The Rise Of Troy.

As the baseball season continues to heat up, we're beginning to take notice of a fire that's been burning for quite some time in the ice-cold city of Denver, Colorado. It started as an ember, but quickly grew into a huge flame that only seems to be getting bigger by the day. It ignites a certain team that is notorious for freezing up when it counts, and turning it into a well-oiled machine. Oddly enough, it seems to have a penchant for terrible pop musicians (Katy Perry need not apply). This fireball of excitement has a name: Troy Tulowitzki.

This time last year, nobody on either side of the Mile High City was paying any attention to the young shortstop. A first round draft pick in 2005, Troy quickly shot through the Rockies' minor leagues and made the major league roster near the end of the 2006 season. He spent the next 4 seasons toiling in moderate obscurity, although there were some highlights: he turned an unassisted triple play in the first month of his first full season (2007) and also hit more home runs in a single season than any NL rookie shortstop (24). The Rockies made it to the World Series that year, and even thought Tulowitzki only batted .195 in the entire postseason, it was simply a small bump in the road for him, and he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting. The next few years were plagued mainly by injuries that prevented him from the kind of production he'd shown flashes of in '07.

Then, near the end of the 2010 season, something clicked: he hit 14 home runs within a 2 week span, and finally burst out onto the national baseball scene. People began to take notice of this kid, who'd quietly been racking a .297/32/92 season the year before the madness began. He started becoming notorious for the power he provided to an already-solid Rockies lineup. With outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, another young phenom, hitting in the 3rd spot in the lineup ahead of Tulo, they became the one of the best 1-2 hitting punchs in the game.

His amazing offensive abilities have also translated into excellent defensive abilities: in 5 seasons, he's only committed 41 errors while being a part of 412 double plays. He also has 1802 assists, meaning that in just half a decade, he's been directly or indirectly responsible for a large amount of outs for the Rockies. Needless to say, these stats coupled with his offensive numbers show what a fantastic all-around player Tulo is and will be.

Now, as 2011 begins, the expectations are higher than ever for Tulowitzki. There's a good reason for that, though: he's shattering all of them as quickly as they can be made. He's already got 16 hits in 44 at-bats (good for a .364 average to date) with 7 home runs and 14 RBIs. Without him, it's difficult to believe the Rockies would be 10-2, the best record in the league so far and the best start for the Colorado crew in franchise history. Even though he had his breakout year last season, so to speak, expect 2011 to be the year Tulo shines brightest.