MLB Power Rankings: Top 25 players in the game today

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 09: Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) during an at bat in the second inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers played on April 9, 2019 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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DENVER, CO – APRIL 8: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies throws to first base to complete a double play against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field on April 8, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

10. Nolan Arenado

Carrying on a long tradition of great Colorado Rockies sluggers, third baseman Nolan Arenado just might go down as the greatest player in franchise history. The four-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove winner agreed to a seven-year extension that will effectively keep him in Colorado for his entire career. Arenado has become the heart and soul of baseball in Denver and has piled up prolific power numbers over the first seven years of his career.

Arenado has been a virtual lock for close to 40 homers and 130 RBI the past four seasons while also playing phenomenal defense at the hot corner. He might have some competition for the Gold Glove at third now that Manny Machado has shifted over to the National League, but the race for the award will be fierce and incredibly fun to watch. Arenado has also finished in the top-five in the MVP vote three years in a row and has led the league in home runs in three of the past four years.

The obvious knock on Arenado is that he plays half of his games at Coors Field, but he has also produced at a respectable clip on the road. He is a career .320/.373/.606 hitter at home versus .263/.319/.473 on the road. That is a real drop in Arenado’s numbers, but handling the differences between hitting at altitude and sea level is one of the more difficult feats in baseball.

If he plays out his entire contract and career with the Rockies, Arenado will replace Todd Helton as the most beloved player in franchise history. It will have been under his watch that the Rockies make the leap from infrequent contender to serious threat in the National League. Arenado has led a culture change, and the Rockies have gone to the playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time in franchise history in the past two seasons.

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