Colorado Rockies Legends Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos González Debut on Hall of Fame Ballot

Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos González, who defined an era for the Colorado Rockies, were among the 14 players added to the BBWAA ballot ahead of 2025 Hall of Fame voting.

Jul 11, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2) reacts with Colorado Rockies left fielder Carlos Gonzalez (5) after his two run home run in the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

A year after sending their second player to Cooperstown, the Colorado Rockies have two more alumni who are up for the biggest honor in baseball.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced the 2025 ballot for the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Monday, including both fresh faces and a handful of returnees. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and outfielder Carlos González, who helped define an era for the Rockies, were among the 14 new players who made the cut.

The other players who were added to the ballot alongside Tulowitzki and González were Curtis Granderson, Félix Hernández, Adam Jones, Ian Kinsler, Russell Martin, Brian McCann, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Fernando Rodney, CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki and Ben Zobrist. There are also 14 players who earned at least 5% of the overall vote in 2024 who will get another shot in 2025: Billy Wagner, Andruw Jones, Carlos Beltrán, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramírez, Chase Utley, Omar Vizquel, Bobby Abreu, Jimmy Rollins, Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Francisco Rodriguez, Torii Hunter and David Wright.

This was the first year Tulowitzki and González were eligible for the Hall of Fame, considering they each played their last MLB games in 2019. And while each of them spent a decade in Denver, they both finished their careers elsewhere.

Tulowitzki made his big league debut in 2006, then broke out in a big way in 2007. He finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting and helped the Rockies win their first and only pennant thanks to his 6.8 WAR at age 22.

The shortstop would go on to make five All-Star appearances, win two Gold Gloves and snag two Silver Sluggers in Colorado, peaking from 2009 to 2011. He placed top-eight in NL MVP voting three consecutive years during that span, batting .304 with a .931 OPS while averaging 30 home runs, 97 RBI, 13 stolen bases and a 6.5 WAR each season.

Injuries started to hamper Tulowitzki as he approached his 30th birthday, limiting him to an average of 88 games a year between 2012 and 2014. The Rockies eventually traded Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays for a package that included José Reyes in 2015.

Tulowitzki appeared in 66 games in 2017, missed all of 2018, then played in five games for the New York Yankees in 2019 before retiring midseason at the age of 34.

For his career, Tulowitzki hit .290 with 1,391 hits, 225 home runs, 780 RBI, 24 triples, 57 stolen bases, an .856 OPS and a 44.5 WAR. He currently ranks fourth in Rockies franchise history in WAR, on top of ranking second in defensive WAR, fourth in walks, sixth in runs, seventh in doubles, eighth in batting average, eighth in OPS, eighth in hits, eighth in home runs, eighth in RBI and eighth in total bases.

González was not a homegrown superstar like Tulowitzki, instead coming over from the Oakland Athletics as part of the blockbuster Matt Holliday trade. The Venezuelan outfielder had a similarly meteoric rise, though, finishing third in NL MVP voting in 2010 while also claiming a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.

From there, González went on to make three All-Star appearances in 2012, 2013 and 2016. He won two more Gold Gloves and another Silver Slugger during his 10-year tenure with the Rockies.

González bounced around between the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners before hanging up his cleats for good, but the vast majority of his production came in Colorado. On the Rockies' all-time leaderboards, González ranks fourth in hits, fourth in total bases, fourth in doubles, fifth in triples, fifth in walks and sixth in WAR.

When he did eventually retire at 33, González had a .285 batting average and an .843 OPS to his name. He had also racked up 1,432 hits, 234 home runs, 785 RBI, 40 triples, 122 stolen bases and a 24.4 WAR.

Colorado currently has two players in the Hall of Fame. Larry Walker made it in 2020, while Todd Helton made it in 2024.

Jim Leyland, who was the Rockies manager for the 1999 season, also got voted in last year via the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.

Tulowitzki and González overlapped with Helton a bit, made the Rockies their own, then passed the torch to Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado. While Colorado wasn't exactly a powerhouse during that stretch, Tulo and Cargo gave the franchise an identity for nearly a decade.

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