Rockies' Tom Murphy: Raking at Triple-A
Murphy is slashing .295/.366/.656 with 16 home runs and 45 RBI through 48 games with Triple-A Albuquerque this season.
When the Rockies signed Chris Iannetta over the offseason, it effectively put Murphy and Tony Wolters into a competition to be the backup backstop for Colorado. Wolters won the job out of spring training, but things may have worked out better for Murphy as a result. He's striking out over nine percent less at Triple-A than last season, and he's walking at his highest rate since 2015. To add onto that, the .360 ISO he produced to start the season is his best mark at any level with more than 50 plate appearances. Iannetta and Wolters are better receivers behind the plate, but Murphy offers significantly more upside with the bat. With nothing more to prove at Triple-A, the 27-year-old may get a shot at big-league catching duties at some point later this season, especially if the Rockies fall out of playoff contention.
