There's no question that Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado has been developing into something truly special over his first two-plus seasons in the big leagues. He's already won two Gold Gloves and he's being mentioned in early MVP talks this season.
And, although he just turned 24 years old a couple of weeks ago, his name is also being mentioned along the likes of Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki in regards to Rockies' cornerstones. But to his credit, Arenado wants to make his own name for the Colorado franchise.
"I'm a huge fan of Tulo. I would love to be like Tulo, or Todd (Helton)," Arenado said Monday, per the Denver Post. "I would love to play like them. But those are their roads. I want to build my own road."
Arenado's stellar defense is even getting the respect from the competition in his own divsion.
"His defense is maybe the best in the league," Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said. "It stinks when you're hitting and you know if you hit anything even close to him, he's going to rob you of a hit. He's a stud. He's an unbelievable player. Has some power, good strike zone judgment. He's aggressive but can be patient too. He really does everything really well."
Arenado is seeing the ball well over his last 10 games, as he enters play Tuesday batting .317 with three home runs and seven RBI in that stretch.