Troy Tulowitzki is Earning his Keep

(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Troy Tulowitzki signed a massive money deal last offseason (7 years, $134 million), and while some argue the Rockies overspent on Tulo, he’s proving the organization was intelligent to ink him to the eighth-most expensive contract in MLB history.

Not only is Tulowitzki undoubtedly the Rockies best player, he’s also the most important ingredient to their success.

As my colleague Logan Burdine wrote in his piece earlier today, “This year, there has been a direct correlation between Tulo and the Rockies’ offensive success, or lack thereof.  When Troy started out the season on fire, the Rox  jumped out to the best record in baseball.”

And of course, when Tulo couldn’t hit in May (.209 BA), the Rockies couldn’t score and went a worst-in-baseball 8-21.

Still, while it seems simplistic to say that the Rockies go as Tulo goes (since there are seven other position players batting every game), Colorado’s star shortstop has literally carried the team on his broad shoulders for wins in back-to-back games.

Wednesday night, as the Rockies were in jeopardy of losing their seventh straight series, allowing the Padres to tie the game up at three late, Tulowitzki came through in the clutch. With two on and one out in the top of the ninth inning, Tulo stepped up and swatted a stinging line drive into right-center that scored Carlos Gonzalez and Todd Helton, the eventual winning runs.

Colorado won their first series since May 17^th, their first three game road series of the entire season, and it was thanks to Tulowitzki’s supreme swinging.

Last night the Rockies were looking up at the Dodgers as LA had build a 7-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning—Colorado needed a huge inning, Tulo came calling.

After Gonzalez singled to send Charlie Blackmon home and Helton walked with the bases loaded to send in another run, it was Tulo’s time to shine with the Rockies down two.

Karl Gehring/The Denver Post

Tulowitzki came through in the clutch again, singling softly down the right field line, scoring Eric Young Jr. and CarGo to tie up the game at seven. The Rockies would eventually win 9-7, but it was Tulowitzki that provided the spark to start some Mile High Magic as Colorado’s comeback was their biggest of the season (four runs).

And in the month of June, Tulowitzki has been nothing short of magical, hitting 11-31 (.355 BA) with nine RBI and two runs scored. Even more impressive were his seven RBI and his .555 batting average in the last two games combined.

Is it a sign that Tulo has returned to his peak performing at the plate?

Colorado baseball fans better hope so, because as Tulo goes, the Rockies go.

Other Colorado batters Rockin’ at the plate

Todd Helton has been hitting mightily as of late. “Mr. Rockie” is a stellar 12-32 (.387) in his last 10 games, including knocking two home runs and four RBI over that span. But even more shocking, Helton has pushed his 37-year old body across the plate six times, including scoring five runs the last two nights, both wins for the Rockies.

Seth Smith has been the Rockies’ most consistent hitter all season, and he just continues to show that as he’s 10-32 (.313) in the last 10 games. And “Mr. Late Night” lived up to his monicker Monday night against the Padres as Smith smashed a ninth inning standup triple that scored Ty Wigginton and gave Colorado a bit of a cushion as the Rockies eventually won 3-0.

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