Brenton Doyle received the 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Award at Coors Field on April 5. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Colorado Rockies don’t usually overcome their oft-shaky pitching. They are still staggering in the National League West standings.

But former Shepherd University outfielder Brenton Doyle is now showing why he was wanted in the 2019 draft of amateur players, even though he played at NCAA Division II Shepherd University. Very few NCAA Division II players can ever be found on a Major League Baseball roster.

Yet here is Doyle in his second season in the big leagues, after being selected in the fourth round of the free agent draft five summers ago.

Doyle won a Gold Glove for his sparkling defensive play in centerfield for Colorado in 2023.

But he didn’t hit much and was left with a .203 batting average when the season ended.

This season has been much different for the just-turned 26-year-old.

His batting average at the All-Star Game break was at .276 with 92 hits in 333 official at-bats. In the 92 games he had played, Doyle had 15 home runs, 55 runs scored, 42 RBIs, 16 doubles, 92 hits and 20 stolen bases.

Colorado was still in last place in National League West, but attendance numbers were adequate and there seemed to be no defeatist attitude around the team nor in the city of Denver itself.

Doyle’s batting average was second highest on the team, only behind Elias Diaz’s .286.

In recent games, Doyle went 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs against the Dodgers and then went 3-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored and two RBIs in a game against Cincinnati.

Colorado comes east to play the Washington Nationals in late August, but has no more games this season against Baltimore.

The August game dates against the Nationals are on Aug. 20 at 6:45 p.m., Aug. 21 at 6:45 p.m. and Aug. 22 at 1:05 p.m.

It might still be some time in the distant future before the Rockies and a bona fide contender in the National League West, but Doyle has shown consistent improvement in his offensive production this year. And his defense is still Golden and a reminder that because of his improvement the team has a beacon of hope shining in its outfield.