Spring Training this year was full of a lot of hopeful players vying for one of those coveted 26 spots. As always, several minor leaguers tried to impress the coaching staff enough to maybe get a shot at the big show. One of those hopefuls was Sean Bouchard, and now he has four games under his belt this season in a Colorado Rockies uniform. However, this series against San Diego Padres could be his last this season if Kris Bryant returns this weekend as expected.
Bouchard was picked by the Rockies in the ninth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft. The 27-year-old right-handed hitter from California has worked his way up the ranks over these last seven years doing tours in Low-A (Boise Hawks), Single-A (Asheville Tourists), and High-A (Lancaster Jethawks). Even after not playing in 2020 when the minor league season was cancelled due to COVID-19, Bouchard began to demonstrate real major league potential at the Double-A level in 2021 where he played 91 games for the Hartford Yard Goats with a slash of .266/.336/.494. The 14 homeruns, 46 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases of that season earned him a spot in Triple-A (Albuquerque Isotopes) to start the 2022 season.
On June 16, 2022, Bouchard got the call when Garrett Hampson was placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Bouchard was doing well for the Isotopes after 37 games slashing .338/.430/.684 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs. In fact, Bouchard had just had a 3-for-4 night on June 15th, which included two of his home runs. Bouchard debuted at Coors Field on June 19, 2022, and went 0-for-3. Unfortunately, Bouchard went on to strain his left oblique within the week and was placed on the injured list on June 27th.
Bouchard went through a cycle of rehab and returned to play in the minors a few weeks later. Things were still looking good for Bouchard when he returned to the Rockies lineup at the end of the summer in 2023. Bad luck and injury would again visit Bouchard during Spring Training of 2023 when he was placed on the injured list due to a tear in his left bicep that required surgery. Shockingly, Bouchard managed to heal and rehab in time to be recalled to the Rockies roster in September of 2023.
Bouchard spent the winter playing for the Narajeros de Hermosillo, in the Mexican Pacific League, and continued regaining his major league readiness during the off-season. In Spring Training this year, Bouchard took 44 at bats and slashed .205/.308/.341 with 1 HR, 4 RBIs, and 16 SOs. Then Bryant went on the injured list, and Bouchard was called up to replace him in the platoon.
After four games, Bouchard has given a decent performance at the plate. He is 4-for-12 with a .333/.432/.556. Most likely Bouchard will finish the series with San Diego before Bryant bumps him back down, but there is still opportunity to dazzle. Plays like Bouchard’s full extension diving catch in right field to snag the third out at the top of the ninth in Monday’s game are great ways to remind coaches and fans that the Rockies have some great talent waiting in the minors.
