‘Do your self a favor’: Rox rookie shares hilarious recommendation observe from fan

DENVER — Nolan Jones has a handwritten letter taped to his locker at Coors Field. This isn’t any odd fan mail. 

“Do yourself a favor,” it reads, partly. “Spread your stance a bit. Drop your butt a bit. Stay closed. Hit against a solid front side after a slight lift or toe tap.”

There’s numerous recommendation there — a few of it written in all capital letters — from somebody with no obvious credentials as a hitting teacher. Hey, who amongst us laypersons don’t suppose we are able to educate a Major Leaguer a factor or two about hitting?

Jones appears up at it from time to time when he desires a very good chuckle.

“Some guy sent me two pages on all the adjustments I need to make,” stated the rookie after he launched a three-run homer to go together with a single, a triple and a stroll in Colorado’s 13-9 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday night time.

“So I threw it up there. It’s actually working a little bit.”

Jones, who’s often as severe and workmanlike as they arrive, allowed himself a wry smile when he made that assertion, which was clearly tongue-in-cheek.

Something that may not be stated facetiously, nonetheless, is that this: Nolan Jones is one of the best participant on the Rockies’ roster at present.

Overall this season, Jones has 14 homers and an .890 OPS in 300 plate appearances. His fWAR reached 1.8 on Friday, the very best for any Rockies participant this season. He eclipsed Ryan McMahon and fellow rookie Ezequiel Tovar, who’re every at 1.6.

WAR is in no way the be-all, end-all stat. But take into account that Jones has amassed that worth in 78 video games, whereas McMahon (129) and Tovar (126) have performed in much more.

With his go-ahead, three-run homer to the alternative discipline towards hard-throwing lefty Génesis Cabrera — who hadn’t given up a run over 18 appearances since being traded to Toronto from St. Louis — Jones improved his batting common with runners in scoring place to .426 this season.

It’s a small pattern measurement (69 plate appearances), however amongst rookies with 60 or extra plate appearances since that stat began being recorded in 1974, solely three produced a better determine with runners in scoring place: Al Pedrique (.458 for the Pirates in 1987), Ichiro Suzuki (.445 for the Mariners in 2001), and Jesus Guzman (.431 for the Padres in 2011). 

It’s not simply offensively that Jones has produced, both. While he’s nonetheless studying the intricacies of taking part in within the outfield after developing by the Minors within the Cleveland group as an infielder, there may be no person within the Majors this yr who has a mean arm power higher than his 98.8 mph, in response to Statcast.

That cannon has helped him rack up 12 assists in 549 1/3 outfield innings in 2023. Entering Friday, his 0.2 assists-per-nine-innings fee was tied for third-highest amongst outfielders with a minimal of 500 frames performed in a season since 1960. He was tied with Roberto Clemente (1961) and Jeff Francoeur (2005) in that class.

That’s all nice stuff, however let’s pump the brakes somewhat. We are speaking about 78 video games, in any case.

Ask supervisor Bud Black, who’s been within the Majors as a participant, coach or supervisor for greater than 40 years. He provided a tone of cautious optimism after Jones’ efficiency on Friday, noting the small pattern measurement, but in addition the good potential there.

“We’ve seen it for most of the year, which is exciting for us for the future,” Black stated. “You have to pass the test of time. You have to keep doing it. … But the batting average, the on-base [ability], the power … it’s really good stuff for a young player.”

Jones nonetheless has quite a bit to show earlier than we are able to anoint him a star within the large leagues. He has numerous swing-and-miss to his recreation and, as evidenced by a few situations during which he had bother getting a deal with on an extra-base hit in left discipline on Friday, he’s nonetheless tough across the edges within the outfield.

But a man who can hit the ball practically 500 toes, repeatedly throws out runners by unleashing 100-plus-mph missiles from the outfield and, in response to Statcast, has a mean dash pace (28.8 toes per second) that locations him within the 81st percentile amongst all certified gamers, is the kind of man followers are inclined to dream about.

If he spreads his stance a bit, drops his butt and stays closed, this child would possibly simply have a future within the large leagues.