JAWS and the 2025 Corridor of Fame Poll: Troy Tulowitzki

The next article is a part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing have a look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2025 Corridor of Fame poll. For an in depth introduction to this 12 months’s poll, and different candidates within the collection, use the instrument above; an introduction to JAWS will be discovered right here. For a tentative schedule, see right here. All WAR figures check with the Baseball Reference model except in any other case indicated.

Together with his mixture of a strong bat, good vary, positive fingers, the occasional spectacular leap, and a powerful and correct arm, Troy Tulowitzki had the first attributes of a Corridor of Fame shortstop, like Nomar Garciaparra earlier than him. He debuted within the majors simply 15 months after being chosen with the seventh decide of the 2005 draft, and helped the Rockies attain the World Collection for the primary time following a stellar rookie season. By the point he completed his age-30 season, he’d made 5 All-Star groups, gained two Gold Gloves, and signed the eighth-largest contract in baseball to that time. The face of the Rockies’ franchise appeared nicely on his strategy to Cooperstown, however like Garciaparra — whose quantity he wore as an newbie — Tulowitzki battled a seemingly limitless collection of accidents till he may take it no extra. He by no means topped his rookie whole of 155 video games, performed in simply 71 from his age-32 season onward, and retired at 34, leaving us to surprise what might need been.

Even with charge stats that have been inflated by enjoying in Coors Subject, Tulowitzki’s 121 OPS+ through the 2007–16 span ranked second amongst all shortstops behind solely Hanley Ramirez (130). His 95 Defensive Runs Saved throughout that span ranked third, and regardless of enjoying in nearly 74% of his staff’s video games on account of a slew of accidents, his 44.0 WAR for that decade ranks eleventh within the majors, and first amongst shortstops, 10.4 WAR forward of Ramirez.

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Troy Trevor Tulowitzki was born on October 10, 1984 in Santa Clara, California to Michelle Honeycutt and Ken Tulowitzki; the couple would later separate. His father labored as deliveryman for a calibration lab and coached his son’s groups from Little League — the place he was a ball-hogging shortstop — up till highschool. In 1997, when Troy was 12, he led his Sunnyvale staff to the Little League West Regional finals. Although he grew up an A’s fan, Tulowitzki idolized Garciaparra and the nice shortstops akin to Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez who established that greater males may thrive on the place. He wore Garciaparra’s no. 5 by way of his newbie days earlier than switching to Jeter’s no. 2 as an expert.

At Fremont Excessive College, Tulowitzki made varsity in every of his 4 seasons, lettered twice in basketball, and was his college’s Athlete of the 12 months as a senior. On the diamond, he pitched along with enjoying shortstop; throughout his junior 12 months, he went 15-1 and hit .536. Twice he earned second-team All-State honors. Undrafted and evenly recruited out of highschool, he weighed scholarship affords from a handful of California faculties, together with UC Irvine, Santa Clara College, Cal State Northridge, and San Jose State. He selected Lengthy Seashore State, which had a gap after its high shortstop did not qualify academically.

In his three years as a Dirtbag, Tulowitzki made two all-Massive West groups (second staff in 2003, first in ’04), earned numerous All-American honors, and in 2004 was the beginning shortstop for the U.S. collegiate nationwide staff, which he helped to a gold medal within the World College Baseball Championship. He drew comparisons to Lengthy Seashore State alum Bobby Crosby, one other 6-foot-3 shortstop who turned a first-round decide by the A’s in 2001, and roomed with future main leaguers John Bowker and Evan Longoria.

Although Tulowitzki missed 20 video games within the spring of his junior 12 months on account of a damaged hamate, Baseball America raved concerning the 6-foot-3, 205-pound shortstop forward of the 2005 draft: “He performs with distinctive depth and an unmatched ardour for the sport… He has no holes in his sport and all his instruments are near massive league-ready. He’s a high defender who has adjusted nicely to the pace of the sport. He has an above-average arm and good footwork, in contrast to as a freshman when he relied on his uncooked arm energy… He now tasks to hit 25-30 homers a 12 months within the massive leagues.”

The Rockies selected Tulowitzki with the seventh decide of a draft that on the time was considered remarkably deep, with Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, Jeff Clement, Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun and Ricky Romero chosen forward of him, and Andrew McCutchen, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Colby Rasmus amongst these chosen later within the spherical. In 2008, Sports activities Illustrated’s Tom Verducci wrote that the 2005 group was “prone to eclipse the best in baseball historical past: 1985, when Barry Bonds, Barry Larkin, Rafael Palmeiro, Will Clark, B.J. Surhoff, Pete Incaviglia and Gregg Jefferies have been among the many first 22 picks.” Trying into the longer term is tough.

Rockies basic supervisor Dan O’Dowd referred to as the number of Tulowitzki “a franchise-changing” second, and signed his high decide with a $2.3 million bonus. Tulowitzki moved rapidly by way of the minors. He started his skilled profession at Excessive-A Modesto, the place he hit .266/.343/.457 with 4 homers in 22 video games however missed time on account of a torn quadriceps. At Double-A Tulsa in 2006, he hit .291/.370/.473 with 13 homers in 104 video games, primarily whereas batting leadoff, a way of instructing him to be extra selective together with his method. “He’s proficient however the most effective factor about him is how arduous he works,” Tulsa supervisor Stu Cole advised Baseball America. “He has the work ethic the place he’s all the time making an attempt to get higher.”

The Rockies referred to as up Tulowitzki in late August, after simply 126 minor league video games. His main league debut was nothing to put in writing dwelling about: on August 30, 2006, he went 0-for-4 in opposition to the Mets, with starter David Williams placing him out twice and reliever Guillermo Mota as soon as. He beat out an infield hit in opposition to Oliver Pérez the subsequent day, had a 4-for-4 day with a stroll in opposition to the Dodgers on September 3, and hit his first homer in opposition to the Padres’ Woody Williams on September 4. Although he hit simply .240/.318/.292, he was so spectacular within the Arizona Fall League after the season that Baseball America named him the league’s high prospect.

The 2006 Rockies went 76-86, a nine-game enchancment over ’05 however their sixth straight dropping season and eighth out of 9. In 14 seasons of existence to that time, that they had completed above .500 simply 4 instances, by no means with greater than 83 wins; their lone playoff look got here after going 77-67 (.535) within the lockout-shortened 1995 season. That modified in 2007, with Tulowitzki, left fielder Matt Holliday, and first baseman Todd Helton main the way in which. After beating out Clint Barmes for the beginning job, Tulowitzki hit .291/.359/.479 (109 OPS+) with 24 homers, an off-the-charts 31 DRS, and 6.8 WAR, the final of which ranked fifth within the league. The Rockies have been a decent 76-72 as of September 15, 4 1/2 video games again within the Wild Card race, however with a 13-1 run they tied the Padres for the Wild Card spot on the ultimate scheduled day of the common season, forcing a tiebreaker sport. In a 13-inning thriller, Tulowitzki went 4-for-7 with two doubles and a triple, and got here up massive within the decisive rally. His RBI double off Trevor Hoffman within the backside of the thirteenth trimmed San Diego’s result in 8-7, and he got here round to attain the tying run on Holliday’s triple. The Rockies gained when Jamey Carroll’s sacrifice fly despatched Holliday dwelling, although the decision on the play on the plate will perpetually be disputed.

With that, the Rockies gained the Wild Card spot, then swept the Phillies within the Division Collection and the Diamondbacks within the NLCS earlier than being swept by the Purple Sox within the World Collection. Tulowitzki hit simply .195/.267/.341 within the postseason, with a Division Collection Sport 2 solo homer off Kyle Kendrick score as his high spotlight.

After the season, Tulowitzki completed as runner-up within the NL Rookie of the 12 months voting behind Braun, who hit 34 homers and slugged an NL-high .634 however was so dreadful on protection that he completed with simply 2.0 WAR.

Conscious that that they had a franchise cornerstone on their fingers, the Rockies locked up the 23-year-old Tulowitkzi in the course of his staff management years and the primary 12 months of his potential free company with a six-year, $31 million extension in January 2008. However although he collected three hits in opposition to the Cardinals in an Opening Day win, he didn’t even make it out of April unscathed. He strained his left quad on April 29 and missed 51 days, then one other 15 in July after slicing open his proper palm when his maple bat shattered after he pounded it in opposition to the bottom in frustration. He wanted 16 stitches for “a silly damage that I may have prevented.” Between the 2 accidents, he hit simply .166/.246/.298 within the first half whereas the Rockies went 39-57. Although he collected 5 hits in opposition to the Dodgers in his return to the lineup, and hit .327/.389/.469 within the second half, he completed with simply eight homers, an 85 OPS+, and 0.8 WAR.

Beginning with an Opening Day homer off the Diamondbacks’ Brandon Webb, and two extra within the 2009 season’s first 4 days, Tulowitzki rebounded in spectacular vogue, hitting .297/.377/.552 (131 OPS+) with 32 homers, 20 steals, 13 DRS and 6.5 WAR, a efficiency that positioned him fifth within the NL MVP voting. The Rockies started the season simply 18-28, however with bench coach Jim Tracy taking on for fired supervisor Clint Hurdle in late Could, they set a franchise document with 92 wins, and claimed one other Wild Card spot, although they have been ousted by the Phillies in a four-game Division Collection.

Although he performed simply 122 video games in 2010 and 143 in ’11 on account of accidents, Tulowitzki was excellent when he was obtainable, and roughly matched his numbers from ’09 in each seasons. He hit 27 homers with a 138 OPS+ and 6.7 WAR (third within the league) in 2010 regardless of dropping almost six weeks to a hamate fracture in his left wrist, then adopted up with 30 homers, a 131 OPS+, and 6.2 WAR (fourth within the league) in ’11. He gained Gold Gloves and made the NL All-Star staff in each campaigns, and was voted into the beginning lineup within the latter 12 months. He made a little bit of noise within the MVP voting as nicely, ending fifth once more in 2010 (two spots behind teammate Carlos González), and eighth in ’11.

In between these two seasons, the Rockies added one other seven years and $134 million to the 26-year-old shortstop’s current deal. “I can’t wait to be right here my total profession,” stated Tulowitzki of the ensuing 10-year, $157.75 million contract, the eighth-largest in baseball historical past to that time. He spoke of a chat with O’Dowd and proprietor Dick Monfort:

“I stated it positively is a risk I wish to be right here my complete profession, however there’s numerous issues that need to work out, akin to cash, akin to a dedication to successful,” Tulowitzki stated. “And all of the solutions I obtained from the start stayed on a straight line. They by no means veered off. And so they offered me.”

Regardless of that dedication to successful, the Rockies declined to 83-79 in 2010, 73-89 in ’11, and 64-98 in ’12, a season through which Tulowitzki was restricted to 47 video games on account of a left groin pressure that required surgical procedure after he reinjured it whereas on a rehab task. Although he tried to rehab in August and September, he “was unable to clear psychological and bodily hurdles throughout rehab video games in Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Colorado Springs,” in accordance to the Denver Put up, and by no means made it again to the lineup.

The litany of accidents continued even whereas Tulowitzki carried out at a celebrity stage. He totaled 10.7 WAR in simply 217 video games (7.4 per 150 video games) whereas being voted to begin the All-Star Sport in each 2013 and ’14. He misplaced 4 weeks in mid-2013 after breaking a rib whereas diving for a ball, however the extra crushing blow got here the subsequent 12 months. Within the June 2 version of Sports activities Illustrated, Ben Reiter wrote about Tulowitzki’s determined try to remain wholesome and the extent to which the Rockies’ excessive altitude residence affected the physiology of the staff’s gamers:

Tulowitzki turned satisfied that the supply of not less than a few of his maladies was the identical factor that, for 22 years now, has prompted baseballs to journey farther at Coors Subject than in every other ballpark: Denver’s mile-high altitude. “You hear guys on the bases say, ‘My physique seems like crap immediately,’” Tulowitzki says. “I’ll say, man, attempt to play 81 video games right here. It’s identified: You play in Colorado, you’re going to be additional sore. There have been instances after I had slight pulls right here and there that I performed by way of, but it surely wasn’t the neatest factor to do. I simply ran it on the market on daily basis till it broke.”

By this level Tulowitki had taken an excessive method to diet, forgoing desserts and touring with a private assistant to inventory his resort room with the suitable meals. Moreover, he put in a hyperbaric chamber on the primary flooring of his home, the place he slept nightly:

What Tulowitzki wanted to do was to focus maniacally on a day by day routine that he has designed not simply to maintain him on the sector — he believes that his massive stature, for a shortstop, has contributed to his breakdowns — however to function every evening at nothing in need of his peak. It includes hours of scripted exercises, stretching, video research, ice baths, hydration and a hyperbaric chamber.

The unorthodox routine appeared to be working on the time, as Tulowitzki was within the midst of what was shaping as much as be his finest marketing campaign (.340/.432/.603, 170 OPS+, 25 HR, 5.7 WAR) when he strained a left hip flexor whereas working out a groundball on July 19. 4 weeks later, he underwent season-ending surgical procedure to restore a torn labrum in his left hip, which docs believed was contributing to his ongoing leg accidents: “Since struggling a torn left quadriceps early in 2008, Tulowitzki, 29, has been compensating for left leg muscle groups that haven’t fired correctly since,” wrote MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.

Tulowitzki recovered from surgical procedure in time to start the subsequent season within the lineup, gathering three hits (two doubles) in opposition to the Brewers on Opening Day and remaining largely wholesome by way of the season’s first 4 months. Nonetheless, after dropping 96 video games in 2014, the Rockies continued to muddle alongside. On July 27, 2015, they did one thing that had as soon as appeared unthinkable if not not possible, buying and selling Tulowitzki (and reliever LaTroy Hawkins) to the Blue Jays in change for pitchers Miguel Castro, Jeff Hoffman, and Jesus Tinoco plus shortstop José Reyes, with the Blue Jays answerable for the remaining $107.5 million on his contract. Although rumors about doable trades had been swirling because the staff misplaced 11 straight video games in Could, Tulowitzki stated on the time that he hadn’t requested for a commerce: “No matter occurs on the Rockies’ finish occurs, however for me to take a seat right here and attempt to power my manner out of right here, that’s not the case.”

Tulowitzki described himself as “blindsided” by the commerce and notably by the shortage of advance discover earlier than he was pulled from the Rockies’ sport. He joined a staff that was simply 50-50 on the time, however the Blue Jays additionally added David Worth, Mark Lowe, and Ben Revere on the deadline in an effort to achieve the playoffs for the primary time since their 1993 championship. Tulowitzki went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a homer in opposition to the Phillies in his debut. He scuffled thereafter, hitting for simply an 89 OPS+ the remainder of the way in which and lacking 18 video games in September on account of a cracked left scapula, suffered in a collision with heart fielder Kevin Pillar. Even so, the Blue Jays went 43-19 after he was acquired, and gained the AL East.

Tulowitzki, who was lower than 100% healed when he returned, went simply 2-for-21 within the staff’s Division Collection win over the Rangers — the one punctuated by José Bautista’s bat flip — however a kind of hits was a three-run homer off Chi Chi González that powered Toronto to a 5-1 win in Sport 3. He hit .304/.304/.522 within the ALCS in opposition to the Royals, with a three-run homer off Johnny Cueto in Sport 3 and a three-run double off Kelvin Herrera in Sport 5 looming massive within the Blue Jays’ two collection wins.

Tulowitzki helped the Blue Jays win 89 video games and declare a Wild Card spot in 2016 with a stable and relatively full season; he performed 131 video games, lacking three weeks on account of a proper quad pressure. Although he hit a modest .254/.318/.443 (102 OPS+) with 24 homers, robust protection (9 DRS) boosted his worth to three.2 WAR. Whereas he went 0-for-4 within the Wild Card sport versus the Orioles, and 2-for-18 within the ALCS in opposition to Cleveland, he was 6-for-13 with a triple, a homer and 5 RBI in opposition to the Rangers within the Division Collection rematch, highlighted by a bases-loaded triple off Cole Hamels in Sport 2 and a two-run homer off Yu Darvish in Sport 3.

Sadly, there wasn’t a lot left to his profession, not that anybody knew it on the time. Tulowitzki performed simply 66 video games in 2017, struggling to an 80 OPS+ whereas dropping time to a proper hamstring pressure and an ankle sprain; later in that season, he realized he’d sustained ligament injury within the ankle as nicely. He missed all of 2018 after present process surgical procedure in April to take away bone spurs in each heels, although it wasn’t till August {that a} return was dominated out. In November, the Blue Jays grew uninterested in the limitless cycles of accidents and rehab, releasing Tulowitzki with $38 million to go on his contract.

In January 2019, Tulowtizki signed with the Yankees, who wanted a fill-in at shortstop whereas Didi Gregorius recovered from Tommy John surgical procedure. He made the staff out of spring coaching and homered off the Orioles’ Richard Bleier in his second sport, however strained his left calf 4 days later, and re-strained it whereas on a rehab task on Could 1. Even after he agreed to play different positions in addition to shortstop for the primary time in his profession as soon as he returned, his stalled progress led the Yankees to ship him dwelling to Southern California in early June to reevaluate his choices. Finally, he determined he’d had sufficient. Upon asserting his retirement on July 25, he took a job as a volunteer assistant coach on the College of Texas. He’s at present the Longhorns’ full-time hitting coach.

Although Tulowitzki is certainly one of 22 shortstops to build up not less than 40 WAR in his seven finest seasons — a robust indicator of future election to the Corridor of Fame — his early retirement and the lack of almost 5 full seasons to time on the injured checklist limits his profession totals. Nonetheless, even together with his absences, he was the sport’s finest shortstop for a time. When he was wholesome sufficient to play, man, may Tulo play.