Rockies outfielder enjoying success through ups an downs of MLB journey
Life as a professional baseball player has been quite a roller coaster for Colorado Rockies outfielder Sam Hilliard.
A 15th round draft pick by the Rockies in 2015, Hilliard’s career has had its share of ups and downs, dotted with frequent visits to the minor leagues as well as being on Colorado’s Opening Day roster for three-straight years (2020-22)
After his first four seasons in the Majors, the Wichita State product was traded by the Rockies to the Atlanta Braves. Then, after being waived by the Braves and claimed by the Baltimore Orioles in November 2023, the Orioles waived Hilliard three months later and his career path returned full circle when the Rockies brought him on board prior to the start of spring training in 2024.
After being designated for assignment by Colorado in March and a trip later to the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, the native of Mansfield, Texas, made it back to the parent club in late June.
What has Hilliard learned from all this movement during his professional career?
Perspective.
“Leaving and coming back gives you some good perspective,” he said. “You leave and go play with different guys, you gain things. You learn different ways to go about your business. You watch superstars do their thing. You take bits and pieces and apply it to your game … also just the time that I’ve spent in the league at this point.”
These lessons learned have proven to be invaluable.
“I’m by no means, like, a veteran in my opinion, but I’ve spent a lot of time and I’ve played quite a few games. I’ve learned how to just take a deep breath, just take a little bit more pressure off the bats and off of the game,” he said.
“I think that’s probably the most important thing and the reason why I have had success lately. I’ve felt much more relaxed in the batter’s box,” he continued. “If I have a bad game, I am not losing sleep over it like I used to. Obviously, you have to evaluate your performance and realize what you did wrong and make adjustments (like) a couple of mechanical adjustments in my swing here and there.
“But the main thing is that I’ve felt a lot more relaxed this year and I haven’t felt like I have had all that pressure on my at bats like I did when I was a young player.”
The numbers speak for themselves in showing how Hilliard has applied what he has learned with the perspective gained in his career journey.
A career .220 hitter, Hilliard is batting .241 entering the final three games of the 2024 season. That average was much higher before he experienced a 3-for-18 swoon at the plate in the last five games.
Still, since August 10, he is slashing .274/.321/.603 over his last 23 games (entering action of September 26). During that span, he has four doubles, one triple, six homers and 18 RBI. For the season, he has nine homers and 26 RBI.
The play of Hilliard and his improvement at the plate has not been lost on Colorado Manager Bud Black.
“Sammy, he’s producing. (He has an) over .800 OPS,” Black said. “He’s hit some homers. He’s getting some knocks. He’s getting on base. He’s playing good defense. He adds the speed element, too. So, I think the all-around game has been good.
“We’re trying to win every game we can and also give other guys opportunities,” he continued. “But Sammy’s playing time has been warranted by how he has been playing.”
Offensively, since his return, 15 of Hilliard’s 32 hits have been of the extra-base variety. He has a season-best five-game hitting streak and has hit .276 (8-for-29) with runners in scoring position. He is hitting .306 at Coors Field this season.
On defense, Hilliard started games in each of the three outfield positions during Colorado’s current trio of home games with the St. Louis Cardinals, and continues to make sparkling plays with the glove.
Starting in left field against the St. Louis Cardinals on September 24, the lefty-throwing Hilliard made a leaping catch at the fence to rob a Cardinal batter of extra bases in the eighth inning.
Then, an inning later, he raced to his left to run down a line drive to deny former Rockies teammate Nolan Arenado of a hit.
Hilliard has shown a flair for the dramatic in his career at the plate late in games.
In a home contest with the Chicago Cubs on September 14, his game-tying pinch-hit home run—the fifth pinch-hit home run of his career—with two outs in the ninth inning en route to the Rockies a 6-5 victory.
He has had three career pinch-hit homers to either tie a game or take the lead in the ninth inning or later to match Jason Giambi for the most in franchise history.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I didn’t feel pressure in those moments,” he said. “But I think it’s only as big as you make it. It’s all about how you respond mentally and emotionally to the moment.
“If it’s your first time in that situation,” he added, “I don’t care how mentally strong you are, it’s new. You are going to feel all sorts of emotions and adrenaline. I still feel that way. But just taking a deep breath and telling yourself it’s just another at bat…I’ve been lucky enough to have a pitch kind of in the area that I’m looking for in these situations where I’ve had success. All these things have to add up to the perfect recipe and then you have to take advantage of the opportunity.
“So, I’ve been blessed to have everything go my way. It doesn’t happen every time, obviously. But I think it’s mostly just learning from experience.”
The 2024 season is coming to its end and Hilliard is entering his second year of arbitration. With the retirement of Charlie Blackmon, the Rockies will likely look to fill his veteran outfield role. It’s possible that Hilliard could be the guy to step up in Blackmon’s absence, especially as a true backup center fielder to Brenton Doyle. But regardless, these are words from a Major League veteran whose perseverance and subsequent success has been gleaned through his changes in perspective.