How NL Player of the Week McCarthy turned his game around

PHOENIX -- Jake McCarthy continues to roll.

The Rockies' outfielder -- who was named the NL Player of the Week on Monday -- reached base twice more in Colorado’s 9-0 loss to the Diamondbacks. The 29-year-old was 1-for-3 with a walk, maintaining his team-leading batting average of .306 in the process.

McCarthy has four leadoff home runs this season, and his 30 RBIs since July 1 are tied for the MLB lead in that span. It’s been a remarkable turnaround from his batting average of .204 in 2025.

What a difference a year makes.

“Last year I got away from doing what I do well, and that's being competitive on a daily basis,” McCarthy said. “A lot of at-bats ended in a popout, or early, weak contact. Now, I'm just trying to hit as many line drives around the field as possible.”

So far, so good.

On Saturday, McCarthy became just the third player in Major League history to record four hits, two home runs, three RBIs, two stolen bases and four runs scored in a single game. He’s in good company, as the University of Virginia product joined Shohei Ohtani (Sept. 19, 2024) and Braggo Roth (June 4, 1919) on that list.

He finished the week hitting .519 with two home runs, five RBIs, three doubles, eight runs scored, three stolen bases and a 1.352 OPS over a six-game span.

McCarthy is the first Rockies outfielder to be named NL Player of the Week since Brenton Doyle on July 8, 2024.

“He sets the tone every day for us, on both sides of the ball, and baserunning,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Not a lot of people in the league have what he has, and we're so happy to have him.

“I'm just so happy for him that he's having success, and that he's getting recognized for it.”

McCarthy continued his hot streak in the desert on Monday, despite the lopsided score. He has hit safely in every game this month, extending the third-longest active streak in the Majors to nine games with a single off Michael Soroka in the third inning.

McCarthy is one leadoff home run away from becoming the second Rockie all-time to record at least five leadoff homers in a single season.

“I’m just trying to be dynamic, and obviously I've been at the top of the lineup for these guys for the majority of the season,” McCarthy said. “I’m getting comfortable with that, and getting a lot of opportunities to help the team win, whether it's offensively, or defensively, or on the basepaths.”

His memorable week was even more meaningful considering he learned of the news in Arizona, where he was selected 39th overall in 2018 Draft. He appeared in 431 career games with the D-backs, hitting .260 with 139 RBIs over that span. To put his incredible season into further perspective, McCarthy has 67 RBIs in 104 games with the Rockies.

Colorado acquired him via trade in January, and it has been mutually beneficial since the beginning of the season.

“We have a lot of depth in our lineup, and if I'm slugging, that's great, but I just think if I get on first base and then take an extra 90 feet, I know the guys behind me are going to hand me that pass,” McCarthy said. “I think we all complement each other pretty well, and it's been a really fun offense to be a part of.”

The offense wasn’t exactly humming on Monday, but McCarthy’s impact was felt regardless.

“Having him in the leadoff spot has been huge for us,” Schaeffer said. “He gives us a jolt every game.”