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2007 After launching his big league career with younger, more heralded prospects looming behind him, Atkins made a name for himself with a mammoth 2006 campaign in which he ranked second in VORP among major league third basemen behind Miguel Cabrera. Atkins was steady from start to finish in 2006, even hitting .313/.402/.531 on the road, a marked improvement from 2005. He still plays defense like a converted first baseman, but between Ian Stewart`s struggles and his own breakthrough at the plate, Atkins should be the Rockies third baseman for the foreseeable future. 2006 For the rest of this chapter, let`s just assume that everyone hit significantly better at home than on the road. That will save everyone a lot of time and the printer a lot of ink if we don`t have to keep saying things like `Atkins looked okay, but only managed .238/.301/.347 on the road.` They all do that. It`s not their fault, it`s just in their nature, like snakes. A snake found on the road will bite. A Rockie found on the road will bite too, just not in the same way. Atkins missed most of April with a hamstring injury, but the Rockies kept the hot corner warm for him and he got the rest of the year to prove what we already knew: he`s a defensive liability and nothing special with the bat. There are plenty of alternatives behind him, and Atkins hasn`t shown any knack for another position. 2005 He's 25, he's inexpensive, and he'll rightfully start the season as the primary third baseman in Denver. Atkins' defense is acceptable at third, and he'll hit. He's not a Grade-A prospect, but he's going to put up some pretty reasonable numbers and potentially provide one of the building blocks for the next good Rockies team. Think of a slightly better version of Joe Randa, with more offense and less defense, and you won't be far off.
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