Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Colorado Rockies have to be thrilled with the performance that rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado put forth in 2013. In fact, Arenado’s bright future is one of the reasons the Rockies should be enthusiastic about what lies ahead in the ensuing years.
The 22-year-old played well at the plate this season. His .267 batting average, 10 home runs, 52 RBI, 29 doubles and four in 486 at-bats triples are certainly nothing to get overly excited about. With that being said, the offensive numbers are still decent for a player who suited up in his first year in the big leagues.
What really stands out about Arenado is how well he played in the field. The California native was honored with a Gold Glove Award this year. Obviously, it is incredible to be in contention but to actually win is a completely different story. The good news for both Arenado and the Rockies is that there definitely appears to be more awards down the road for him. At least that is what teammate Carlos Gonzalez believes.
“When you win the first one, it’s a lot easier to get the other one,” the three-time Gold Glove Award winner said, according to Rockies.com.
“You create a reputation around the league,” Gonzalez added. “This is an award that is picked by the managers and coaches. We get to play against those guys a lot of times. They know who’s going to be on each position.
“They’re going to know who’s on third base, they’re going to know who’s in left field. At the end of the year, it makes it a lot easier for us to win the second one. This will be the first of many for Nolan because he’s such a great player on the corner. Hopefully, I continue my streak.”
Colorado has plenty of work in the offseason if they want to be considered a playoff contender in 2014. The good news is the team has several pieces already in place to make the dream become a reality.
