I’ve told this story many a time, here once or twice, and I’ve told it directly to Ryan Spilborghs on our RoCkieSiNgerY podcast (episode 14). I started following the Rockies on August 22nd, 2009. Most people don’t have a date, or time when they started following team, or a conscious reason to follow a team, but I do. I thought the Rockies where fun and I enjoyed good baseball, and something happened on one Saturday night 6:10 start against the San Francisco Giants in August.

Lefty Jorge De La Rosa took the bump for the hometown Rockies and Joe Martinez was on the hill for the Giants. I’d be lying if I said I knew anything about either. I was days away from starting my freshman year in high school, and I was going to the park for the first time without my parents and I’d be sitting in the Roxpile.

That day I saw the classic Coors Field game, The Rockies would beat the Giants 14-11. The Rockies scored 11 of their 14 runs in the 6th and 7th innings, giving De La Rosa a win in a game he should not have won. De La has done this time and time again in his Rockies career, do what the team needs to get a win.

I’ll be blunt in saying nothing about a then-journeyman throwing six innings, allowing six runs on eight hits and a walk, two of which were home runs, was sexy. A 36 Game Score is not sexy. A game that featured Bob Howry as the only Giants pitcher not to let up a run is not sexy. Nothing about this game should have been memorable except the 25 runs that were scored. And for some reason most of what I can remember is the pitching in this game, specifically from Jorge, and how good it was. No, seriously I was very impressed with JDLR’s ability to fight through adversity, limit damage, and give his team a chance to win.

Two nights later Spilborghs hit the walkoff grand slam and I’ve been following the team ever since. But this article is more about Rockies’ ace Jorge De La Rosa than it is anything else.

Yes, Rockies’ ace Jorge De La Rosa. JDLR is an ace, and has been an ace for several years.

Okay he’s not an ace in the traditional “this dude could throw a no-hitter any given night” sense, but he is if you define an ace as someone who gets your team wins, Jorge is an ace.

Rockies are 14-11 when Jorge De La Rosa starts. Rockies are 44-71 when anyone else starts. — Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) September 10, 2015

Since May 1st 2008 when Jorge De La Rosa was acquired: Rockies are 104-71 (.594) when he starts and 478-592 (.447) when he doesn't — Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) September 10, 2015

Yeah you read those tweets right, the Rockies are extraordinary when JDLR pitches. To put it into perspective a .594 winning percentage would be good for the third best record in the NL this year.

I’m by no stretch saying that JDLR is the third best pitcher in the NL since 2008, because that’s not true. His 4.21 ERA, 4.09 FIP, and 1.350 WHIP tell you that alone, but the Rockies win games when Jorge pitches and that is indisputable.

Jorge has once again been the best pitcher on the Rockies this season, and he is arguably the best pitcher in franchise history. He’s the Rockies All-Time leader in Wins, third in ERA, WHIP and K/9, and fourth in FIP and WAR.

So what is going on here? A player that has never made more than $12.5 Million in a season, a player who has only once had a top 20 season by WAR among players at his position in his career, a pitcher whose ERA has only once been below 4.10 for an entire season. How is it possible that the Rockies’ best pitcher is Jorge De La Rosa?

(Don’t give me the BS, their pitching stinks and always will, we’re 23 years into this thing and Jorge is one of a few to figure it out. In 23 years of baseball at Coors Field, Jorge has cemented himself as someone to remember.)

DLR is the most unassuming, quiet guy you’ll ever met. If you walked around town and ran into him you’d easily confuse him for just some other guy in his thirties. He’s so introverted that #RockiesTwitter has learned more about Jorge from his wife’s Twitter than they have from his eight years in Colorado. Jorge is the longest tenured Rockie, yet you never see De La Rosa jerseys at the ballpark or hear him talked about, ever! Here lies our theme.

JDLR’s fastball, 92.6 MPH, the MLB average.

JDLR’s ERA+, 100+, the literal average.

JDLR’s pitching repertoire has no pitch worth above or below one run from the average.

But he isn’t average, Jorge is extraordinary, and the only way you can see that is if you can appreciate his attrition and (seriously) his “Can He Play Tool.” Really Jorge, plays and Jorge wins. JDLR is survival of the fittest personified.

He is one of only 50 Mexicans to start a MLB game, and he only trails guys like Fernando Valenzuela and Esteban Loaiza for the title of greatest Mexican pitcher of all time. Jorge is not only a great player, he is a trailblazer for his native Monterey who have had less than 10 big leaguers. His heart of a champion attitude continues to battle like a true warrior. He’s been traded three times in his career, and there have been rumors about a possible trade almost every single year since he joined the Rockies.

Point here is to stop overlooking JDLR, he’s a stone cold ace that you’ve been overlooking for years. He’s been anchoring a Rockies staff that without him would probably be getting the Rockies the first draft pick every single year. Without question De La was instrumental in the Rockies’ 2009 run.

Appreciate Jorge De La Rosa, appreciate the heck out of him because his next start just might be his last in a Rockies’ uniform.

Hip hip Jorge!