Sleepless, scary nights and diaper duty changed Nolan Jones. For that, he is forever thankful.
“Kamryn changed my life,” the Rockies outfielder said. “The love I feel for her is unexplainable. Now, she’s starting to reciprocate with her smiles and her laughs. It’s the best thing I’ve ever experienced.”
The birth of Jones’ first child, followed by her health scare and recovery, gave Jones a precious gift.
Perspective.
“My own parents (Tom and Regina) sacrificed so much for me, and I could not ask for anything more,” Jones said. “Now, getting the opportunity to be there for Kamryn is so special to me. It’s definitely changed my outlook because when I get off the field after going 0 for 4 with four strikeouts and two errors, or if I go 5 for 5, Kamryn’s going to be there and all she wants is a big hug and a big kiss.”
Jones’ fiancée, Morgan Gouger, gave birth to Kamryn May on Aug. 4. There were immediate complications. Kamryn struggled to breathe and fluid collected in her lungs. She spent three days in the neonatal intensive care unit, and even after she came home, Kamryn required supplemental oxygen for more than a month.
“It was definitely scary,” Jones said. “I had no idea what to expect. And then there are 10 nurses in the room shoving tubes down (Kamryn’s) throat.
“And, I mean, I had no idea about how to be a dad, just in general. There is no manual on how to do it. And then, at the same time, I was trying to get healthy and was going through a rough season. When I was gone on the road with the team, I was still trying to figure out how to be there with Morgan as much as possible. It was a whirlwind, no question.”
When Kamryn was born, Jones was already dealing with the headwinds of a disappointing, injury-marred season.
“I was bad last year,” he said. “Wait, I was terrible. I know I was terrible, so now I’m looking to bounce back and play free and confident again.”
The outfielder’s disappointment in the 2024 season was magnified by his success in ’23 when he finished fourth in voting for National League Rookie of the Year. He became the first rookie in major league history to have 20 home runs, 20 steals and 19 outfield assists in the same season. He accomplished all of that in just 106 games after making his Rockies debut on May 26.
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Jones, a converted third baseman, made only two errors as a rookie left fielder, but his ’24 season began ugly. In the fourth game, at Arizona’s Chase Field, Jones dropped a routine fly ball that would have would have ended the fifth inning. Instead, the D-backs scored their fourth run of the game.
The next day, at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, the Cubs’ Christopher Morel hit a single to left that rolled under Jones’ glove and all the way to the ivy-covered wall as two runs crossed the plate. Jones’ throw toward the infield was low and skipped off the glove of second baseman Brendan Rodgers, enabling a third run to score.
Jones was distraught.
The 26-year-old is a harsh self-critic who admits that he puts too much weight on his shoulders. The pressure was compounded by a lingering lower back strain and a knee injury that limited him to 79 games. The outfielder slashed .227/.321/.320 with only three home runs. He struck out 30.6% of the time, including five times in a 14-inning game against the White Sox on June 30.
Jones performed better late in the season, slashing .294/.372/.353 through his final 23 games.
“This is not an excuse at all, but I dealt with a lot of injuries last year and my body just didn’t feel the way I wanted it to,” he said. “But I’ve learned what I have to do to take care of myself. I’ve been working out hard for a while now. I’m feeling really good.”
Manager Bud Black is optimistic that Jones can turn things around.
“There is no better candidate to bounce back for a banner year in 2025 than Nolan,” Black said. “He possesses the skill set, but more importantly he has the desire to be a great player to contribute to the success of the team.”
Third baseman Ryan McMahon can relate to what Jones endured last season. Last February, his wife, Natalie, gave birth to a baby girl they named Austyn Brooke.
“Being a new dad really does give you that good perspective,” McMahon said. “We go out on the field and we give it our all, but at the end of the day, we have to go home and be the child’s father. That’s the most important thing.
“What Nolan went through can wear on you, but we all know what Nolan is capable of doing. I’m thinking that a fresh offseason and a little bit of time with his kid is going to be great for him. We all know that there is a really good player in there. I’m excited to see what he can do.”
Jones says a big dose of Kamryn’s smile and giggles off the field, mixed with a new attitude on the field, will make a better player in ’25.
“I’m not going tell myself, ‘You have to go out and hit 40 home runs this year,’ ” he said. “That doesn’t work. I’m just going to go out there and be Nolan Jones. That’s the mentality that I’m going to stick with.”
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