Colorado Rockies: Jordan Patterson looking to stick in call-up despite sustained slump

Las Vegas, Nevada —— It was just 18 at-bats, but to Jordan Patterson, it meant the world.

“Everybody’s dream is to make it to the big leagues, so regardless of how much it was, I was excited to be there,” the Colorado Rockies first baseman/outfielder said to Baseball Census about his brief Major League debut with the club back in 2016, where he went 8-for-18 with a walk, a strikeout, and a double over ten games at the end of the year.

“It was cool,” Patterson reminisced. “It’s definitely cool to get your feet wet, and it was nice to figure out what was going on up there and learn about the things to do, and things not to do. It was a good experience. But now there’s a new goal: how can I get up there and stick?”

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Therein lies the rub for the University of South Alabama product, a former fourth round draft pick and current top-30 prospect for the big league club. Recalled on Wednesday morning to take the place of outfielder Gerardo Parra, who the Colorado Rockies placed on the disabled list, Jordan Patterson may not be up for long. Worse yet, he’s arriving in Denver at an unusual time, mired in a slump with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.

Patterson is just 5-for-28 over his last eight games, and year-to-date he’s slashing a meager .216/.288/.426/.715 over 53 Pacific Coast League games. That’s a far cry from the stellar season he put together with the ‘Topes last year—slashing .293/.376/.480/.856 over 119 games—and it makes him an unlikely ‘next man up’ for the surging Rockies. Nevertheless, here he is, and he must figure out how to reclaim the Jordan Patterson of 2016 while getting his second shot at the big leagues this week.

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To read our full Jordan Patterson scouting report, please click here.

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“We all have the physical tools at this level, so it comes down to the mental game,” Patterson noted about his early woes in Albuquerque and how he’s been preparing for Denver. “How do you approach every day? You can’t take at-bats off, you can’t take days off, because those things catch up to you. I’m trying to show mentally that I’m ready to go every day, and not give any at-bats or any games away.”

There are positives in Patterson’s corner; he’s flexible on defense, having been tasked with corner outfield and first base time down in Albuquerque and throughout his career. And save his sluggish start to 2017—he’s walked just 16 times against 57 strikeouts over 53 games—his career has been marked by an ability to work deep counts and take good at-bats. Those traits should help him come off the bench in Denver and battle through what will likely be inconsistent playing time and random pinch-hit roles.

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“I have to be ready in [batting practice] and get good reps in pre-game,” Patterson acknowledged about his versatile role. “It’s all about confidence, and if I pick up a good routine, I’ll be ready to go. Regardless of what happens around me, what the pitcher does or whatever the situation dictates, I have to stick to what I do best. I have to stick to what I do.”

He paused.

“Now, it’s more ‘how am I going to become the best player that I can be,’” he continued, admitting he wants much more than those first 18 at-bats. “[The big league] level is all about consistency, so how do I show every single day that I’m the best player I can be? How do I stick? Really, I just have to be Jordan Patterson. I can’t try to be anybody else. That’s what I’m working on right now.”

Whether for ten days to spell Parra, or longer than that as his play dictates, Jordan Patterson has his shot to stick with the National League West’s best team. Forget about that sluggish Triple-A start, though; all that matters now is Patterson’s impressive 8-for-18 big league line as he looks for another hit in his impending 19th at-bat.

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