TJ Rumfield has been a pleasant revelation for the Colorado Rockies in 2026. After a strenuous mixed-bag of players to hold down first base for the last decade, the Rockies may have finally found some stability for the near future, thanks to Rumfield’s excellent play and composure.
During the recent series against the Chicago Cubs, Rumfield hit his 10th home run of the season, joining a small circle of notable rookie Rockies performances before the All-Star break. He became just the second player
in franchise history to hit 10 home runs before the All-Star break in his debut season, and just the fourth to have 10 home runs and at least 50 hits. Who were those other players, you ask? Well, let’s take a look back on those three notable rookie performances.
Todd Helton (1998)
Was there any doubt that “The ToddFather” would be on this list?
After an impressive 35-game debut in 1997, Todd Helton continued to shine during his first full season in the big leagues. In the first half of the season, Helton appeared in 82 of 89 games for the Rockies, starting 63 of them. In 302 plate appearances, he slashed .273/.342/.483 with 74 hits, including 16 doubles, a triple and 13 home runs. He also drove in 45 runs while striking out just 32 times and drawing 27 walks.
Oddly enough, Helton didn’t hit his first home run that year until May 5. He ended up with seven home runs that month — four in June, and two more in July before the All-Star break.
Of course, Helton continued to get better after the break with a tremendous second half where he hit 12 more home runs in 70 games and slashed .359/.420/.579 with just 22 strikeouts and 26 walks. He ended up placing second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting behind the Cubs’ Kerry Wood.
Wilin Rosario (2012)
When he debuted for 16 games at the end of the 2011 season, one thing was obvious about Wilin Rosario: He could wallop a baseball. The “Baby Bull” took over as the primary catcher for the Rockies in 2012, as they hoped the rookie’s prodigious power potential could offset the defense that was obviously a work in progress behind the plate.
He appeared in 58 first-half games for the Rockies, starting 49 of them. In 201 plate appearances, he hit .247/.279/.521 with 47 hits. Rosario’s extra-base prowess was evident as he had 10 doubles and 14 home runs while collecting 36 RBI. His strikeout tendencies were also on display as he had 53 strikeouts to just eight walks.
Playing time was scattered in the first month of the season as Rosario appeared in just 10 games as veteran catcher Ramón Hernández took the bulk of starts. Rosario began to take on the bulk of the action in May and rewarded the Rockies with six home runs that month and another six in June before hitting a pair in July, leading into the All-Star break.
Rosario had a much better second half as he matched his first half home run total of 14, but also had a .291 AVG while drawing 17 walks against 46 strikeouts. He finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Bryce Harper (1st), Wade Miley (2nd) and Todd Frazier (3rd).
Trevor Story (2016)
The first half of Trevor Story’s rookie season is the stuff of legend in Rockies history. Storming onto the scene by securing the Opening Day roster spot helped ease the pain of losing Troy Tulowitzki the year before. Showcasing speed, power, and defense prowess, Story seemed to defy even the highest of expectations from the get-go.
He made his presence known by belting seven home runs over his first six games. By the end of April, he had already reached the milestone of 10 home runs, setting the mark as the first Rockie to have 10 or more home runs before the All-Star break in their debut season. The home runs slowed down a little bit after that, but he added four in May, five in June, and two in July heading into the All-Star break. Through 81 games, Story was slashing .260/.329/.545 with 21 home runs alongside 20 doubles and four triples for a grand total of 83 hits.
Unfortunately, Story’s season was cut short in the second half after a left thumb injury. He had added six more home runs through 16 games with a .340 AVG and 1.115 OPS. Had he stayed healthy, he may have been able to at least place higher than fourth place in the Rookie of the Year voting instead of Corey Seager’s unanimous win.
Just missed the mark
This list is already impressive, but it’s surprising that more Rockies didn’t make the cut. Turns out, the 10 home runs proved more difficult and kept several notable rookies out of the club.
Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitzki both narrowly missed out on joining the club as each had just nine home runs before the All-Star break in 2004 and 2007, respectively. Holliday also had 71 hits, while Tulowitzki had 90.
Nolan Arenado managed 10 home runs in 2013, with seven of them coming in the first half. He collected at least 66 hits in the first half, including 16 doubles. Garrett Atkins also had seven home runs during his first full rookie campaign in 2005, heading into the All-Star break along with 71 hits.
Since it’s worth mentioning, all four of these players ended up finishing in the top five in Rookie of the Year voting.
How far can Rumfield go?
It’s not likely that Rumfield will smack 11 more home runs to match Story’s record, but with a couple more weeks before the All-Star break, he can at least come close to matching or surpassing Helton and Rosario. Either way, Rumfield’s rookie year has been a joy to watch and sets a solid standard for what a well-rounded rookie hitter can do for a team.
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