Rockies rookie Sean Bouchard had the answers in Monday night’s 2-1 victory over the Dodgers.
Bouchard responded to Tony Gonsolin’s 93.6 mph fastball, left over the middle, with a second-inning double off the base of the left-center-field wall. Alex Vesia tried to fool him with a seventh-inning slider, and a reaching Bouchard yanked it past third base for a double. Brusdar Graterol threw 98.5 mph in the ninth. Bouchard went easy the other way for a single that set up Michael Toglia’s game-winning double.
And Bouchard added a solo homer off the Dodgers’ Julio Urías on Tuesday night's 5-2 win over Los Angeles.
Bouchard is checking all the boxes during his Major League trial, given his .306 batting average, .452 on-base percentage, three home runs, 11 RBIs and six doubles going into Wednesday. Most of the production has come since being recalled on Aug. 30.
But there is an answer Bouchard doesn’t have. Bouchard’s success has come largely against contending teams -- namely the Braves, Padres and Dodgers -- while playing for a last-place club testing out its young players. Current production suggests he can fill several needs, as a batter with a discerning enough eye that works at home and on the road, a versatile fielder (he plays outfield and some first base), athletic (12 Triple-A steals) and, lest anyone forget, under a low service time salary.
But what happens when he reports to 2023 Spring Training, when the statistics don’t count, but the performance means everything?
“I guess I’ll let you know in March what it feels like,” Bouchard said, flashing the smile of a man having too much fun today to think five months ahead. “I’m focused on right now. I mean, I know we’re out of the playoffs but there’s a lot of learning to be done, and experiences to be had.”
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Before becoming a kinesthetic learner -- learning by doing, which is the best style for an athlete -- Bouchard was forced to be a visual and auditory student. Called up from Triple-A Albuquerque for the first time in June, Bouchard appeared in three games and went 0-for-7 with two walks and two strikeouts before landing on the injured list with a left oblique strain.
“It was a bummer that I got hurt -- that was the elephant in the room, the obvious thing,” he said. “But I could go one of two ways. I could put my head down and be bummed or try to make a positive out of a negative situation. The positive was I could rehab here and be around the team for a few more weeks.
“When you first get called up, things can be a little chaotic. [It's] a whirlwind physically, mentally, emotionally. I was able to take a big step back, be in the clubhouse and dugout, take in the game and observe the best players in the game, not only on our team but teams we play against.”
Bouchard went back to Albuquerque after the injury and performed much the same way as before his first promotion (.300, 20 HR, 56 RBIs in 69 Triple-A games). When he returned to Colorado, he was free from the rush of being in the Majors, which can impede many players. Plus, during the six-game series against the Dodgers, he has been playing in front of family and friends. Bouchard is from San Diego, and he played at UCLA.
“You get to play in the big leagues, not a lot of people get this chance, and it’s definitely not lost on me that this is not something that lasts forever,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s big, but it’s still baseball. There's a job to do and there’s an emphasis on that part, but it’s supposed to be fun. That’s how I grew up playing the game.”
The deep breath Bouchard took has allowed his game to match the Minor League scouting report.
“There's an on-base tool via the walk and controlling the strike,” manager Bud Black said. “He doesn’t expand the strike zone a lot. The shorter stroke plays in the big leagues. It’s not a complicated swing. It’s pretty direct to the ball. He’s shown that very well, especially here recently. It shows his on-base potential is real.”
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TRIVIA
Who posted the highest on-base percentage in a month -- among rookies -- in Rockies history?
A.) Nolan Arenado
B.) Sean Bouchard
C.) Todd Helton
D.) Ian Stewart
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The Rockies expected this year’s starter depth to include righty Peter Lambert, who debuted in 2019 but has appeared in just two Major League games since due to a lengthy return from a 2020 Tommy John surgery. However, Lambert ran into setbacks this year and underwent PRP treatment.
Lambert was back on the mound on Tuesday. He started and pitched two innings (five hits, two earned runs, three strikeouts, one walk) for the Salt River Rafters in their 11-9 loss to the Glendale Desert Dogs.
The hope is Lambert, 25, a second-round MLB Draft pick in 2015, can throw about 30 innings in the Arizona Fall League and turn into a possibility for Major League duty next season.
Two lefties also are on the mend, both from shoulder surgery. No. 20 Rockies prospect Ryan Rolison, whose operation occurred in June, is expected to be a little behind healthy pitchers next Spring Training. No. 30 Helcris Olivarez, whose shoulder capsule surgery occurred in August, might not be a factor until next August.
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TRIVIA ANSWER
D.) Ian Stewart
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Stewart posted a .519 OBP in July 2008. Bouchard came close, with a .508 in September. |
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