Shaker’s Hoffman progressing at Triple-A

DENVER, CO » The tendency for baseball stats to deceive in small sample sizes is why Rockies farm director Zach Wilson’s faith in two of the organization’s top prospects, Albuquerque Isotopes pitcher and Shaker Blue Bison graduate Jeff Hoffman and Yard Goats infielder Brendan Rodgers, hasn’t wavered this year.

For Hoffman, who’s 1-3 with a 6.04 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 22.1 innings pitched entering the weekend, that faith is despite lessthan-stellar stats for the 6-foot-5 right-hander who has battled back from shoulder inflammation that began in spring training and resulted in a 10- day disabled list stint.

“He was injured there leaving spring training, so we had to get him back going,” Wilson said. “Lately, he’s filled up the strike zone with fastballs and he’s been able to locate his breaking ball for strikes early in counts as well. He’s used the changeup very well too, so he continues to prepare and obviously show the ability to hopefully help us up here, if necessary and called upon.”

Then there’s the case of Rodgers, who was hitting a middling .143 midway through April but has

since been red-hot in the box. He’s recorded hits in 18 of his last 21 starts; his 22 RBIs rank tied for third in the Eastern League, while he’s also tied for third in the league with six homers.

It’s that sort of offensive

production that the Rockies are expecting from Rodgers, the third overall pick in the 2015 draft who hit .336 in split time between Class-A Advanced and Double-A in 2017.

“He started a little bit slow from a statistical

standpoint, but I was in there early (at Hartford), and it was apparent that he was just a tick away from it all coming together,” Wilson said. “You could see it coming, and you could see it coming quick. And it did.”