PHOENIX -- When Bud Black took over the Rockies in 2017, he was greeted by a defense worthy of the postseason -- which is exactly where the team went his first two seasons.

Third baseman Nolan Arenado was in the midst of a 10-year Gold Glove streak, second baseman DJ LeMahieu was about to win his second of three Gold Gloves with the Rockies and shortstop Trevor Story was growing into an All-Star and, later, a Gold Glove finalist.

Seven years later, with the 2024 season opening against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Thursday night, Black thinks of those contending days when he sees his infield of second baseman Brendan Rodgers, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and third baseman Ryan McMahon.

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¡°It¡¯s similar,¡± Black said. ¡°When you talk about Gold Gloves, that sort of speaks for itself. ¡®Mac¡¯ hasn¡¯t won one because Nolan won them all [until the Pirates¡¯ Ke¡¯Bryan Hayes ended Arenado¡¯s streak last year]. But ¡®Mac¡¯ is right there. Tovar, in his first year, was a finalist. Rodgers won one [in 2022].¡±

It helps to remember that the path to one of the top defenses in the sport started at rock bottom.

Last year, Black had to rearrange the defense because Rodgers sustained a serious left shoulder injury diving for a grounder early in Spring Training. McMahon moved to second base -- a position he played previously. Elehuris Montero, whom the Rockies expected to back up McMahon and receive most of his at-bats as a DH, was forced into starting at third.

About a month in, it wasn¡¯t working. The Rockies had 21 errors in the first 29 games, including 13 by infielders. Third-base coach Warren Schaeffer then convened the first of what would become monthly meetings. McMahon had already moved back to third, with Montero being sent to Triple-A. Tovar was 21 and on his first Opening Day roster, and just finding his stride.

In the meeting, the Rockies began a strategic correction with their positioning strategy. But it was just as much a heart-and-soul session as it was a skull session.

¡°Just being in there, talking about it, gets you to be accountable,¡± said McMahon, who is in the third year of a six-year, $70 million contract. ¡°You hear guys say things. Then you say things. Then you say, ¡®Hey, man, if I¡¯m going to say it, I gotta back it up.¡¯

¡°And in that first meeting, Schaeffer was like, ¡®Listen, guys. This is who we are. We can do a lot better than this.¡¯¡±

McMahon tailed off late last season when tendinitis affected both knees, but he feels healthy and durable this year.

Schaeffer, heading into his second season as third-base coach and in charge of infielders, said ¡°for me, it¡¯s a culture issue."

"It goes for me, it goes for everybody," Schaeffer added. "If you say something in a meeting, you¡¯ve got to stand by it; otherwise, you¡¯re a fraud.¡±

The instincts of the players who have been in Gold Glove consideration are authentic. And the early-season meeting gave them the authority to use them. The positioning cards are based on where a player is likely to hit the ball, but sometimes, the instructions didn¡¯t match the situation. This is especially true of when playing behind a ground-ball oriented rotation. Pitchers need an infield in position for double plays.

Rodgers, who returned late last season and has had a strong spring, said last year¡¯s PitchCom innovation -- which not only streamlined the signals from catcher to pitcher, but informed infielders what was coming -- freed everyone to use their eyes and other senses in addition to the information. Especially when there are two strikes and whether it¡¯s a fastball or an off-speed pitch is known, the infielders might go off-script.

¡°It opens things up more to show off our range,¡± Rodgers said.

Kris Bryant has moved from right field to first base, but is considered athletic enough to perform well. After returning from the Minors, Montero showed much better at first than at third. And Michael Toglia, who made the squad after a strong spring, is considered the best of the crew defensively.

A few years back, with Arenado, LeMahieu and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki all in their All-Star primes, the Rockies¡¯ infield was nicknamed in some circles, "The Coors Shield". Is the ¡®24 group worthy of such a cool nickname?

Tovar, who this week made official his a seven-year, $165.3 contract extension, contemplated the history and the present.

¡°It¡¯s something I just heard for the first time,¡± Tovar replied at the nickname suggestion. ¡°If it happens, great, but we still gotta go out there and show we can do it.¡±