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Jul 4, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies first base Michael Toglia (4) rounds third during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Coors Field. Chet Strange-Imagn Images

Michael Toglia’s Future With Rockies in Doubt After Latest Move

Originally posted on Colorado Rockies on SI
By Sean O'Leary | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 9:00 PM ET

In a lost year, September means that the Colorado Rockies will give players more chances. Rosters have expanded and the team is out of it, which means that players on the fringes and yonger guys will get more run in order for the Rockies to see if they have anything.

Warming Bernabel, who was having a great rookie year, was placed on the injured list on Wednesday. In the corresponding move, they recalled Michael Toglia, who has a negative bWAR after hitting 25 home runs last season.

It appeared as if Toglia would get another shot at proving himself, but that will not be the case. Patrick Lyons of Rockies Insider reported on Friday that Colorado is recalling first baseman Blaine Crim and optioning Toglia.

Crim was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2019 and made his major league debut this season. After gonig hitless in five games, the Rockies selected him off waivers on August 3. In 109 games at Triple-A, Crim hit .281 with 26 doubles, 21 homers, 85 RBIs and a .864 OPS. He will now get to showcase his power at Coors Field.

As for Toglia, his being optioned is not a good sign.

Will the First Baseman Remain With the Team Long Term?

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The short answer? No, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Toglia being optioned just two days after being recalled is not a good sign. He appeared in three games in this most recent stint, going 0-for-7 with six strikeouts and a walk. The strikeouts seem to be a theme for the 27-year-old.

In 88 games this year, Toglia has struck out 132 times. His 39.2 percent strikeout rate is worst among all players with at least 300 plate appearances this season, five percent higher than the next closest player.

His career got off to a rocky start, having a -1.5 bWAR in his first 76 career games. He seemingly took a step forward in 2024, as he was an above league average hitter (102 OPS+) and hit 25 home runs, which was second on the team.

His strikeout rate was bottom 10, but improved. He even managed to accumulate 2.2 bWAR. It looked like the slugger might have taken a step forward in his development, but it came crashing down in 2025.

In 88 games with the Rockies this year, Toglia's bWAR has fallen to -1.7, he's slashing .190/.258/.353 for a 61 OPS+. Not only have the surface numbers taken a big step back, but so has everything else.

Toglia's best trait in 2024 was his ability to impact the ball. He was 98th percentile in barrel rate, 94th in hard-hit percentage, 91st in exit velocity, according to Baseball Savant. Everything has dropped dramatically this season.

His hard-hit rate tumbled to the 49th percentile, barrel rate to the 60th and average exit velocity went from 92.1 mph to 89.9 in the 48th percentile.

Despite his 1.039 OPS in Triple-A, he doesn't appear to be the same hitter.

The move to send him back down appears to be the final nail in the coffin for the former first round pick. Warming Bernabel seems to have taken over duties at first base when healthy, and now Blaine Crim will get his shot.

There's no telling, just yet, how Colorado will go about Toglia's future. Even then, it appears over for the 27-year-old in Colorado.

This article first appeared on Colorado Rockies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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