The Rockies’ First Base “Check Engine” Light is On
The check engine light is always bad, but the scary part is that you never know just how bad. Maybe it will go away on its own in a few miles, though it seems unlikely. The best-case scenario is there’s just a problem with the sensor. More often than not, you’re going to have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on repairs. For all you know, the car may even be totaled. Your vehicle may have become its own hearse on its final voyage to the mechanic.
The Rockies have been driving with the check engine light on for nearly a decade at first base. For the first 19 years of the franchise, they drove high-performance sports cars- Todd Helton and Andrés Galarraga. Since Helton’s decline circa 2012, it’s been lemon after lemon.
For the rest of the major leagues, first base is consistently the best offensive position (not including DH). Here’s how Colorado first basemen compare to the league average since 2012:
| Year | Primary 1B | wRC+ | MLB Avg. 1B wRC+ |
| 2020 | Daniel Murphy | 68 | 110 |
| 2019 | Daniel Murphy | 86 | 105 |
| 2018 | Ian Desmond | 82 | 105 |
| 2017 | Mark Reynolds | 105 | 113 |
| 2016 | Mark Reynolds | 101 | 108 |
| 2015 | Ben Paulsen | 99 | 113 |
| 2014 | Justin Morneau | 122 | 109 |
| 2013 | Todd Helton | 86 | 110 |
| 2012 | Todd Helton | 88 | 107 |
Over the past nine years, the Rockies’ primary first basemen have averaged a 93 wRC+ while the MLB average has been 109. In 2020, Daniel Murphy’s 68 wRC+, fueled by a .266/.307/.383 batting line, is the worst yet. For comparison, here are the other starting NL West first basemen this year:
- Diamondbacks: Christian Walker– .309/.360/.512, 132 wRC+
- Dodgers: Max Muncy– .198/.322/.446, 111 wRC+
- Giants: Brandon Belt– .329/.418/.620, 181 wRC+
- Padres: Eric Hosmer– .284/.337/.545, 137 wRC+
Ironically, the drudge of futility at the cold corner started with the greatest player in franchise history. Todd Helton starred exclusively for the Rockies from 1997-2013, never playing any position other than first base after his debut season. From 2000-2004, he averaged 6.9 fWAR per season- third-best in MLB behind Barry Bonds and Álex Rodríguez. His power waned from 2005-2007, but he remained a very good hitter on the strength of a .427 on-base percentage and plenty of doubles. 2008-2011 was up-and-down with injuries mixed in, but by 2012 he was a husk of his former glory. At 38 years old, he hit just .238 with seven home runs in 283 plate appearances. A handful of other players filled in while he was injured, including Jason Giambi, Jordan Pacheco, and Michael Cuddyer, but they weren’t much better. 2013 was Helton’s swan song. He played 124 games but his on-base percentage sagged to .314.
After Helton’s retirement, the Rockies tried a piecemeal approach to filling the position. It started out quite well. Justin Morneau signed a two-year deal in 2014 and promptly won the NL batting title by hitting .319. Alas, this would be just a momentary bright spot in the position’s dark history since Helton’s fade. Morneau spent most of 2015 injured, yielding time to Ben Paulsen, whose .277/.326/.462 slash line was almost exactly league average, but still well below the leaguewide first base average. Mark Reynolds offered his signature blend of power and way-too-many strikeouts in 2016 and 2017. Like Paulsen, this equated to subpar production relative to the positional average.
Now they man first base with two former Nationals stars on long-term contracts: Ian Desmond and Daniel Murphy, both of which have been unqualified disasters. Desmond joined the team in 2017 on a five-year contract, spending the first two seasons splitting time between first base and left field. His wRC+ from 2017-2019 were 70, 82, and 86, which would barely be good enough to survive as a defense-first backup catcher (though he didn’t play first base in 2019). He isn’t paying at all this year after opting out for very good reasons.
Recognizing that Desmond wasn’t the answer, the club signed Murphy, who’s contract will mercifully end after this season. In 2019, his production mirrored that of Helton’s final season, and this year he’s been even worse. Of the 29 MLB first basemen with at least 100 plate appearances in 2020, his 68 wRC+ is the third-worst.
Needless to say, the Rockies will have to make first base a major priority this winter. Right now, their best options are probably Ryan McMahon, currently hitting .218 as their starting second baseman, or rolling the dice with Desmond once again. They’ll need to look elsewhere to truly make the position a strength, which it hasn’t been since Morneau in 2014 or on a consistent basis since Helton’s heyday. After all, you can only procrastinate a trip to the mechanic for so long before you break down.
