PHOENIX — Ian Desmond has been subject to the wrath and at the butt of jokes from many Rockies fans since he was signed in 2017 as a converted first baseman. During his first two years in a Rockies uniform, Desmond did not perform well, hitting poorly and with a ground ball rate over 60% both years.
However, something has clicked so far in 2019, and Ian Desmond has become one of the Rockies’ best hitters. Per Fangraphs, his ground ball rate is now down to 45.2% — his lowest since 2013 — and his fly ball rate is up to 30% — the highest since his time in Washington.