The Colorado Rockies had an outstanding finish to the 2009 season.  After starting off the season very poorly under Clint Hurdle, the Rockies made a comeback that no one thought possible.  Jim Tracy took over as the Rockies Manager and the team quickly became one of the best in all of Major League Baseball, making the playoffs as the National League Wild Card. The Rockies playoff run didn't go as well as in 2007, when they went to the World Series, but they did show that they are one of the premier teams in MLB.

As the Rockies play improved in 2009, many players came forward as legitimate Major League players. Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler, Jason Hammel, Matt Daley, Eric Young Jr. and a few others brought the Rockies youth and added hope for the future. The veterans served as good examples of what it takes to be a playoff team. Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe, Clint Barmes, Yorvit Torrealba, Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez and Huston Street all had good years and helped lead the young players from the minors into the big leagues. Perhaps the best example to all of the young players was Troy Tulowitzki. Tulowitzki made a quick rise through the minor leagues and has done nothing but be a leader and a key to the Rockies success since his first start in 2006.

Over the last 3+ seasons Troy Tulowitzki has batted .283, smashed 65 home runs and driven in 243 runs and he's not even 26 years old. Not only has Tulo ripped the cover off the ball, he's played gold glove caliber defense. If you watch any Rockies games, you undoubtedly will see Tulo making plays at short stop that most in the league could only dream of making. He has one of the strongest arms at short and at 6'3" he covers lots of ground, getting to balls that many short stops would not be able to make a play on. In fact many scouts said Tulowitzki was too tall to play short and that he wouldn't be able to get to as many balls as a shorter player....I'm assuming these scouts are looking for new jobs as they completely dropped the ball on Tulo. See Tulo's career stats.

With the Rockies finally getting some national attention from ESPN and other sports writers, there's no doubt the Rockies will be more widely known among baseball fans. For the 1st time that I can remember, Baseball Tonight (ESPN) is picking the Rockies to win the National League West and to be a top competitor for the World Series. With all the national attention the Rockies are bound to receive, Troy Tulowitzki may be set up to win the National League MVP award. Tulo will be hitting in the cleanup spot for the Rockies and will continue to be one of the best defensive players in MLB. If the Rockies can win the National League West and Troy Tulowitzki is healthy for the entire season, I see him winning the MVP award.

How will the Rockies do in 2010?  
Does Tulo have what it takes to win the MVP?