Troy Tulowitzki
Full Name: Troy Trevor Tulowitzki
Position: SS
Born: 10/10/1984
Height: 6'3" Weight: 205
Bats: R Throws: R
High School: College: Long Beach State University
Drafted: Selected by Colorado Rockies in 1st round (7th overall) of 2005 amateur entry draft (June Regular Phase)
RoxHead got a good look at Troy Tulowitzki at the end of the 2006 season and he is everything the management advertised he would be. He has a gun for an arm at short. His range isn't bad either, especially for a big kid. His swing is violent and aggressive so look for the coaches to settle that part of his game down some... but not too much.
Tulo will get a good shot at the starting shortstop position in the spring, however, Clint Barmes won't give up the spot easily that's for sure. The word is that Barmes will be given every opportunity to keep his job, so Troy will have to play lights out if he wants a big league pay check.
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
2006 25 96 15 23 2 0 1 6 28 10 25 3 0 .318 .292 .240
--------------------------------------------------------------
Career 25 96 15 23 2 0 1 6 28 10 25 3 0 .318 .292 .240
Position: SS
Born: 10/10/1984
Height: 6'3" Weight: 205
Bats: R Throws: R
High School: College: Long Beach State University
Drafted: Selected by Colorado Rockies in 1st round (7th overall) of 2005 amateur entry draft (June Regular Phase)
RoxHead got a good look at Troy Tulowitzki at the end of the 2006 season and he is everything the management advertised he would be. He has a gun for an arm at short. His range isn't bad either, especially for a big kid. His swing is violent and aggressive so look for the coaches to settle that part of his game down some... but not too much.
Tulo will get a good shot at the starting shortstop position in the spring, however, Clint Barmes won't give up the spot easily that's for sure. The word is that Barmes will be given every opportunity to keep his job, so Troy will have to play lights out if he wants a big league pay check.
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
2006 25 96 15 23 2 0 1 6 28 10 25 3 0 .318 .292 .240
--------------------------------------------------------------
Career 25 96 15 23 2 0 1 6 28 10 25 3 0 .318 .292 .240
In the News
11/29/06.. addition.. Baseball Weekly
The first-round draft pick in 2005 was slowed by a knee injury last season but still hit .291 with 13 homers and 61 RBI at Double-A Tulsa. His time is approaching, if it's not already here.
Tulowitzki, 22, will get a chance to earn the starting job in spring training. "He does a lot of things well," farm director Marc Gustafson says. "He'll hit for average, hit 15 to 20 home runs down the road and drive in some runs. His composure and his ability are very impressive."
10/30/06.. addition.. baseballamerica.com
There's no denying Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is tired, playing the Texas League for the majority of the year and getting a taste of the big leagues in his first full season.
"Yeah, I'm tired. Everybody in our organization knows I'm tired, but I'm out here battling through it every day," Tulowitzki said. "I've never played this long in my life, but it's a great opportunity to continue to come out, play hard every day and make them realize that I'm ready."
There is little question that Tulowitzki is ready, as he's playing a solid shortstop while hitting .357/.396/.452 in 42 at-bats for Grand Canyon. The 22-year-old knows this is what's expected of him, to show both consistency and endurance after being the seventh-overall pick in 2005 out of Long Beach State.
"There are a lot of people in my position that could have easily just shut it down, but I'm always striving to get better," Tulowitzki said. "I'm happy with the way everything went. Making the big leagues in my first full season was my goal. Now it's time to step my game up and plan another goal for the next year. It's never finished--it's never over. You can always do something to get better. This game is all about maintaining everything on a daily basis."
9/9/06.. addition.. projectprospect.com.. ranking the Rockies top 3 prospects
1. Troy Tulowitzki, SS: Known as a slick fielder will a powerful bat, the 2005 first round draft pick put up a .291/.370/.473 line in AA-Tulsa before getting an August 30th promotion straight to the big league club in Colorado. Tulowitzki, 21, hit 13 home runs and 34 doubles in Double-A Tulsa with just 6 steals in 11 attempts.
Fans have tried to end the Tulowitzki to Bobby Crosby comparisons due to the peanut brittle factor surrounding the other former Long Beach State shortstop. While we still like the comparisons since both players sport similar plate discipline - Crosby had a 1.69K/BB ratio in the minors to Tulo's 1.62 - we recognize that Tulowitzki isn’t too far from challenging his fellow former Dirtbag in the major league baseball shortstop ranks.
9/6/06.. addition.. FOXSports.com.. fantasy talk
I don't think Tulowitzki is ready now, though since he's going to get more at-bats than Iannetta, he is the better pickup in NL-only leagues. Tulo hit .291/.370/.473 while spending the entire season at Double-A Tulsa. Frequently compared to Bobby Crosby, the player he replaced at shortstop for Long Beach State, he's a solid defensive shortstop with the ability to be well above average offensively. Think Rich Aurilia in his better years. Since the Rockies seem to be figuring out that Clint Barmes is a utilityman, Tulowitzki will get every opportunity to prove he should be the club's Opening Day shortstop. My guess is that he'll need two months in Triple-A first.
9/1/06.. addition.. MLB.com
Tulsa manager Stu Cole said shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who was promoted to the Rockies on Wednesday, was much better recently at hitting with two strikes and with runners in scoring position. The free-swinging Tulowitzki, who went 1-for-18 in his final four games with the Drillers, was known to take a hack at eye-high pitches at the start of the year but showed vastly improved strike-zone discipline during the season. "He's done a great job with it," Cole said. "That's one of the things that will tell you that this kid will try to take things in and put it into his game plan and learn everything he needs to learn to be better. He's done that since probably a third of the way through the season, since we asked him to do that, and his approach has been solid." Cole said Tulowitzki had been playing well defensively when he left for the majors with one lingering concern. "Sometimes he would sit back on balls," Cole said, "and try to show off that (strong) arm, and it would get him into trouble with speedy runners. He recognizes that and knows he has to improve on that, and he has improved at times. He needs to be more consistent with it."
8/29/06.. info
Troy Tulowitzki's contract was purchased by the Colorado Rockies.
6/27/06.. addition.. MLB.com
Tulo lately has been out of the lineup with a sore left knee. Rockies assistant general manager Bill Geivett said on Monday that Tulowitzki says he can play, but the organization is awaiting the results of an MRI before determining when he'll return to action.
6/19/06.. addition.. Rocky
"He has calmed down a great deal, and he's not up there just hacking right now," Tulsa manager Stu Cole said. "Before, they would get two strikes on him and throw him a fastball up in the zone, and it was an automatic swing and he would strike out. But he's gotten a lot better.
"He's got a ways to go, but not a long way. He's made great strides and he's gotten to the point now where he understands that he can't go up there and just be swinging. And he's learning how to take what the pitcher gives him."
"Tulowitzki's got a major league stroke right now," Rockies roving hitting coordinator Jim Johnson said. "He doesn't have a big ego to the point he turns you off. But he's got a hitter's arrogance and a ballplayer's arrogance. He knows he can play, and he wants to get better. He wants to know how to get better. He asks all the right questions."
"I look at (Gary) Sheffield and Manny Ramirez and all the guys that have great torque in the lower half," Johnson said. "Hip velocity creates hand velocity. And (Tulowitzki) has the lower-half rotation that is unbelievable."
5/10/06.. FOXSports.com .. Ranking Shortstop Prospects
3. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies, Age: 21
Acquired: 1st round, 2005, Long Beach State
Tulowitzki is a skilled defender at short, and with the bat he'll hit for average with good gap-power numbers. His walk rates could stand some improvement, but there's time for that. His numbers at High-A Modesto last season weren't all that impressive for a college-trained hitter, but this year Tulowitzki is faring much better at Doule-A Tulsa.
5/08/06.. Purp 30.. Purple Row.com
2. Troy Tulowitzki - SS
In just his second season of pro ball, Tulo has been recognized as one of the top three shortstop prospects in the game. He's got mad skills on defense with a strong arm and quick first step. Good instincts, too. His bat's still developing but he figures to have some power at least twenty HR and plenty of doubles, and I'm going to say a .300 plus batting average anywhere, even though that's probably not the line you'll hear from BA.
4/17/06... addition.. Rocky
Tulsa manager Stu Cole was the manager last year at Class A Modesto, where Tulowitzki played 22 games and began his career with 94 at-bats while hitting .266 with four homers and 14 RBI. A strained left quadriceps muscle caused Tulowitzki to miss most of August, and when he returned for the final two games of the regular season and the California League playoffs, Cole put Tulowitzki atop the lineup.
"Early on, he hadn't played for a while (after the draft), so he was trying to get his timing down," Cole said. "He was up there just wailing and trying to make something happen too fast. He was taking better swings at better pitches and got hurt. Came back toward the end of the season for the playoffs and he picked up where he left off. He was swinging the bat well at the end of the season and the playoffs. When he came back from his injury, I led him off to get him some at-bats. He did a pretty good job for us at that spot
"He's got to be more selective in what he swings at," Rockies assistant general manager Bill Geivett said. "And if we can do something with the lineup and position him in a spot that can help him learn that, then that's what we're going to do. What we're looking at is the major-league level, and (there) he's going to have to be more selective at what he offers at than he is right now."
3/28/06... addition.. MLB.com
The Rockies brought 2005 No. 1 pick Troy Tulowitzki, a shortstop from Long Beach State, to Major League camp to give him a taste of top-level baseball so he would be a step ahead when Minor League camp began. It worked.
Tulowitzki, in the words of Colorado Minor League hitting coordinator Jim Johnson, is "tearing it up" in Minor League Spring Training competition against Minor Leaguers from Arizona, the Chicago White Sox and from the Rockies system. His glove also has been stellar.
2/28/06.. analysis.. FOXSports.com
Tulowitzki, the seventh selection in the 2005 draft, finished at .349/.431/.599 in 152 AB in his final year at Long Beach State. He was assigned to the California League right away, and he met expectations until suffering a quad injury. The Rockies think he'll be able to stay at shortstop even though he's not exceptionally quick, and they also believe he'll develop 20-homer power. In Coors Field, he might be good for 25 or 28 homers per year. He still probably won't be a particularly remarkable hitter, mainly due to average on-base skills, but he should have the bat to be a starter at second base if a switch becomes necessary. Like Stewart, he could be ready in the second half of 2007, though he probably won't be rushed. The Rockies are content with Clint Barmes.
2/8/06.. Top Prospect Alert.com
Potential -- Superstar. The latest in a string of first round picks with superstar offensive potential in Colorado, Tulowitzki could very well end up being the best fantasy shortstop in the National League when he takes over the job for the Rockies. Most of his star potential does come from his ballpark and position though.
Risks Green. A torn quadriceps muscle slowed down his debut but a torn quad is rarely a recurring injury and he should bounce back fine for 2006. Comes from an upper tier college program in Long Beach State and knows how to play the game right.
Offense -- Although scouts agree he has upper level potential, Tulowitzki has never had an overwhelming year at the college or professional levels. He hit .349 his last year at Long Beach St. and figures to be a high average guy his whole career. He never hit more than 8 home runs in college but as its often the last thing to come, he's 6-3 205 pounds and headed for Coors Field, Tulowitzki should end up a 25 homer guy in the Majors. A good base runner and will score plenty of runs hitting in front of Stewart-Helton down the road.
Defense -- Outstanding. Tulowitzki is a big shortstop who can move, throw and knows how to play the position right. Even if he just hits decently, he should have a job with his defensive skills, and in Colorado that's good enough to put up fantasy numbers.
Position Change -- None likely, even though the Rockies have depth of middle infield prospects, Tulowitzki figures to be the one manning the position in Coors when the dust settles.
Blocked By -- Clint Barmes, Omar Quintanilla. Even though Barmes looked like the National League rookie of the year before becoming the latest victim of grocery carrying, it is Barmes who will most likely be shifted when Tulowitzki is ready.
ETA -- 2007 figures to be a very busy year for Rockies' scorecard vendors as fans will need to get acquainted with Tulowitzki, Iannetta and Ian Stewart in the starting lineup that season.
Comparison -- Bobby Crosby. Tulowitzki followed Crosby at Long Beach St. and is often and fairly compared with the guy. Some say he is ahead of Crosby's progress at the same age, and one will play in Coors Field and the other in Oakland, so advantage Tulowitzki.
1/20/06.. addition.. MLB.com
Beginning Tulowitzki's career at Modesto was a bold move for an organization that usually starts its top picks in short-season leagues. He didn't lose confidence after beginning 1-for-13 through three games and 5-for-29 through seven.
"I didn't feel I was overmatched talent-wise," he said. "I felt I was right where I belonged but it just took me awhile to get used to my surroundings and just being in pro ball. But after those first few games, I think everything fell into place and I played OK."
A groin injury cost Tulowitzki much of August, but he hit .308 after his slow start to finish at .266 with a homer and 14 RBIs. Also, in five playoff games Tulowitzki hit .348 (8-for-23).
In addition, he made a defensive adjustment by backhanding more balls, so he could make quicker throws to beat runners who were speedier than those he encountered in college.
The first-round draft pick in 2005 was slowed by a knee injury last season but still hit .291 with 13 homers and 61 RBI at Double-A Tulsa. His time is approaching, if it's not already here.
Tulowitzki, 22, will get a chance to earn the starting job in spring training. "He does a lot of things well," farm director Marc Gustafson says. "He'll hit for average, hit 15 to 20 home runs down the road and drive in some runs. His composure and his ability are very impressive."
10/30/06.. addition.. baseballamerica.com
There's no denying Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is tired, playing the Texas League for the majority of the year and getting a taste of the big leagues in his first full season.
"Yeah, I'm tired. Everybody in our organization knows I'm tired, but I'm out here battling through it every day," Tulowitzki said. "I've never played this long in my life, but it's a great opportunity to continue to come out, play hard every day and make them realize that I'm ready."
There is little question that Tulowitzki is ready, as he's playing a solid shortstop while hitting .357/.396/.452 in 42 at-bats for Grand Canyon. The 22-year-old knows this is what's expected of him, to show both consistency and endurance after being the seventh-overall pick in 2005 out of Long Beach State.
"There are a lot of people in my position that could have easily just shut it down, but I'm always striving to get better," Tulowitzki said. "I'm happy with the way everything went. Making the big leagues in my first full season was my goal. Now it's time to step my game up and plan another goal for the next year. It's never finished--it's never over. You can always do something to get better. This game is all about maintaining everything on a daily basis."
9/9/06.. addition.. projectprospect.com.. ranking the Rockies top 3 prospects
1. Troy Tulowitzki, SS: Known as a slick fielder will a powerful bat, the 2005 first round draft pick put up a .291/.370/.473 line in AA-Tulsa before getting an August 30th promotion straight to the big league club in Colorado. Tulowitzki, 21, hit 13 home runs and 34 doubles in Double-A Tulsa with just 6 steals in 11 attempts.
Fans have tried to end the Tulowitzki to Bobby Crosby comparisons due to the peanut brittle factor surrounding the other former Long Beach State shortstop. While we still like the comparisons since both players sport similar plate discipline - Crosby had a 1.69K/BB ratio in the minors to Tulo's 1.62 - we recognize that Tulowitzki isn’t too far from challenging his fellow former Dirtbag in the major league baseball shortstop ranks.
9/6/06.. addition.. FOXSports.com.. fantasy talk
I don't think Tulowitzki is ready now, though since he's going to get more at-bats than Iannetta, he is the better pickup in NL-only leagues. Tulo hit .291/.370/.473 while spending the entire season at Double-A Tulsa. Frequently compared to Bobby Crosby, the player he replaced at shortstop for Long Beach State, he's a solid defensive shortstop with the ability to be well above average offensively. Think Rich Aurilia in his better years. Since the Rockies seem to be figuring out that Clint Barmes is a utilityman, Tulowitzki will get every opportunity to prove he should be the club's Opening Day shortstop. My guess is that he'll need two months in Triple-A first.
9/1/06.. addition.. MLB.com
Tulsa manager Stu Cole said shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who was promoted to the Rockies on Wednesday, was much better recently at hitting with two strikes and with runners in scoring position. The free-swinging Tulowitzki, who went 1-for-18 in his final four games with the Drillers, was known to take a hack at eye-high pitches at the start of the year but showed vastly improved strike-zone discipline during the season. "He's done a great job with it," Cole said. "That's one of the things that will tell you that this kid will try to take things in and put it into his game plan and learn everything he needs to learn to be better. He's done that since probably a third of the way through the season, since we asked him to do that, and his approach has been solid." Cole said Tulowitzki had been playing well defensively when he left for the majors with one lingering concern. "Sometimes he would sit back on balls," Cole said, "and try to show off that (strong) arm, and it would get him into trouble with speedy runners. He recognizes that and knows he has to improve on that, and he has improved at times. He needs to be more consistent with it."
8/29/06.. info
Troy Tulowitzki's contract was purchased by the Colorado Rockies.
6/27/06.. addition.. MLB.com
Tulo lately has been out of the lineup with a sore left knee. Rockies assistant general manager Bill Geivett said on Monday that Tulowitzki says he can play, but the organization is awaiting the results of an MRI before determining when he'll return to action.
6/19/06.. addition.. Rocky
"He has calmed down a great deal, and he's not up there just hacking right now," Tulsa manager Stu Cole said. "Before, they would get two strikes on him and throw him a fastball up in the zone, and it was an automatic swing and he would strike out. But he's gotten a lot better.
"He's got a ways to go, but not a long way. He's made great strides and he's gotten to the point now where he understands that he can't go up there and just be swinging. And he's learning how to take what the pitcher gives him."
"Tulowitzki's got a major league stroke right now," Rockies roving hitting coordinator Jim Johnson said. "He doesn't have a big ego to the point he turns you off. But he's got a hitter's arrogance and a ballplayer's arrogance. He knows he can play, and he wants to get better. He wants to know how to get better. He asks all the right questions."
"I look at (Gary) Sheffield and Manny Ramirez and all the guys that have great torque in the lower half," Johnson said. "Hip velocity creates hand velocity. And (Tulowitzki) has the lower-half rotation that is unbelievable."
5/10/06.. FOXSports.com .. Ranking Shortstop Prospects
3. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies, Age: 21
Acquired: 1st round, 2005, Long Beach State
Tulowitzki is a skilled defender at short, and with the bat he'll hit for average with good gap-power numbers. His walk rates could stand some improvement, but there's time for that. His numbers at High-A Modesto last season weren't all that impressive for a college-trained hitter, but this year Tulowitzki is faring much better at Doule-A Tulsa.
5/08/06.. Purp 30.. Purple Row.com
2. Troy Tulowitzki - SS
In just his second season of pro ball, Tulo has been recognized as one of the top three shortstop prospects in the game. He's got mad skills on defense with a strong arm and quick first step. Good instincts, too. His bat's still developing but he figures to have some power at least twenty HR and plenty of doubles, and I'm going to say a .300 plus batting average anywhere, even though that's probably not the line you'll hear from BA.
4/17/06... addition.. Rocky
Tulsa manager Stu Cole was the manager last year at Class A Modesto, where Tulowitzki played 22 games and began his career with 94 at-bats while hitting .266 with four homers and 14 RBI. A strained left quadriceps muscle caused Tulowitzki to miss most of August, and when he returned for the final two games of the regular season and the California League playoffs, Cole put Tulowitzki atop the lineup.
"Early on, he hadn't played for a while (after the draft), so he was trying to get his timing down," Cole said. "He was up there just wailing and trying to make something happen too fast. He was taking better swings at better pitches and got hurt. Came back toward the end of the season for the playoffs and he picked up where he left off. He was swinging the bat well at the end of the season and the playoffs. When he came back from his injury, I led him off to get him some at-bats. He did a pretty good job for us at that spot
"He's got to be more selective in what he swings at," Rockies assistant general manager Bill Geivett said. "And if we can do something with the lineup and position him in a spot that can help him learn that, then that's what we're going to do. What we're looking at is the major-league level, and (there) he's going to have to be more selective at what he offers at than he is right now."
3/28/06... addition.. MLB.com
The Rockies brought 2005 No. 1 pick Troy Tulowitzki, a shortstop from Long Beach State, to Major League camp to give him a taste of top-level baseball so he would be a step ahead when Minor League camp began. It worked.
Tulowitzki, in the words of Colorado Minor League hitting coordinator Jim Johnson, is "tearing it up" in Minor League Spring Training competition against Minor Leaguers from Arizona, the Chicago White Sox and from the Rockies system. His glove also has been stellar.
2/28/06.. analysis.. FOXSports.com
Tulowitzki, the seventh selection in the 2005 draft, finished at .349/.431/.599 in 152 AB in his final year at Long Beach State. He was assigned to the California League right away, and he met expectations until suffering a quad injury. The Rockies think he'll be able to stay at shortstop even though he's not exceptionally quick, and they also believe he'll develop 20-homer power. In Coors Field, he might be good for 25 or 28 homers per year. He still probably won't be a particularly remarkable hitter, mainly due to average on-base skills, but he should have the bat to be a starter at second base if a switch becomes necessary. Like Stewart, he could be ready in the second half of 2007, though he probably won't be rushed. The Rockies are content with Clint Barmes.
2/8/06.. Top Prospect Alert.com
Potential -- Superstar. The latest in a string of first round picks with superstar offensive potential in Colorado, Tulowitzki could very well end up being the best fantasy shortstop in the National League when he takes over the job for the Rockies. Most of his star potential does come from his ballpark and position though.
Risks Green. A torn quadriceps muscle slowed down his debut but a torn quad is rarely a recurring injury and he should bounce back fine for 2006. Comes from an upper tier college program in Long Beach State and knows how to play the game right.
Offense -- Although scouts agree he has upper level potential, Tulowitzki has never had an overwhelming year at the college or professional levels. He hit .349 his last year at Long Beach St. and figures to be a high average guy his whole career. He never hit more than 8 home runs in college but as its often the last thing to come, he's 6-3 205 pounds and headed for Coors Field, Tulowitzki should end up a 25 homer guy in the Majors. A good base runner and will score plenty of runs hitting in front of Stewart-Helton down the road.
Defense -- Outstanding. Tulowitzki is a big shortstop who can move, throw and knows how to play the position right. Even if he just hits decently, he should have a job with his defensive skills, and in Colorado that's good enough to put up fantasy numbers.
Position Change -- None likely, even though the Rockies have depth of middle infield prospects, Tulowitzki figures to be the one manning the position in Coors when the dust settles.
Blocked By -- Clint Barmes, Omar Quintanilla. Even though Barmes looked like the National League rookie of the year before becoming the latest victim of grocery carrying, it is Barmes who will most likely be shifted when Tulowitzki is ready.
ETA -- 2007 figures to be a very busy year for Rockies' scorecard vendors as fans will need to get acquainted with Tulowitzki, Iannetta and Ian Stewart in the starting lineup that season.
Comparison -- Bobby Crosby. Tulowitzki followed Crosby at Long Beach St. and is often and fairly compared with the guy. Some say he is ahead of Crosby's progress at the same age, and one will play in Coors Field and the other in Oakland, so advantage Tulowitzki.
1/20/06.. addition.. MLB.com
Beginning Tulowitzki's career at Modesto was a bold move for an organization that usually starts its top picks in short-season leagues. He didn't lose confidence after beginning 1-for-13 through three games and 5-for-29 through seven.
"I didn't feel I was overmatched talent-wise," he said. "I felt I was right where I belonged but it just took me awhile to get used to my surroundings and just being in pro ball. But after those first few games, I think everything fell into place and I played OK."
A groin injury cost Tulowitzki much of August, but he hit .308 after his slow start to finish at .266 with a homer and 14 RBIs. Also, in five playoff games Tulowitzki hit .348 (8-for-23).
In addition, he made a defensive adjustment by backhanding more balls, so he could make quicker throws to beat runners who were speedier than those he encountered in college.
