The Rockies have named former infielder/catcher Jordan Pacheco as the new hitting coach for their Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque. Pacheco officially retired this past August, and will now move immediately into coaching following the end of his 14 seasons as a player.
Pacheco was a ninth-round pick for Colorado in the 2007 draft, and he spent most of his career in the Rockies organization, including 270 of his 377 big-league games. His first full season was his most impressive, as Pacheco hit .309/.341/.421 over 505 plate appearances in 2012, earning a sixth-place finish in NL Rookie Of The Year voting.
Appearing in parts of six seasons from 2011-16, Pacheco hit .272/.310/.365 over 1149 PA with the Rockies, Diamondbacks and Reds. Something of a unique type of utility player, Pacheco spent the majority of his time as a corner infielder but also significant action as a catcher, making him an interesting depth option on a big-league bench.
Pacheco also spent time in the minors in the Braves, Twins and Mariners organizations since 2016, but a return call to the big leagues never came. His minor-league experience also included stints in the Mexican League and the independent Atlantic League, and Pacheco finished his career with a .998 OPS over 161 PA with the Atlantic League’s Lexington Legends in 2021.
After retiring, Pacheco quickly transitioned into a coaching role with the Grand Junction Rockies of the MLB-affiliated Pioneer League. Now moving into this notable role with the Triple-A Isotopes, Pacheco told MLB.com’s Thomas Harding that he is hoping to keep climbing the ladder in this next phase of his baseball career.
“I’m always a dreamer. I see myself doing things and I do see myself managing in the big leagues someday. But how I approach things and how I’ve always done it is I’m going to see where I’m at,” Pacheco said. “But I’m not going to stop having those dreams, because I think that’s going to make me a better hitting coach. It’s going to push me to learn as much as I can, and it’s going to push me to evolve with this game and help these guys become better.”
We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Pacheco on a fine career, and we wish him great success in his coaching endeavors.
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