Charlie Blackmon retired after the 2024 season. In 2008, Blackmon was selected by the Rockies in the second round of the MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in June 2011 and spent his entire career with the Rockies.
In Blackmon’s 14 seasons in the majors, he slashed .293/.353/.479 with 227 home runs and 801 RBI in 1624 games. Those numbers aren’t enough to become a Hall of Famer. However, he has played a key role in the Rockies franchise history.
Firstly, let’s look at games played. Todd Helton, who was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2024, spent 17 seasons with the Rockies and played 2247 games. There aren’t any other players who played at least 2000 games for the Rockies in their careers. Charlie Blackmon played 1624 games for the Rockies, which are the second most in franchise history. Additionally, Carlos Gonzalez played 1247 games for the Rockies.
In addition, let’s look at the number of hits. Todd Helton had 2519 hits in his great career. And he’s the only player who has 2000+ hits in the Rockies uniform. Charlie Blackmon collected 1805 hits in 14 seasons with the Rockies. Hall of Famer Larry Walker had 2160 hits in his career. In his great career, he spent 10 seasons with the Rockies and had 1361 hits.
Thirdly, Charlie Blackmon led the Rockies franchise with 68 triples. In particular, he collected 14 triples in 2017. The 2017 season is surely unforgettable for Blackmon. He slashed .331/.399/.601 with 37 home runs and 104 RBI. Blackmon finished 5th in the 2017 NL MVP voting. Furthermore, Dexter Fowler played 6 seasons with the Rockies and he had 53 triples. Neifi Perez also spent 6 seasons with the Rockies and he had 49 triples.
Moreover, looking at the number of home runs, Todd Helton is the only player who blasted 300+ home runs in the Rockies uniform. Larry Walker crushed 258 home runs as a Rockie. Vinny Castilla smashed 239 home runs in the Rockies uniform. Nolan Arenado played for the Rockies from 2013 to 2020 and he smashed 235 home runs in those 8 seasons. Additionally, Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez each had 227 home runs in the Rockies uniform.
Furthermore, Todd Helton is the only player who collected more than 1000 RBI as a Rockie. Additionally, 3 players each collected 800+ RBI with the Rockies and Charlie Blackmon is one of them.
Finally, Eric Young Sr. played 5 seasons for the Rockies and stole 180 bases. In particular, he had 53 steals in 1996. Blackmon didn’t run so much, but he had 148 steals in his career.
Looking back at Charlie Blackmon’s career, he’s certainly a very important hitter for the Rockies. His numbers might not be as great as Todd Helton, whose number was retired by the Rockies. Nonetheless, Blackmon is in the top 5 of the leaderboard in several categories and he led the franchise with 68 triples. He will have a new chapter in his life and so do the Rockies. Without Blackmon, who had 4000+ plate appearances of batting first, the Rockies will surely have to figure out who to bat first in 2025.
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