The former Rockies’ 15th-round pick came back to Coors
Welcome to the 2024 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2024. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
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No. 16, Sam Hilliard: 0.4 rWAR
We all know Sam Hilliard’s story.
The 6’4” 236-pound outfielder was drafted in the 15th round of the 2015 MLB Draft from Wichita State University. He made his way up through the Rockies’ minor league system and his MLB debut on August 27, 2019. Hilliard would spend four seasons with the Rockies before being traded to the Atlanta Braves for Dylan Spain during the 2022 offseason.
Hilliard then played in the Braves system for a year (although spent most of the year battling a heel injury) before being placed on waivers and claimed by the Baltimore Orioles, who then put him on waivers again in February 2024 before he made his way back to Coors.
He was DFA’d in March, but went unclaimed and was outrighted before being brought back to the MLB roster on June 21.
“It gives you a little bit of perspective going around and being the new guy on a different team, making new relationships, and learning from different guys that you play with,” Hilliard said in September.
“During my time with the Braves last year, I was playing with a couple of different superstars, just watching the way they go about their business, taking things from them — little bits and pieces and seeing if it worked for me. It’s cool to get a fresh perspective, and I don’t think a lot of guys get to just go right back to where they came from. I think it’s definitely a unique situation that I’m in, and this feels like home to me, so I’m glad to be back.”
As a fourth outfielder, Hilliard played 58 games in 2024, slashing .239/305/.507 with 10 homers in his return to purple pinstripes. Defensively, Hilliard was average in Colorado, posting a -2 DRS and 1 OAA.
But with that fresh perspective from different teams, the 30-year-old also finds himself in a new role on this Rockies team: a veteran leader.
“The perspective has helped me help [the young talent on this team] if they need help in any certain way,” Hilliard said.
“I started the season in Triple-A, so I played with a lot of these young guys that are up right now, and just developing those relationships with guys and getting close to them and gaining trust has been huge. And hopefully they can look at me as a resource if they want. I know how valuable guys like that were for me when I was young, so if I can be that for somebody else, that’ll be a huge thing for me.”
Another thing that Hilliard worked on this year was his swing. And it all started with some mental adjustments.
“The number one adjustment that I’ve made that felt good for me is not a mechanical one, but it’s more of a mindset, if you will. It’s an ability to go up there and truly feel relaxed,” Hilliard said.
“When I first got into the big leagues, the first couple of years, it was hard for me to get in that moment because I put a lot of pressure on my at-bats and the at-bats in between. I didn’t really know how to deal with the adrenaline of the situation. So I think the amount of time I’ve gotten to play has helped me figure out how to get to that spot.”
However, he also did make some mechanical adjustments.
“The main thing that I did, and I kinda started it in Triple-A this year, is tipping my barrel towards the pitcher and the knob towards the catcher,” he said. “It helps me get away from the really bad habit that I have of getting flat with my back when I start my swing, which causes me to be flat through the zone and in and out with the bat.
“Then when I go to swing, it slots it better into a more vertical path, helping me have better direction towards the pitcher and towards the middle of the field,” he continued. “And looking at it on camera, it’s not a huge adjustment. It’s just enough for me to hit the pitches that I should hit whereas in the past, I found myself missing a lot more. My problem has always been the dumping of my hands in the back, so that’s helped me.”
Now, there is still tension there because of the crowded outfield. Nolan Jones and Brenton Doyle are stalwarts, and others are making the case for why they should start in 2025. The retirement of Charlie Blackmon opens up a veteran leadership spot and a backup to any one of the three outfield spots.
Could Hilliard take on that role in 2025? He certainly thinks so.
“It’s not really for me to say, but I believe in my ability to play every day for this team and win games,” Hilliard said. “I think I’ve been able to show that I can hit against lefties and against righties, my defense has always kind of been there, so ultimately that’s for [Bud Black] to decide. But I’m really confident in my abilities, and I think I can be a big piece of this team.”
His 2024 season was a redemption year for Sam Hilliard, both professionally and personally. And both came together when the Rockies celebrated ALS Awareness Night on September 15. During that game, Hilliard and his family (and their foundation) presented two ALS families with support — Randy Eichner was given an electric wheelchair, and CSU freshman Dmitri Gorely received a scholarship.
“The highlight of my season was probably the ALS Night that the Rockies put together,” Hilliard said. “We got to do some cool stuff that night before the game — giving a kid a scholarship who lost a family member to ALS, and also be a part of giving away a power chair for someone who really needed it. It was a special night, and only a couple days after the three-year anniversary of my dad’s passing.
“I didn’t start that night, but I came in for a big spot and hit a pinch-hit home run. It was a really cool moment. All of my family were texting me and calling me and saying how proud they were, so it was cool to do something special for them.”
Hilliard will likely have to fight for the fourth outfielder spot in 2025, but he is a homegrown guy who means a lot to this team, so he might have that edge as he keeps solidifying himself on this team.