It’s right around 3 p.m. on a Saturday and the Colorado Rockies are preparing to take on the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of a three-game set. Players are shuffling in and out of the clubhouse, working through their various pregame warmups.
Brendan Rodgers, at only 22 years old, took a seat at his new locker in the Rockies clubhouse and before he could even catch a breath, the media were on his tail. Each member is eager to get an inside perspective of what the young infielder is thinking as his major league career begins to take form.
Between checking out the Rockies state-of-the-art workout facilities and clubhouse, Rodgers found himself in awe upon his arrival to his office for the foreseeable future, Coors Field.
Although he’s just a stone’s throw away from Albuquerque, New Mexico, home of the Rockies Triple-A affiliate where Rodgers started this season, things could not be more different for Rodgers then they were just days ago.
Rodgers is no longer scrapping together a plate of food in the minor leagues. He instead dines in the Rockies new players lounge, complete with a top-notch chef that prepares meals to fit the rigorous schedule of professional athletes.
A perk of being promoted to the big leagues is all the bells and whistles that come with it. For Rodgers, the days of riding the bus to small cities around the United States are gone. From now on, he’s flying the friendly skies with the rest of the big league club, all while fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a professional baseball player.
“The set-up in here is something I have never seen before,” Rodgers said. “It’s about as modern as it gets. From the food to the travel, it’s exceeded my expectations.”
Rodgers, the Rockies top prospect entering this season, was called up last week while Colorado was on an eight-game road trip.
He made an impact right away, driving in five runs and stringing together a four-game hitting streak through his first five starts.
Rodgers played in front of his home fans for the first time Friday night and showcased his spruce of talents, hitting an RBI single and making a spectacular defensive play down the right-field line.
The entire right side of the field is #MrRodgers neighborhood 🏠 pic.twitter.com/JltInDJx27
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 25, 2019
“I feel the same as I did in Triple-A,” Rodgers said of hitting at the big league level. “After the first game, I started to get back in my groove. I feel like I have my rhythm. Just need to be a little bit more selective, cut down on the strikeouts. I have to stay aggressive and punch the first strike I see.”
Playing for the first time at Coors Field was surreal for the young infielder and a totally different experience than minor league ball.
“The fans bring it,” Rodgers said. “You hit a single, and they are going crazy. Maybe I’m just not used to playing in front of 30,000 (to) 40,000 people just yelling all at once.”
While Rodgers has been relatively sharp since cracking the big leagues, he has made a couple of rookie mistakes, one of which came in his home debut. Rodgers tried to advance to third base on a pitch that wound up in the dirt but was thrown out trying to swipe the bag.
The mistake serves as an early lesson for the youngster about life in the big leagues.
“Aggressive mistakes are the right mistakes to make,” Rodgers said of the play.
Despite getting thrown out in a critical situation, Manager Bud Black was fine with Rodgers’ aggressiveness on the base paths as it sets a tone about his mindset as a player. In turn, opposing clubs are forced to take notice.
“You (have) to learn your limits and those types of reads,” Black said. “Big picture, that’s what we talk about. The pressure that creates on the opposing defense is felt each and every game.”
Rodger’s promotion was highly anticipated, with its importance amplified following the Rockies lack of production from a bevy of second basemen through the early portion of the season.
As the third-overall pick in the 2015 MLB draft, Rodgers was regarded as a top-10 prospect in all of baseball entering this season due to his versatility both at the plate and in the field.
Rodgers can hit for both contact and power while being able to play multiple positions around the diamond. Rodgers virtually forced the hand of General Manager Jeff Bridich following his red hot start down in Triple-A in which he hit .356 (48-for-135) with 10 doubles, nine home runs and 21 RBI’s in 35 games played for the Isotopes.
Although the sample size is small, Rodgers has become acclimated to the big league game rather quickly and is set up to play a pivotal role for the Rockies this season.
“So far, so good, overall,” Black said. “He has come in very confident in his abilities. Very poised in his play. He seems to be doing fine as far as the mental and physical aspects.”
Being the new guy on the block is tough, but the Rockies veterans and star players have been mentoring Rodgers since Spring Training and even more so now that he’s cracked the big leagues.
“If I make a little mistake, (the other guys) are always there picking me up and helping me learn,” Rodgers said. “It means so much… Those guys take me under their wing by talking to me. They have so much more experience in the game than I can even imagine. That’s something I have to take advantage of.”
One player that has taken Rodgers under his wing is All-Star, Nolan Arenado.
“Rodgers just got here, so I have been talking to him about little things and try to get him comfortable up here,” Arenado said. “We want these guys to be as comfortable as possible while they are up here because we want to win. The only way we are going to win is if they feel right.”
Outside of Arenado, Trevor Story, Ian Desmond and Daniel Murphy have all be instrumental in helping Rodgers become acclimated to life in the big leagues.
Rodgers is the apparent successor to Gold-Glove second baseman D.J. LeMahieu, who signed with the New York Yankees after the Rockies decided to roll the dice on their young crop of infielders.
Rodgers is looking to follow in the footsteps of Arenado and Story, two players, like Rodgers, that were drafted and developed through the Rockies farm system that wound up becoming All-Star-caliber players.
“Watching what those guys have done early in their careers, the Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers, that’s what my goal is at second base, to be just as good, if not better,” Rodgers said. “My goal up here is just to get better every day whether it’s defense, offense, mentally, physically.”
Rodgers is expected to solidify himself as the Rockies everyday second baseman in the near future, joining Arenado, Story and Ryan McMahon as Colorado’s nucleus for the foreseeable future.