Hilliard enjoying year for the ages
Prolific offensive campaign puts slugger in record book
Albuquerque Isotopes fans are getting their money’s worth from Sam Hilliard this season.
Never was that more apparent than in his first trip to the plate Saturday night at Isotopes Park.
Despite it being a meaningless game in the standings between the host Isotopes and visiting Fresno Grizzlies — two teams each approaching 20 games below .500 with just over a week left in the long Pacific Coast League season — Hilliard gave the crowd something to remember.
Facing Grizzlies righty Paolo Espino, the 25-yearold Hilliard rattled off a 15 pitch at-bat — yes, FIFTEEN pitches — before launching a line drive two-run home run to straight-away center field that landed a good 10 feet beyond the wall.
Hilliard went 3-for-5 at the plate with a homer, a double, three runs and two RBIs to help the Isotopes win 17-7 in front of an announced fireworks night crowd of 10,453.
The first-inning home run in the 131st game of the 140game Triple A season moved the lefty-hitting Hilliard’s name to the top, or very close to the top, of a number of Iso
topes franchise hitting records in a season. Hilliard quietly has made his case as author of one of the best offensive campaigns in franchise history.
It was home run No. 35, which tied him for second all-time in the 17 years of Isotopes existence. He set new records on Saturday for runs scored (108) and extra base hits (71). He also has 101 RBIs (No. 4 all-time) 278 total bases (12 off the record).
It was RBIs No. 100 and 101 (No. 4 all-time), run scored No. 106 (tied for first with Joc Pederson in 2014), extrabase hit No. 70 (tied for first with two former ‘Topes) and total base No. 275 (15 off that franchise record).
“Definitely in some areas it’s been good,” Hilliard said of the 2019 season with the Isotopes. “There’s always room for improvement. In other categories, I feel like I can do a lot better. I think it comes from the work that we put in every day. The coaching staff — our hitting coach Tim Doherty is in there every day grinding with me and making sure I’m doing what I need to be doing.”
Hilliard, who earlier this season became the second Isotope to join the 20-20 club (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, which he has 21 of this season), has been called a clear five-tool player by his manager, Glenallen Hill.
The progression of Hilliard through the Colorado Rockies organization suggests we should have seen this coming as 2019 marked the fourth season in which he was named an all-star: 2019 Triple-A Albuquerque; 2018 Double-A Hartford; 2017 High-A Lancaster; 2016 Single-A Asheville.
“He’s sort of come on the scene the last couple years as a true player, and there’s still a gap between where he is and the ceiling, so that’s exciting,” Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black told the Denver Post this month.
“What we’re tracking is the strikeouts, to see if that rate can come down more, and it’s been a little bit better lately. Beyond that he plays an up-tempo game — he runs well, he defends, and he’s got the power we’re seeing.”
What is more 2019 baseball than a player setting the world on fire at the plate while also inching up the record books in strikeouts? Hilliard’s 162 on the season ranks No. 3 all-time for the Isotopes, 14 off the club record. But it’s something he’s working on and has shown signs of improvement of late.
“He has a lot of power. A lot of pop,” said teammate Drew Weeks. “As the season’s gone on, he’s cut down on strikeouts a lot, too, which was a big thing for him. He’s hitting .260 with a lot of strikeouts. Think about if he can cut those down, with his speed, and give himself that many more opportunities? Not in half, even. Say he cuts a quarter or a third of them and puts those balls in play. Now he’s (hitting) .300 and there’s no telling how many two-strike homers he’s going to have.
“(Hitting) .300 with 35, 40 (home runs) maybe? That’s big-league allstar potential.”
As for Hilliard, he isn’t thinking about any of that. Paying attention to numbers isn’t what got him in the position he’s in today, which could be as a player joining the Rockies soon.
“I think I’m one of the next guys in line,” Hilliard said. “If anything happens, I would like to think that I’ve worked hard for this organization for four years and have done everything they’ve asked me to do and I think I’ve put myself in a good position.”