
The more time Rosenior got, the worse Chelsea became
Liam Rosenior's time at Chelsea started strong but ended in decline.
Rookie TJ Rumfield is making a strong impression with the Colorado Rockies, boasting a .253 batting average and solid plate discipline. However, he needs to improve his performance against secondary pitches and left-handed pitchers.
A glance at his stat line paints a quality picture for Rumfield. In 23 games entering Tuesday, he is slashing .253/.310/.405 with a double, a triple, three home runs, 11 RBI, and seven runs scored. Additionally, he has 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 87 plate appearances. Itâs the plate discipline that immediately stands out for Rumfield upon further inspection and is the proof of the pudding as to why Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes pulled the trigger on bringing him in. Sporting a 17.2% strikeout rate, Rumfield ranks with the second-lowest on the team, just behind Tyler Freeman (15.0%). On the flip side, he has slotted in at a league average 8.0% walk rate, which is a massive positive considering his seven walks rank third on the team behind (14) and (8). The zone awareness has also been highlighted and helped Rumfield maintain some consistency at the plate. Per Baseball Savant, Rumfieldâs 92.7% zone contact rate tops the Rockies, which correlates with his 22.3% whiff rate that ranks third-lowest on the team. Add in the fact that he doesnât chase excessively and youâve got a player with a veteran approach that can adjust to big league hitting. Equally impressive is that Rumfield is showing a capability of handling the fastball, something that canât always be said about young hitters, especially for the Rockies over the last few seasons. Rumfield is batting .294/.317/.559 against heaters with two home runs and just three strikeouts. Seeing a fastball 41.7% of the time, Rumfield has just a 6.7% whiff rate. Eliminating the fastballâs deadly tendencies, Rumfield is forcing pitchers to utilize other tools in their arsenal to attack him rather than binge on heaters. Quality at-bats, due to awareness of the zone, have reminded me of the start of , you may recall, who is in the Hall of Fame. Rumfield is nipping at the heels of Todd Heltonâs first 35 career games, and still has a whole season ahead of him, something Helton didnât have back in 1997. His approach at the plate is quite reminiscent of Heltonâs, and his ability to handle his position defensively also echoes âThe ToddFather.â There is a lot to like about Rumfield so far, but like any player, there is always work to be done to take the next step.
As of now, TJ Rumfield is slashing .253/.310/.405 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 23 games.
Rumfield is batting .294 against fastballs, with a 6.7% whiff rate and two home runs.
Rumfield has struggled against left-handed pitching, slashing .143 with just two hits in 14 plate appearances.
He needs to adjust to secondary pitches, particularly breaking balls and sliders, where he has a high whiff rate.

Liam Rosenior's time at Chelsea started strong but ended in decline.

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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 havenât 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 doesnât see them as often since the change in speed isnât as effective against his contact abilities as a severe breaking pitch is. Learning to adjust to and combat those secondary pitches will be Rumfieldâs 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, itâs 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, itâs 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.
**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 couldnât 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 Emenerâs 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 DePodestaâs Rockies move: âMoneyballâ at a midlife crisis or Coloradoâs best bet? ($) Brittany Ghiroli wrote out a deep dive into Paul DePodestaâs time with the Cleveland Browns and his quest to bring the Rockies back to relevance. Affected by Altitude Episode 207: Gone Fishinâ | 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 Rockiesâ swinging aggression?
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