Rockies catcher key to Colorado's surprising start

Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

The National League rookie leader in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage last season did not play in the postseason, grace national magazine covers or coin a catchy phrase.

Instead, he spent the offseason getting down in a squat, taking pitches off his chest protector and trying to prove he's worthy of donning the so-called tools of ignorance.

While the Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper was being recognized as the league's top rookie, Wilin Rosario was home in the Dominican Republic, polishing his receiving skills with former major league catcher Alberto Castillo. They worked on moving behind the plate, blocking pitches and game-calling.

The results of that toil have been evident early in the season. Rosario helped the surprising Colorado Rockies put together an eight-game winning streak that ended Sunday with a 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are 13-5, tied with the Atlanta Braves for the best record in the majors entering Sunday night.

Rosario, 24, has contributed a .302 batting average, four home runs and 13 RBI to an offense that has produced 104 runs, second most in the majors. That was expected, considering his 28 home runs, 71 RBI and .530 slugging percentage were high-water figures for NL rookies last season. The home run total topped all catchers in the majors.

But a bigger focus for Rosario this season is his performance behind the plate, which has taken a step forward after what, statistically at least, was the worst defensive season by any big-league catcher. He led the majors with 13 errors and 21 passed balls.

"I've been studying what catching is all about," the Dominican Republic native said in Spanish. "This is like being in school and taking a test. You prepare daily so you can execute over 3½ hours what you've been studying.

"I want to improve even more and become a superstar behind the plate. If Ivan Rodriguez did it, and Yadier Molina, Buster Posey, Jorge Posada ... I want to be among them. And I know the only way to get there is through hard work, dedication, good health and learning the position."

To help expedite the process, the Rockies brought back veteran Yorvit Torrealba, a fiery mentor who serves as Rosario's backup.

Torrealba wants Rosario to become a better leader and game-caller. Torrealba has seen his protégé cut down on passed balls. He has two, along with one error.

"I've been all over him, telling him (the 21 passed balls) is not going to happen this year," Torrealba said. "He needs to put his mind to that not happening again. Maybe he lost his focus or the pressure of the majors led to it."

Actually, there were several factors, including Rosario's inexperience. Before last season, he had played in 16 games above Class AA, and he was supposed to ease into the job by sharing the position with veteran Ramon Hernandez.

But when Hernandez was injured in late May and missed nearly two months, Rosario wound up catching 105 games, handling a staff that had the majors' worst ERA (5.22), the most wild pitches and the third-most walks.

"He's a much better defender than what people saw last year," Rockies assistant general manager Bill Geivett said. "He can be a premier guy at that position. That's the way we've always looked at him, ever since he was a kid, that he had that ceiling."

With the return to health of starters Jorge De La Rosa and Juan Nicasio, the emergence of Jhoulys Chacin, who was placed on the disabled list Sunday with a back strain, and the addition of Jon Garland, the Rockies have trimmed their ERA by more than a run to 3.87.

Behind rookie manager Walt Weiss, the Rockies, at 8-1, boast the best home record in the major leagues, and they've won three consecutive series.

Rosario was not much of an offensive factor during the winning streak, with one-extra base hit. But perhaps the best sign of growth was that he could contribute beyond his offense.

None other than NL MVP and fellow catcher Posey has noticed the difference in Rosario, his Arizona Fall League teammate in 2009.

"He's obviously got a lot of talent," Posey said. "He seems to be getting better and better defensively."