When Darryl Strawberry was pinch-hit for in the championship softball game against the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant, Springfield Power Plant mogul and manager C. Montgomery Burns explained the decision:
“It’s called playing the percentages; it’s what smart managers do to win ball games.”
Sure, Strawberry had nine home runs that day, but with the lefty on the mound and the game on the line, Mr. Burns turned to the right-handed hitting “Home Run” Homer Simpson, who was subsequently beaned in the head
to drive in the winning run.
Match-ups matter.
As I watch the Rockies on television, a common turn of phrase seems to be that the Rockies are looking for proper match-ups to allow their players to succeed. Lineup construction is often based on the handedness of the starting pitcher, and in-game substitutions are more prevalent based on which reliever is brought into the game.
Platoon splits are nothing new in baseball. Manager Warren Schaeffer and the Rockies front office haven’t reinvented the wheel, but the use of platoon splits has felt more pronounced this season as the Rockies try to give themselves and the players the best chance to win ball games.
So, this raises the question: Is the platoon system working for Colorado’s offense?
Team Splits
First, let’s take a look at the team’s splits as a whole.
Like most teams in the league, the Rockies generally have more success against right-handed pitching. Entering Tuesday, they rank seventh in batting average (.256) and eighth in OPS (.745) while having the second-most hits (265).
They also have the third-most strikeouts (284) and are 18th in walks (101).
On the flip side, left-handed pitchers represent a decline in production. The Rockies rank 14th in AVG (.235), 25th in OPS (.643), 19th in hits (84), the fourth-most strikeouts (117), and the second-fewest walks (24). Granted, the sample size against left-handed pitching isn’t large across the league, and the Rockies ranked 23rd in total at-bats against southpaws (357), nearly 700 fewer than against right-handers.
As you’d expect, right-hander batters are seeing the bulk of success against left-handed pitching, batting .251/.317/.379 with six home runs. Meanwhile, left-handed batters are slashing .295/.369/.489 with 22 home runs against right-handed pitching. In the same side match-ups, both aspects of the platoon have a .205 AVG and OPS numbers that are relatively close. The main difference is that right-handed batters have 11 home runs against righties in 300 more at-bats.
The platoon splits are nothing surprising. In general, the scarcity of left-handed pitchers makes the proportions of sample sizes skewed, and it’s well known that a hitter will often struggle more against a same-sided match-up, but that is exponentially more true for left-handed hitters. The lack of regular opportunity to see lefty-pitchers puts left-handed hitters under a microscope, making it more likely they will be subbed out if the match-up demands it.
The Lefty Swingers
The poster child for the Rockies platoon is none other than Mickey Moniak.
Tormenting right-handed pitchers to the tune of a .337/.390/.716 slash with nine home runs, Moniak is having a fantastic year in Colorado. However, he has seen his opportunities against left-handers limited as he is just 4-for-24 with 12 punchouts. Granted, he does have two home runs to do the heavy lifting for his slugging percentage (.417), but it’s clear that the Rockies are cognisant of his struggles along with the other left-handed hitters.
Moniak, TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Edouard Julien are a combined 19-for-92 against southpaws with three walks and 25 strikeouts. Like Moniak, this group of lefties — along with Jake McCarthy — are torching righties to help propel the Rockies’ offense. In the past, the team struggled to employ multiple lefties in the lineup in general, but in 2026, they have the luxury of deploying up to seven in a single lineup against a right-handed pitcher. Those kinds of odds are helping to produce runs and generate wins for the Rockies.
The anomaly for the group is catcher Brett Sullivan and McCarthy, to an extent. Sullivan has struggled quite a bit in the platoon advantage, slashing .167/.222/.238 with seven hits in 42 at-bats, including three doubles. Meanwhile, in half the sample size, Sullivan is slashing .350/.409/.500 against lefties, going 7-for-20 with three doubles. McCarthy seems to be the only one consistent on both sides of the platoon as he is batting .300/.300/.500 against lefties, albeit in just 10 at-bats, and .288/.368/.500 against righties.
The Righty Swingers
What becomes of the right-handed batters then?
This group of hitters is struggling quite a bit at this point in the season against right-handed pitchers. Tyler Freeman leads the group with a .315/.393/.352 batting line followed by Hunter Goodman’s .262/.327/.524 slash. Beyond them, however, none of the right-handed batters on the current roster against side-sided matchups have an AVG above .200, and only Kyle Karros has an on-base percentage above .300.
The struggles are quite pronounced and become more worrisome when the majority of starting pitchers in the big leagues are still right-handed. It has forced the Rockies to use more platoon match-ups, and we’ve seen decreased playing time for Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck, along with more days off for Ezequiel Tovar.
The player settling into the platoon role the best at this point is Beck.
As mentioned last week, Beck has earned some patience, despite his struggles against righties (.049/.114/.073), because he’s doing well against lefties. Thus far, he is slashing .306/.333/.500 with a 115 wRC+ against southpaws, tallying 11 hits including two doubles, a triple, and a home run. A platoon role may be what’s best for Beck at the moment to spot Moniak and Johnston in the outfield. The downside is that he gets less playing time, but the Rockies want him to have a chance to have opportunities to succeed. He was solid enough last season against right-handers, so he is capable, but just hasn’t found that rhythm in 2026.
Karros and the switch-hitting Castro, who is fine on either side of the plate, are also enjoying more results at the plate against left-handed pitching. Oddly enough, Freeman is batting .192/.276/.423, but does have two home runs. Unfortunately, Doyle’s struggles have continued against left-handed pitching with only slight improvement to a .198 AVG, but he has drawn five walks against 10 strikeouts.
Tovar is the interesting piece here because his struggles have felt more pronounced this year. In his big-league career, he has generally been immune to the platoon split because the numbers have been similar enough. Star players have to have the capabilities of posting up every day and finding ways to beat the pitcher regardless of what hand they throw with. This year, however, right-handers are exploiting Tovar’s weaknesses more than ever. Meanwhile, he’s posting career-highs in AVG (.286) and OBP (.375) against left-handers.
Out of all the players mentioned above, the Rockies can’t afford for Tovar to become a platoon player at the plate because he has the potential to be a star and is elite on defense.
Is it working?
Overall, the platoon system and hunting match-ups seem to be working. Given the makeup of the team, it makes sense that Paul DePodesta and Warren Schaeffer would keep an eye on platoon splits. For some players, it genuinely can make a difference and allow more opportunities for other players. However, for players like Tovar, some issues run deeper than a simple platoon split, and more work will need to be done to mitigate the gap in production.
Still, the Rockies are looking to give players opportunities to succeed, and platoon splits are a good place to start.
On the Farm
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 2, Oklahoma City Comets 1 F/10
Despite 10 hits as a team, the Albuquerque Isotopes managed just two runs as they won in extra-innings against Oklahoma City. The Isotopes scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from Sterlin Thompson and wouldn’t score against until the 10th, going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and leaving 11 men on base. Thompson played hero in extras, lacing an RBI single for the walk-off victory. Cole Carrigg, Adael Amador, and Chad Stevens also had two-hit nights for the ‘Topes. Erasmo Ramírez, the 36-year-old veteran, was excellent in his second start since joining the organization, as he allowed just one run on two hits over 5.2 innings. The bullpen surrendered just three hits the rest of the way and allowed three walks with two strikeouts.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 7, Portland Sea Dogs 6
Thanks to a walk-off home run by Benny Montgomery, the Hartford Yard Goats pulled out a 7-6 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs. The home run was Montgomery’s third of the year and his only hit of the night as he struck out three times. Meanwhile, Andy Perez tallied three hits and scored three runs on the night to lead the Yard Goats. Hartford recorded nine hits while striking out 13 times and drawing six walks. Konner Eaton started on the mound, allowing five runs through 4.2 innings, giving up three home runs while striking out three and walking one. Three relievers then combined to allow just one run on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
High-A: Spokane Indians 7, Hillsboro Hops 3
The Spokane Indians scored early and often to secure a 7-3 victory over Hillsboro. Roynier Hernanadez and Tommy Hopfe led the 13-hit barrage for Spokane with three hits apiece. Jacob Hinderleider drove in three runs, aided by a two-run homer, along with Jacob Humphrey, who had a two-run home run of his own. Jackson Cox was again brilliant in his start, working 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks. The bullpen was also strong, as two relievers combined to allow just one hit and a walk, along with two strikeouts.
Low-A: Visalia Rawhide 8, Fresno Grizzlies 7
A nightmare top of the ninth cost the Fresno Grizzlies a series-opening victory against the Visalia Rawhide as four runs came across to snag an 8-7 loss. Austin Newton delivered a solid start for Fresno, allowing two runs on five hits through five innings. He gave way to Easton Marks, who worked three innings but allowed two runs in the eighth and was responsible for three more in the ninth, although one was unearned. Seth Clausen was then tagged with the loss and blown save after giving up the winning run. Offensively, the Grizzlies had 11 hits with Cameron Nelson going 3-for-5 with a couple of RBI. Tanner Thach blasted his sixth home run of the season, and Roldy Brito delivered his fourth triple of the season as part of his two-hit night.
Affected by Altitude Episode 210: Snake in the Outfield Grass | Rocky Mountain Rooftop
This week, Evan Lang and I talk about the production of Jake McCarthy and the cracks in the rotation, and take a quick look around the minor league system.
Rockies’ buy-in to relentless approach at plate spawns success at Triple-A | MLB.com
The Rockies have been trying to preach more patience and focus and the plate at the results are starting to show in Triple-A for the Albuquerque Isotopes.
Undrafted Jacob Humphrey Speeds To Early Pro Success For Rockies ($) | Baseball America
It’s always nice to see players who went undrafted finding success. Jacob Humphrey is doing just that in the Rockies system.
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