Ryan Spilborghs

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Spilborghs played college ball at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was all Big West Conference in 2001. After that season, he played summer league baseball for the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League, later becoming the first ever Mallard alum to play in the majors. Between 2002 and 2005, he played for the Tri-City Dust Devils, Asheville Tourists, Visalia Oaks, and Tulsa Drillers. He made his Major League debut for the Rockies on July 16, 2005, against the Cincinnati Reds and recorded his first hit in that game, a single to right field off of Todd Coffey. That was the only game he played in for the Rockies that year, spending the rest of the year in AAA with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, where he hit .338 in 68 games. He rejoined the Rockies in 2006 and hit his first home run on May 29 off of Jim Brower of the San Diego Padres. He began the 2007 season at Triple-A with the Sky Sox, after being beaten out for a roster spot by veteran Steve Finley. After Finley was released by the Rockies, Spilborghs returned to the team. In 2008, he made the team from spring training, serving as the fourth outfielder. On August 24, 2009, in the 14th inning against the San Francisco Giants with the Rockies down 4–2, Spilborghs homered off pitcher Merkin Valdéz for the first walk-off grand slam in Rockies history. This solo Rockies record was held for over 11 years until Charlie Blackmon, also wearing jersey number 19, hit a walk-off grand slam against the Los Angeles Angels on September 11, 2020. On December 12, 2011, Spilborghs was non-tendered by the Rockies and became a free agent.

In Their Own Story

The lights hummed over Coors Field as the 14th inning wore on. The Rockies trailed the San Francisco Giants 4–2. Spilborghs stepped into the batter's box against pitcher Merkin Valdéz. The crowd held its breath. A sharp crack echoed across the stadium. He watched the ball climb, disappearing into the night. For a moment, Denver was silent, then erupted. It was the first walk-off grand slam in Rockies history.

Reader's Guide

For Colorado fans, Ryan Spilborghs represents a key moment in Rockies history. His walk-off grand slam on August 24, 2009, against the San Francisco Giants remains a highlight. He served as the team's fourth outfielder in 2008 after making the club out of spring training. Spilborghs also played in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Saitama Seibu Lions after his time with the Rockies. He later became a broadcaster for ROCKIES.TV and SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio, co-hosting the 'Loud Outs' program with CJ Nitkowski. He also joined Apple TV for Friday night baseball coverage in February 2023.

Did You Know?

• Spilborghs was the first ever Madison Mallards alum to play in the majors.
• He hit the first walk-off grand slam in Rockies history on August 24, 2009.
• His walk-off grand slam record stood for over 11 years until Charlie Blackmon, also wearing jersey number 19, matched the feat on September 11, 2020.
• He co-hosts the 'Loud Outs' program on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio with CJ Nitkowski.