Baseball

Rockies' Nolan Arenado establishes himself as one of the game's elite players

By Jason Romano May 25, 2018
Nolan Arenado (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado has a tattoo on his left forearm that says, “Matthew 19:26.” That verse reads, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'”

For Arenado, the dream of playing major league baseball became possible at the age of 18, when he was selected by the Rockies in the second round (59th overall) of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft.

After four years of minor league baseball, Arenado made his MLB debut in 2013 and went on to play in 133 games for Colorado, hitting .267 with 10 home runs. But it was his defense that caught everyone’s attention. The slick fielding third baseman won a Gold Glove as a rookie and hasn’t relinquished the award since, winning four more in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Becoming the best defensive third baseman is one thing, but becoming the best offensive third baseman was something else. And that something else began to take shape in 2015, when Arenado hit .287 with 42 home runs and an NL-leading 130 RBI. In 2016, he again led the NL in RBI with 133, to go along with 41 home runs and hitting .294. In 2017, he was selected to start his first All-Star game at third base and finished the season hitting .309 with 37 home runs and 130 RBI.

Arenado credits his success to a lot of hard work as well as his strong faith in Christ.

“When it comes to baseball I start to become a different animal. I start to just focus on the game. But my faith keeps me level headed,” he told Mile High Sports in September 2016. “It makes me know that I have someone to rely on. It’s hard right now, especially with your body being tired. It’s not the same as what it was earlier in the year … I feel like it gives me peace of mind when things are going tough and when things are going good. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low.”

Prior to the beginning of this 2018 season, Sports Illustrated ranked Arenado as the eighth-best overall player, and the “best defensive infielder in baseball.” He is once again on pace for another terrific season, hitting .342 for the month of May. He also looks to continue his streak of Gold Gloves, trying to win his sixth straight.

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