Colorado Rockies news and links for Thursday, February 13, 2025
Aw yeah, baby! Football season has ended (well, fall football, anyway) and pitchers and catchers have officially begun working to ramp up for the regular season.
It’s a wonderous time, as “best shape of their life” posts fly, and speculation abounds about who will make the cut and earn a spot on the Colorado Rockies when they take the field in March to kick off the 2025 campaign.
While some players look to secure a roster spot, others seek to bounce back from their struggles in ‘24. New keystone commander Thairo Estrada is among this category, looking to return to a 2023 form that endeared him to Giants fans, while the oft-discussed Kris Bryant will do his best to stay healthy and live up to the record-breaking contract he inked almost four years ago.
And then, of course, there’s Nolan Jones.
While there are a few different players that will be trying to get back to a good place, I’d argue that he is one of the most important to Colorado’s future plans for success.
The presumptive starting left fielder was electric in his MLB debut, becoming an instant sensation and exciting fans as to what he’d deliver as he became more comfortable in the big leagues.
As we now know, Jones experienced some setbacks in his sophomore season and found himself battling injuries and ineffectuality throughout last year. Now, though, he appears to be more settled in both on and off the field, and seems poised to remind fans why he was a top-five finalist for Rookie of the Year.
We’re baseball fans (nerds), though — words mean nothing to us. We need the stats! What story do the numbers tell?
Well, there’s reason to be optimistic.
While Jones was certainly embattled through the first half of the season, he seemed to flip a switch in the second half and began to barrel the ball up more effectively as the season continued. While of course it wasn’t a patch on ‘23, it was still a positive sign to see his in-season adjustments pay dividends before the year was up. That was especially true in the last week of the season, which saw Jones hit .416 during his final seven games.
Those good swings largely came on fastballs, though Jones did find some success against sweepers and sinkers as well. The Pennsylvanian slugger has shown the ability to tee up offspeed pitches in the past, and that’s something he’ll need to focus on in ‘25 if he is to return to form, especially on a Rockies team that’s continuing to try to refine their approach at the plate.
Maybe a lineup adjustment will help.
Last season, Jones’ offensive output was directly tied to how low he batted in Colorado’s order. While I’m not saying he needs to hit eighth forever, it’s worth considering having the former second-round pick lengthen the lineup in the sixth or seventh spots, hopefully allowing hitters like Brenton Doyle, Ezequiel Tovar, and Ryan McMahon to thrive.
This may be a great opportunity for “NoJo” to stretch his legs as well.
The Rockies have famously shied away from stealing bases in recent years, but Jones’ skillset could allow him to be a baserunning threat to rival Brenton Doyle. His above-average speed is rivaled only by the aforementioned Doyle, and it’s not out of the question that productive, healthy seasons from both outfielders could culminate with 30 swiped bags apiece (Jones’ previous high is 20 in 2023). Manager Bud Black would no doubt love the extra offensive possibilities that these dual threats could bring to his dugout.
The last of Jones’ weapons is the one attached to his shoulder — his absolute cannon right arm. Possessing arguably the single most powerful throwing potential in MLB, Colorado’s defense is significantly bolstered simply by having Jones patrolling Coors Field’s spacious greenery. Fans may raise an eyebrow at this statement, likely remembering the miscues that Jones experienced at the beginning of last year, but there’s reason to believe that those were isolated incidents not indicative of his overall ability to play the field.
Jones may not possess the Gold Glove fielding potential that his teammate Brenton Doyle does, but playing a league-average left field while gunning down opposing baserunners looking to score is still a massive boon to the Rockies.
These tools make Jones one of the most naturally-gifted athletes in Colorado’s organization, and one hopes that he can put them all together to get back to top form. As the Rockies continue to rebuild (how long have we been saying that, huh?), Jones likely factors as a key component in both their outfield alignment and middle-of-the-lineup plans.
However, new stars are always waiting in the wings, and players such as Zac Veen and Yanquiel Fernandez appear to be on the verge of making their debut in The Show. It’s probably a bit too soon to imply that they might supplant Jones for playing time, but if nothing else, this season is likely going to be crucial in determining exactly where he fits into the organization’s grand design.
That can all come later, though.
For now, Jones appears healthy and motivated, ready to take the field and begin his revenge tour. We’ve got about a month and half before we see what fruits his labors bear, but in the meantime we can be excited and optimistic that the fan-favorite star will prove the doubters wrong.
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