Welcome to the 2025 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2025. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context.
The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 14: Blaine Crim (0.3 rWAR)
In 2025, the Colorado Rockies began trying in earnest to address their problems at first base.
They had hoped former first-round draft pick Michael Toglia would follow in the footsteps of organizational icon Michael Toglia. However, it became clear early that things would not go his way. (Skyler Timmins provided the details in Toglia’s 2025 “Ranking the Rockies” analysis.)
After sending Toglia to Triple-A Albuquerque, the Rockies began seeing what their options were.
In an unexpected move, on August 3, the Rockies claimed Blain Crim off waivers from the Texas Rangers.
The Rockies announced today that they have claimed INF Blaine Crim off waivers from the Texas Rangers and have optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.
The Rockies’ 40-man roster is full. https://t.co/VBjvVltCzD— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) August 3, 2025
The Rockies were famous for making head-scratching claims, and Crim appeared to be another one of those roster adds. Nothing stood out on his Baseball Reference page when he joined the Rockies. He’d had limited playing time with the Rangers (eight days with appearances in five games) and did not yet have his first MLB hit.
Over six minor-league seasons with the Rangers, Crim had 2,480 at-bats and a slashline of .293/.372/.372 with an .877 OPS, including 121 homers.
He came to a reeling Rockies team struggled with infield injuries as a 1B/DH with the potential for power.
Rockies debut
Crim’s luck seemingly changed after he put on the purple pinstripes, and his Rockies debut included hitting a three-run homer.
Way to get your fit MLB him, amirite?
As Crim said at the time, “You know, I think the last couple months I was thinking that maybe I was going to go hitless in my career, so it was definitely a good feeling. And for it to be a home run was cool.”
The next day, he hit an RBI double. Granted, there wasn’t much data to work with, but Crim appeared to be a good fit for a struggling Rockies team.
Crim’s Rockies numbers
When the season ended, Crim had 61 plate appearances in 15 games with the Rockies. During that time, he slashed .241/.295/.556 with an .851 OPS (120 OPS+). He also hit five home runs.
However, Crim’s numbers suggest he was very comfortable at Coors Field. Consider his home slashline (.292/.387/.667; 1.054 OPS; 184 OPS+) with his road numbers (.146/.186/.341; 528 OPS; 46 OPS+).
This is, though, a very small sample size that reveals little about Crim’s MLB offensive potential.
His defense was fine, and he finished the season with 0 DRS in 142 innings (with the Rockies and Rangers).
Looking ahead
What happens next at first base for the Rockies in the near term (that is, until Charlie Condon is ready) remains a mystery.
Michael Toglia is now a free agent, and the current 40-man roster includes Crim and Warming Bernabel as potential first basemen.
Mike Petriello made the intriguing case last week for the Rockies signing Luis Arraez and playing him at first, which would mark a clear departure from the Colorado Rockies of recent memory. Given that Condon may make his MLB debut as soon as next season, signing Arraez seems unlikely.
How the Rockies handle first base will be a question as the Rockies head to spring training.
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