Top 10 Best Colorado Rockies Players of All Time

The Colorado Rockies, despite being founded in just 1993, have rostered some of the most exciting talents in recent MLB history. Many players on their roster have been selected for numerous All-Star games, Gold Gloves awards, among other coveted accolades. The team has also seen players who remained loyal to the franchise despite its ups and downs. Listed below are the very best players in Colorado Rockies history.

Who Are the Best Colorado Rockies Baseball Players of All Time?

1. Todd Helton
2. Nolan Arenado
3. Larry Walker
4. Troy Tulowitzki
5. Matt Holliday
6. Ubaldo Jiménez
7. Vinny Castilla
8. Carlos González
9. Dante Bichette
10. Charlie Blackmon

1. Todd Helton

• Five-time All-Star
• Three Gold Glove awards
• Four Silver Slugger awards

Without a doubt, Todd Helton is the best Colorado Rockies player of all time. He began his career with the team in 1997 and played first base for the team until 2013. In that time, he managed to show off both his offensive and defensive skills which were nothing short of excellent. Helton retired with a .316 career batting average, 369 home runs, and 1,406 RBIs. Thanks to this consistent excellence, he was selected to five total All-Star games during his time in the MLB.

In terms of defense, Helton won three Gold Gloves in four years (2001, 2002, 2004) at first base. On offense, he was awarded four Silver Slugger awards, which are given to the best hitter at each position in both the AL and NL. And in 2000, he was the MLB Batting Champion, as he had the highest batting average in the league. Since his exit from the MLB in 2013, the Rockies have retired his number 17 from use. 

2. Nolan Arenado

• Ten Gold Glove awards
• Seven-time All-Star
• Five Silver Slugger awards

Nolan Arenado made his start at third base for the Colorado Rockies in 2013 and played for the team until 2020. Despite having plenty of career left in the MLB, Arenado is already in the conversation for the best defensive player of all time. He has won a Gold Glove award every year from 2013 to 2022. He’s also won six Platinum Gloves which are given to the best defensive player in both the AL and NL.

His defensive play is already in the conversation for the best of all time, but he’s no slouch on offense either. Arenado has also won five Silver Slugger awards and led the National League in home runs in three separate years (2015, 2016, 2018). Similarly, he led the NL in RBIs in both 2015 and 2016. There’s no doubt that Arenado was one of the most electrifying players to ever put on a Rockies uniform. 

3. Larry Walker

• Five-time All-Star
• 1997 NL MVP
• Seven Gold Glove awards

Larry Walker played right field for the Rockies between 1995 and 2004 and was a NL legend on both offense and defense. He won three Silver Slugger awards and was the NL Batting Champion in three separate seasons (1998, 1999, 2001). As a result of a 1997 season that saw him hit 49 home runs, Walker was named the NL MVP. He even led the entire National League in home runs that year.

Between 1992 and 2001, Walker was named to the All-Star game five times. His offense was excellent, but his defense was just as good. He was named a Gold Glove player in seven separate seasons. As a result of his consistent excellence on both sides of the ball, Walker was named to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Colorado Rockies have since retired his number 33 from use. 

4. Troy Tulowitzki

• Five-time All-Star
• Two Gold Glove awards
• Two Silver Slugger awards

Troy Tulowitzki was one of the most exciting names for not only the Colorado Rockies, but the entire MLB in the late 2000s. He was drafted seventh overall by the Rockies in 2005 and made his Major League debut in 2006. Tulowitzki played shortstop for the team and won a Gold Glove at the position in both 2010 and 2011. In addition to the awards, Tulowitzki was known for playing shortstop with incredible finesse and style. He had the ability to make highlight-reel-worthy plays with regularity.

In addition to his defensive prowess, Tulowtzki was capable of incredible offense as well, as evidenced by his two Silver Slugger awards and lifetime .290 batting average. As a result of both his spectacular defense and tremendous offense, Tulowitzki was named to a total of five All-Star teams. All five of those appearances were in the six seasons between 2010 and 2015 - he only didn’t make the team in 2012. 

5. Matt Holliday

• Seven-time All-Star
• NLCS MVP
• 4 Silver Slugger awards

Although Matt Holliday only played a total of six seasons with the Rockies, he was one of the most iconic players to ever put on a Rockies uniform. Holliday began his career in Major League Baseball with the Colorado Rockies in 2004 and stayed until 2008, and was ultimately re-signed by the team in 2018 which would be his last season in professional baseball. During his time as a pro, Holliday played in seven All-Star games, won four Silver Slugger awards, and was named the MVP of the NL Championship Series in 2007.

Much of Holliday’s status as a Rockies legend is thanks to his role in the 2007 playoff run,  which brought the Rockies to their first-ever World Series. During the regular season that year, Holliday’s batting average was .340, which was the best in the league that year. In the NLCS, Holliday hit for a .333 average with two home runs and four RBIs. He was named the MVP of the series. 

6. Ubaldo Jiménez

• 2010 All-Star
• Threw no-hitter in 2010
• 1,720 career strikeouts

Ubaldo Jiménez is the best pitcher in the history of the Colorado Rockies. Jiménez joined the team in 2006 which was his MLB debut. He would play with the team until he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2011. Jiménez was instrumental in the franchise’s success in 2007, which brought them to the World Series for the first time. Jiménez found consistent success on the mound for many years with the team, although some stretches were better than others.

There was one point in 2010 when Jiménez won 11 out of his first 12 starts and maintained a 0.93 ERA while doing so. His brightest moment as a Rockie came in the same 2010 season when he threw a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves. It was the first and only no-hitter in Rockies' history. He was named to his first and only All-Star game in 2010, his last full season as a Rockie. 

7. Vinny Castilla

• Two-time All-Star
• Three Silver Slugger awards
• 2004 NL RBI leader

Vinny Castilla played in the MLB from 1991 to 2006 and he was rostered by the Rockies on three separate occasions. His first and longest stint with the team was between 1993 and 1999. In that span, he made his only two All-Star game appearances; the first in 1995 and the second in 1998. He was also honored with three Silver Slugger awards in that time. Those years with the Rockies were some of the best of Castilla’s career.

Castilla wouldn’t play for the team again until 2004, when he played in Colorado for just one season. Despite being late in his career, Castilla led the entire NL in RBIs while playing for Colorado that year. Castilla would appear in Colorado again in September of 2006 and finish his Major League career with the team. He’s one of the most beloved characters in Rockies' history. 

8. Carlos González

• Three-time All-Star
• Three Gold Glove awards
• Two Silver Slugger awards

Carlos González played in Colorado with the Rockies between 2009 and 2018 as a great  outfielder. In that time, he flashed true excellence on both sides of the ball. As an outfielder, González won three Gold Gloves between 2010 and 2013. He was renowned for his speed and finesse while playing defense. On offense, González proved to be a consistent threat to opposing pitchers. He won Silver Slugger awards in both 2010 and 2015 and was also the NL Batting Champion in 2010.

González was often thought of as having one of the most graceful swings in the entire MLB and was able to hit for both power and average. One of his defining moments with Colorado was on July 31, 2010, when he completed the cycle with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, a walk-off home run that he crushed into the upper deck of Coors Field. González was also named to the All-Star roster three times throughout the course of his career. 

9. Dante Bichette

• Four-time All-Star
• 1995 Silver Slugger award
• 1995 NL Home Run leader

Dante Bichete began his career in the MLB in 1988, but he was selected by the Rockies in the 1993 expansion draft. As a core member of the very first Rockies’ roster, Bichette wasted no time in developing into an offensive powerhouse. He made the All-Star game in four separate seasons – all of which were during his time in Colorado. His 1995 season, however, was his magnum opus and one of the best single seasons of offense in Rockies history. He led the National League in both home runs and RBIs with 40 and 128, respectively. He hit for a .340 average as well that season which was the fourth-highest in the MLB that year. Bichette came in a narrow second place in the MVP voting that year. Bichette would continue playing for the Rockies until 1999 and would retire from Major League Baseball altogether in 2001. He’s one of the best Rockies hitters of all time. 

10. Charlie Blackmon

• Four-time All-Star
• Two Silver Slugger awards
• NL Batting Champion

As of 2023, Charlie Blackmon has spent his entire career with the Colorado Rockies, finding consistent success with the team. Blackmon joined the Colorado squad in 2011 as an outfielder. He made his first All-Star game in 2014 – the first of four total appearances for the outfielder. In 2016 he won the first of his two total Silver Slugger awards, the second coming in 2017.

The 2017 season was likely Blackmon’s strongest as he was the NL Batting Champion at the end of the season and also led the league in triples with 14. He also led the MLB in hits, runs scored, and total bases. The end of that season would see Blackmon finish fifth in MVP voting. As of 2023, Blackmon is a .297 lifetime hitter and has slugged his way to 207 total home runs and 709 RBIs. He was one of the most beloved team members of the 2010s.

Honorable Mentions

• Dexter Fowler
• Kyle Freeland
• Brian Fuentes
• Andrés Galarraga
• Jason Giambi
• D. J. LeMahieu
• Adam Ottavino
• Ryan Spilborghs
• Huston Street
• Eric Young

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