The Colorado Rockies offense was awful in 2022.
By wRC+, they were MLB’s 26th-ranked offense with 86: 100 is considered league average.
It’s fair to say the Coors Field penalty affects their wRC+ (it includes a park factor), so if we go by a more traditional measure, which is runs scored, Colorado was 16th: still mediocre.
Evidently, the talent level in Colorado after Nolan Arenado was traded was not ideal: they finished last in the NL West this year with a 68-94 record.
They do intend to compete soon, otherwise they wouldn’t have signed Kris Bryant to a long-term deal.
To help fix their offensive woes, the organization is hiring Hensley Meulens.
“The Rockies have hired Hensley Meulens as hitting coach. He was most recently with the Yankees as assistant hitting coach,” MLB insider Robert Murray tweeted.
The Rockies have hired Hensley Meulens as hitting coach. He was most recently with the Yankees as assistant hitting coach.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) November 7, 2022
He Is In For A Big Challenge
After managing in the minor leagues for a few years, Meulens has mostly been a hitting coach in MLB.
He has worked with the San Francisco Giants (2010–2019), the New York Mets (2020), and the New York Yankees (2022).
He has three World Series rings from his time in San Francisco as their hitting coach in the Bruce Bochy days.
Besides Bryant, C.J. Cron, and perhaps Ryan McMahon, the Rockies don’t have too many above-average hitters on their roster, so Meulens is certainly facing a big challenge.
The Rockies have a former top prospect in Brendan Rodgers, and several promising hitters in the minors, but Meulens will no doubt face a lot of adversity.
He is good enough to provide new solutions and fresh ideas to the Rockies organization, though, and deserves an extended chance.
NEXT: Rockies Insider Reveals An Ongoing Nolan Arenado Problem