Charlie Blackmon’s 14-year MLB career comes to a close on Sunday against the Dodgers at Coors Field. Here’s a look at notable moments in the outfielder’s rise from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia.
June 2004: As a 6-foot-3 southpaw pitching prospect at North Gwinnett, Blackmon graduates from high school and is drafted in the 28th round by the Marlins at No. 848 overall. He doesn’t sign, electing to take his lone scholarship offer at Young Harris Junior College.
Spring/Summer 2005: Blackmon dazzles as a freshman pitcher at Young Harris, going 7-1 in 14 appearances with 49 Ks in 44 innings. After leading the Mountain Lions to the GJCAA state title as tournament MVP, he’s drafted again, this time by the Red Sox in the 20th round at No. 618 overall. That summer, he plays in the Cape Cod League, posting a 3.42 ERA in 26 1/3 innings.
Spring/Summer 2006: After turning down the Red Sox, Blackmon returns to Young Harris and again pitches well, with 89 Ks and a 3.39 ERA to help lead the Mountain Lions to another GJCAA state title. Taking at-bats at DH, this is the season that also jump-starts his career as a hitter. A two-homer game foreshadows what’s to come.
Georgia Tech’s Charlie Blackmon, right, slides safely into second with a stolen base as North Carolina State’s Dallas Poulk, left, is late with the tag during the fourth inning of the ACC baseball tournament, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in Jacksonville, Fla.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)
Spring/Summer 2007: Blackmon parlays his Young Harris stardom into a spot at Georgia Tech. But his first season with the Yellow Jackets fizzles. He receives a medical redshirt due to tendinitis in his throwing arm. That summer, he plays in the Texas Collegiate League. He lies to his manager, former major leaguer Rusty Greer, telling him he’s a two-way player even though that wasn’t the case at the time. He plays outfield and hits .316.
Spring/Summer 2008: After getting impactful offensive and defensive reps in Texas, Blackmon breaks out with Georgia Tech as its starting right fielder. He hits .396 in 62 games, with eight homers, 45 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. That June, the Rockies select him in the second round at No. 72 overall, and he signs for a $563,000 bonus.
June 17, 2008: Blackmon makes his professional debut for the Low-A Tri-City Dust Devils against the Vancouver Canadians in British Columbia. He goes 1 for 5. He finishes his debut season slashing .338/.390/.466 with an .855 OPS to earn short-season all-star honors.
Fall 2010: Blackmon earns a spot on the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League, an indication the Rockies see him as a top prospect. Blackmon hits .264 with three homers in 20 games playing against other future MLB stars.
June 7, 2011: Blackmon makes his MLB debut against the Padres at Petco Park. Plays left field and goes 0 for 3. One month later, he breaks his foot, ending his season. But not before hitting his first homer the week prior, on his birthday.
2012 and 2013: Turf toe and a logjam of outfielders keep Blackmon from earning a starting job during his first few part-time seasons in the bigs. He plays 42 games with the Rockies in ’12, and 82 in ’13 after his start to the latter season was derailed by an infection in his knee. He hits .309 that summer while spending time filling in for injured center fielder Dexter Fowler.
Winter 2012-13: Blackmon plays for Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League. In 26 games following the 2012 MLB season, he slashes .323/.421/.438 with 12 homers, and the winter proves to be the final springboard to cementing his place in the majors.
Colorado Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon (19) hits a home run in the fourth inning, batting in DJ LeMahieu, during the Rockies’ season home opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field in Denver, on Friday, April 4, 2014. Blackmon would go 6 for 6 in the game, hitting a homer, three doubles and two singles with five RBIs. The Rockies won 12-2. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
April 4, 2014: After making the big-league roster out of spring training for the first time, Blackmon launches his career with a performance for the ages. In a 12-2 win over Arizona, the center field joins Andres Galarraga as the second player in club history to go 6 for 6 in a nine-inning game, hitting a homer, three doubles and two singles with five RBIs. He — and his beard — had arrived. He goes on to slash .288/.335/.440 with 19 homers while making his first all-star team.
2015 and 2016: Blackmon continues to assert himself in the big leagues, slashing .287/.347/.450 in ’15, then earns his first Silver Slugger Award by slashing .324/.381/.552 with 29 homers in ’16. The unexpected show of power sets the tone for Blackmon’s homer surge the next three seasons.
2017: In one of the greatest offensive seasons in club history, Blackmon wins the NL batting title with a .331 average and leads all of baseball with 137 runs, 213 hits, 14 triples and 387 total bases. He mashes a career-high 37 homers to earn his second all-star nod and second straight Silver Slugger, finishes fifth in the NL MVP voting, and sets an MLB record with 103 RBIs from the leadoff spot. All while helping lead Colorado to the postseason for the first time since 2009.
Colorado Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon (19), second from left, and teammates celebrate in the clubhouse after winning the NL Wild Card spot at Coors Field on Sept. 30, 2017, in Denver. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
April 4, 2018: Blackmon signs a six-year, $108 million contract with the Rockies that includes a pair of player options. It’s a prelude to another impressive season. Blackmon stars for a Colorado playoff team that beats the Cubs in a dramatic 2-1 13-inning wild card game at Wrigley Field. Blackmon is 1 for 3 with a walk and run scored in the game. In the regular season, he slashes .291/.358./.502 with 29 homers and an NL-best 119 runs.
June 2019: Blackmon catches fire, leading the majors in average (.412), OPS (1.276), slugging (.835) and runs (30) in the month of June. He posts five consecutive games with at least three hits; three consecutive four-hit games; at least three hits in six straight home games; and the most hits in a four-game series since 1900 with 15 against San Diego from June 13-16 at Coors Field. He also becomes the first player in 79 years to log at least 25 hits and seven homers over 10 games.
Colorado Rockies right fielder Charlie Blackmon (19) makes it to home plate after hitting a walk-off grand slam against Los Angeles Angels closer Jose Quijada (65) in the 9th inning at Coors Field on Sept. 11, 2020, in Denver. The Rockies won 8-4. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
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Sept. 11, 2020: In a COVID-shortened season that sees him flirt with hitting .400, Blackmon hits a walk-off grand slam to beat the Angels at Coors Field. He is one of three Rockies (Ryan Spilborghs in 2009, Ryan McMahon in 2024) to accomplish the feat. Blackmon’s average falls off over the final six weeks, and he finishes the year batting .303 in 59 games.
2022: With Blackmon’s range in spacious Coors Field in decline, and with the introduction of the designated hitter to the NL, Blackmon’s primary position becomes DH. That remains the case over his final three seasons, although he also continues to see time in right field. In 2022, he posts negative WAR (-0.1) for the first time since 2011 (-0.7).
2023: Discounting the COVID season, Blackmon plafterays less than 100 games for the first time as a lineup regular. A fractured hand from getting hit by a pitch forces him to miss over two months and limits him to 96 games. He slashes .279/.363/.440 with eight homers as his power declines. But he shows enough promise at the end of the season for Colorado to re-sign him to a one-year, $13 million extension to remain with Colorado through his age 38 season.
Sept. 23, 2024: After topping 100 games played and more than 400 at-bats as primarily a designated hitter, Blackmon announces his retirement from baseball at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
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