DENVER -- The Spring Training competition for the Rockies' Opening Day roster is just part of the yet-to-be-written story of the 2018 season. In this first of several installments predicting the season-opening roster between now and Opening Day, keep in mind that it's likely every name mentioned here will be a factor -- possibly a deciding one -- when the games begin for real.
All you have to do is look at 2017. Infielder Pat Valaika didn't make the Opening Day roster, but by year's end he had 16 pinch-hit RBIs -- most in Major League history for a rookie since the MLB rookie rule was established in 1958.