Mile High: Former RailRider Rumfield rocking in Colorado

BRONX, N.Y. — From the time he was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Yankees in November 2021, T.J. Rumfield dreamed of playing in Yankee Stadium. That dream became a reality last week.

However, it didn’t come in Yankees pinstripes. Rather, it was in Colorado Rockies purple and black.

“It’s a dream come true, to be honest with you,” Rumfield said prior to the Rockies’ three-game series against the Yankees on Sept. 8. “Any time you’re in Yankee Stadium, it’s just hallowed ground. Just kind of walking around, it’s kind of surreal, taking it all in. This is the big leagues to me, this is the show. It would just be nice to come up here and play some good games.”

The 26-year-old lefthanded first baseman was dealt in January by the Yankees to the Rockies for pitcher Angel Chivilli. The trade has been a win for Colorado. While Chivilli has spent a good portion of the season on the injured list, Rumfield is a candidate for National League Rookie of the Year. He ranks seventh in Major League Baseball (fifth in the NL) in batting with a .300 average. He has 155 hits in 146 games, including 29 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs and 69 RBIs. He is second in the NL (third in MLB) in on-base percentage at .392. Defensively, he leads the team and is tied for second among all first basemen with 10 defensive runs saved.

“He’s the man. He’s so good,” said Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy, who himself is having a career season. “It’s insane that this is his first year in the big leagues. I feel like he’s so calm and collected, he’s obviously got a great eye. It just seems like the game is in slow motion for him. It’s been super fun to watch.”

Twice, in May and June, Rumfield was named NL Rookie of the Month. Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer believes Rumfield should be NL Rookie of the Year.

“Just look at the numbers,” Schaeffer said. “He’s been so great this year offensively, defensively as well. This is a both sides of the ball game and he’s done a great job from both sides.

“He’s handled the pressure in his first year exceptionally well. Every game, he plays with so much confidence. T.J.’s a kid who can handle anything.”

Rumfield has been having fun this season and is honored to just be mentioned and considered for an award like NL Rookie of the Year. “It just makes me grateful for all the people I had coming up that helped me, especially in the Yankees organization,” he said. “They developed me into the player I am today. I’ve been able to run with this opportunity now because of the preparation and the things I’ve done before this.”

His father Toby was drafted in 1991 by the Cincinnati Reds and played 1,204 games in the minors over 12 seasons, including four at Triple-A.

Originally selected by the Phillies in the 12th round of the 2021 Draft, Rumfield was dealt with left-handed pitcher Joel Valdez to the Yankees for right-handed pitcher Nick Nelson and catcher Donny Sands. He worked his way up through the Yankees organization: High-A Hudson Valley in 2022; Double-A Somerset in 2023, where he earned a Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove; and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2024 and 2025.

In two seasons with the RailRiders, he batted .288 in 252 games (265-for-920) with 57 doubles, one triple, 31 home runs, 158 RBIs, 157 runs and 113 walks.

“Scranton was so much fun. Playing for (manager) Shelley (Duncan) and playing for that city, I feel like it was just a blessing,” Rumfield said. “To be able to even have the opportunity to play with the Yankees in Triple-A and to play every single day, not every young guy gets that opportunity. To be able to do that and then eventually catch the eye of somebody from another organization is kind of what you dream about. And then to be able to be in the big leagues now is awesome.”

McCarthy is a Scranton native, so he and Rumfield have been able to bond over that.

“He’ll be like, ‘I used to live by this grocery store,’ and I’m like, yeah, I know that (place),” McCarthy said. “It’s funny. I just feel like Scranton kind of takes on a new meaning when you tell someone you’re from there in professional baseball. I feel like at some point, someone’s probably made a pit stop there whether they played or came as a visitor.”

Unfortunately, with the Yankees already having a lefthanded-hitting first baseman with power in Ben Rice, Rumfield was expendable and traded for Chivilli. He was a nonroster invitee to Rockies spring training and wound up earning a spot on the team.

“I think everybody within the Yankees organization was happy for me,” Rumfield said. “I don’t know if they were sad to see me go or anything. But they were definitely excited for me and the opportunity and I’ve just ran with it from spring training on, just trying to make the team out of camo and I did. I just didn’t look back from there.”

Colorado has one of the worst records in the major leagues. But with Rumfield and other young players like Cole Carrigg and Zac Veen complementing veterans like McCarthy and Hunter Goodman, the future looks promising for the Rockies.