The Colorado Rockies are having yet another abysmal season. At 27 games under .500 the team has sunk to 22 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and 14.5 games back in the National League Wild Card race.
Entering 2024, the Rockies had five straight losing seasons and the team is actually on pace to finish with a worse record than the 59-103 abomination they managed during a disastrous 2023 campaign. Colorado has made the playoffs just twice in the last 14 years advancing no further than the NLDS in that time. In short, there hasn’t been a whole lot for Rockies fans to celebrate.
However, Brenton Doyle is doing his best to change all that and offer a glimmer of hope for the future. The 26-year-old center fielder just accomplished something that only five other players have achieved in the history of baseball. Doyle collected 15 hits, 11 extra-base hits, six home runs, six walks, and one stolen base in just eight games, per Rockies Club Information on X.
Other than Doyle, just five Hall of Famers – Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson, and Larry Walker – have pulled off such a feat. That’s some elite company.
During this incredible stretch of games from July 1 to July 9, Doyle was slashing an absurd .556/.636/1.407. He had five doubles, 11 RBI, and scored seven runs. Unfortunately, his efforts couldn’t pull the Rockies out of their funk as the team went just 4-4 during Doyle’s eight-game assault on league pitching.
Rockies’ Brenton Doyle joins exclusive club with offensive feat
In his second season in the majors, Doyle has 16 doubles and 13 home runs, scoring 52 runs and stealing 20 bases through 87 games for the Rockies. He raised his OPS+ up to 120 with the streak and he now has a legit shot at a 20/20 season. Sadly, his efforts will be wasted on the Rockies. Even sadder, Doyle is under club control until the 2030 season.
The last person to accomplish this epic eight-game streak before Doyle was Larry Walker, who reached it in 1997. That season Walker had 208 hits, 99 extra-base hits, 33 steals, and a league-leading 49 home runs. He would win the MVP, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger awards and make his second All-Star appearance.
Ruth managed the feat in 1921 and would go on to lead baseball with 59 home runs and 145 walks while also compiling 204 hits, 119 extra-base hits, and 17 steals. Gehrig did it in 1927, finishing with 218 hits, 117 extra-base hits, 47 home runs, 109 walks, and 10 stolen bases en route to winning the first of his two MVP awards.
Mays achieved the streak twice during the 1958 season, racking up 208 hits, 73 extra-base hits, 78 walks, and an MLB-leading 31 steals while making his fifth of 24 career All-Star appearances. Jackson accomplished the feat an incredible four times in the 1969 season, during which he had 151 hits, 86 extra-base hits, 47 home runs, and 114 walks, making his first All-Star game.
While it’s a bit early to start preparing Doyle’s bust for Cooperstown, he has added an element of excitement for Rockies fans. And his recent offensive onslaught was recognized by MLB.com when he was named NL Player of the Week on July 8. Doyle won the Gold Glove award for his work in center during his rookie season last year. Perhaps he’ll be part of a Rockies revival that sees the team win the NL West division for the first time in franchise history.
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