Wednesday Rockpile: An early check in on TJ Rumfield

What Needs Work

Perhaps the biggest thing that Rumfield will need to continue working on is adjusting to secondary pitches. Because of his ability to hit the fastball, pitchers have begun throwing more pitches low and out of the zone. Breaking balls generally haven’t given him too many fits as he is slashing .265/.260/.353 while seeing breaking balls at a 39.3% clip. Still, he has a 35.9% whiff rate against breaking pitches, specifically sliders (48%). Rumfield has a 50% strikeout rate against the slider with a .231 AVG against it. Offspeed pitches have also been a bothersome pitch, although he doesn’t see them as often since the change in speed isn’t as effective against his contact abilities as a severe breaking pitch is. Learning to adjust to and combat those secondary pitches will be Rumfield’s greatest challenge. He certainly can make that adjustment, and a greater sample size will give a clearer idea of what he can do over the next month of games. Another of the great challenges facing Rumfield is something plaguing all left-handed batters: left-handed pitching. In just 14 plate appearances against southpaws, Rumfield is slashing .143/.143/.143 with two hits. Again, it’s a small sample size, but the fact that he puts the ball in play is something since he has just one strikeout against left-handed pitching. The fact of the matter is that the things Rumfield needs to work on are getting into nitpicking territory, which is a good problem to have. The well-rounded nature of his bat gives him a good base that can translate to success and growth in multiple areas, and the chance to develop against big league pitching is what is best for him. As time rolls on and the at-bats stack up, Rumfield will be put to the test. The early signs show a promising end result, and once he can string together a couple of multi-hit games consistently, it’s going to be hard to deny that Rumfield is a legitimate big-league bat that can help the Rockies in the climb back to relevance.

On the Farm

**Triple-A:** Albuquerque Isotopes @ Sacramento River Cats (POSTPONED) The rain picked up in California, moving the series opener to Wednesday. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday, April 25. **Double-A:** Hartford Yard Goats 9, Portland Sea Dogs 7 The Hartford Yard Goats rebounded from an early deficit and held the lead, staving off a rally in the bottom of the ninth to win the series opener. Jake Brooks made the start, working four innings and allowing four runs on six hits. The middle relievers allowed just one run, while Sam Weatherly escaped the ninth with two runs allowed to secure the victory. The Yard Goats managed nine hits in the game, matching Portland. Bryant Betancourt had a three-hit night with a pair of doubles, while Jose Torres belted a solo shot in the second inning. Roc Riggio also drove in a pair of runs in the game. **High-A:** Everett AquaSox 5, Spokane Indians 2 Runs were hard to come by in the game until the AquaSox broke the seal in the bottom of the sixth. Yujanyer Herrera tossed three scoreless innings to start the game for Spokane, followed by Bryson Hammer, who performed admirably, allowing just one run in four innings of work, but had to take the loss. Things got out of hand in the bottom of the eighth when Hunter Mann was tagged for four runs on three hits. The Indians managed two runs in the top of the ninth courtesy of a two-run home run from Jacob Humphrey. The offense managed just three hits in the game while striking out 14 times with two walks. **Low-A:** Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5, Fresno Grizzlies 4 After allowing five runs in the first two innings, the Fresno Grizzlies had to play catch-up and couldn’t overtake the Quakes. Marcos Herrera started on the mound and took the loss after giving up all five runs in 1.2 innings alongside four walks. The bullpen, led by Austin Emener’s 3.1 innings, performed well the rest of the way, allowing just two hits the rest of the way. Tanner Thach continued his hot stretch, contributing a pair of hits while Roldy Brito had a triple and drove in a pair of runs in the game. Colorado Rockies claim Blas Castaño, DFA Luis Peralta | Purple Row The Rockies made a waiver claim on Tuesday. Renee Dechert gives a quick overview of the new right-handed. Paul DePodesta’s Rockies move: ‘Moneyball’ at a midlife crisis or Colorado’s best bet? ($) Brittany Ghiroli wrote out a deep dive into Paul DePodesta’s time with the Cleveland Browns and his quest to bring the Rockies back to relevance. Affected by Altitude Episode 207: Gone Fishin’ | Rocky Mountain Rooftop This week, Evan Lang and I talk about the early struggles of Willi Castro before moving on to talk about the home and road splits for the club. Also, is there something fishy about the Rockies’ swinging aggression?

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

• Fewer ads
• Create community posts
• Comment on articles, community posts
• Rec comments, community posts
• New, improved notifications system! *Please keep in mind ourPurple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!*