wong had an even bigger enchancment in his strikeout price. Nobody took a extra important step ahead than Doyle in making contact on a per-pitch foundation.
That presents an attention-grabbing analysis. The bullish case is that it demonstrates Doyle’s capability to make offensive changes, maybe hinting at a good increased ceiling as he enters his third season towards large league pitching. Then again, it is truthful to surprise if final 12 months’s enchancment is totally sustainable. Gamers do not at all times progress linearly. Doyle’s numbers tailed off within the second half, particularly in September. He nonetheless made way more contact late final season than he had as a rookie, however his .234/.274/.407 line popping out of the All-Star Break is much beneath the .276/.343/.471 mark he carried into it.
Even amidst their rebuild, the Rockies have prioritized locking up gamers they contemplate key items. They’ve had combined outcomes on that entrance. The Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland extensions have not panned out. Ryan McMahon’s manufacturing has been up-and-down. Final spring’s $63MM funding in Ezequiel Tovar appears to be like like one of the best of the bunch, because the 23-year-old shortstop had a powerful second full season within the majors.
Is Doyle subsequent in line? Patrick Saunders of the Denver Publish wrote a pair weeks in the past that Colorado has had some inside conversations concerning the chance. What sort of costs might the crew and Doyle’s camp on the Ballengee Group focus on?
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