Doyle

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Former Shepherd outfielder Brenton Doyle just completed his second season with the Colorado Rockies.

When the Rockies’ season concluded on Sept. 29, Doyle had improved considerably in several offensive categories over his rookie season showing in 2023.

His batting average was .260 as compared with the .203 average he had in his first Major League Baseball season.

In 542 official at-bats, Doyle, now 26-years-old, scored 82 runs and stole 30 bases in 35 stolen base attempts.

His last month of the season was complicated by an arthritic knee problem that flared up toward the middle of September.

Of his 141 total hits, Doyle had 23 home runs, 24 doubles and four triples.

His 72 RBIs were one of the higher totals among Rockies hitters.

Defensively (where he earned a Gold Glove for his work in 2023) Doyle committed four errors, was credited with eight assists and was in on four double plays after throwing out adventuresome base runners.

His overall fielding average was .991 and he should be considered again for another Gold Glove that will be announced much later this year.

Colorado had often elevated Doyle to the No. 3 spot in their batting order as the 2024 season worked its way through July and into August and September. When he wasn’t placed third in the batting order, he usually batted fifth or second in the Rockies lineup.

The Rockies continued to draw considerable crowds to their home games at Coors Field, in spite of another last place finish in their four-team division.

Colorado’s starting pitching is still incapable of drawing positive reviews when compared with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants of their own division.

Doyle’s overall seasonal stats showed him leading the Rockies in stolen bases, scoring one fewer run than Ezequiel Tovar, finishing second to Tovar in number of hits, third on the team in homers and third on the team in batting average only behind Tovar’s .269 and Brendan Rodgers’ .267.

Only Tovar with 78 had more RBIs than Doyle’s 72 runs batted in.

Doyle became a professional player in 2019 when he was selected in the fourth round of that summer’s draft. He progressed through Colorado’s minor league system before coming to the Major League team in April 2023.

He is now a fixture in the team’s plans for the future.