20 Rockies predictions for 2023

The Colorado Rockies are currently in the midst of a transition as a slew of top prospects begin to arrive and impact the roster. Familiar faces continue to make their mark on the franchise as it looks to reach the elusive .500 mark for the first time since 2018.

Here’s how DNVR Rockies sees the next year going:

1. Charlie Blackmon signs an extension to stay with Colorado for a 14th season

A two-year deal worth $18 million would allow Blackmon to maintain his role as unofficial captain and stick around Coors Field to show the ropes to all the youngsters through 2024.

2. Ezequiel Tovar wins the National League Rookie of the Year Award

They’ve had only one winner of the award in their 30 seasons: Jason Jennings in 2002. Since 2017, Colorado hasn’t even been considered in this category, the longest drought in franchise history. Tovar will more than end that streak will stellar play on both sides of the baseball. (DraftKings agrees as the 21-year-old shortstop is +600 to win, third-lowest odds in all of the Senior Circuit.)

In honor of Clayton Kershaw re-signing with the Dodgers, here’s the first career home run from #Rockies Ezequiel Tovar. pic.twitter.com/o7N441zYmm

— DNVR Rockies (@DNVR_Rockies) November 12, 2022

3. Michael Toglia logs the most games played at first base in 2023

He’s the heir apparent to Todd Helton’s throne at first and a future Gold Glove Award winner. Somehow – and there are a lot of ways for this to come to fruition – Toglia will find himself getting past C.J. Cron.

4. Germán Márquez becomes the first pitcher to start three Opening Day games for Colorado

Believe it or not, 10 different pitchers have started two games on Opening Day for the Rockies. Márquez struggled at the start of 2022 before looking like the 2021 All-Star from June 7 until his 31st and final start. (This decision will also allow Game Two starter Kyle Freeland to take the hill at the home opener on April 6.)

5. Kris Bryant will lead the National League in batting average

When he was healthy last April, it was apparent that Bryant’s effortless swing would play at Coors Field; minimizing strikeouts to less than 15% certainly helped that. Plus, he’s a better pure hitter than 2013 NL batting champ Michael Cuddyer or 2014 winner Justin Morneau, and he can spray the ball to all fields like 2016 champ DJ LeMahieu with a lot more power.

Kris Bryant takes his first round of batting practice with the #Rockies at Coors Field. pic.twitter.com/Qtt5B1UoMT

— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) April 7, 2022

6. Justin Lawrence strikes out a whopping 13.0 per nine

Only Adam Ottavino has ever caused as many swings and misses while pitching at least 50 innings for the Rockies. Lawrence already has one of the best sliders in all of MLB and after 2023 everyone will know it. 

Justin Lawrence, Wicked 86mph Slider. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/3NshVaiPg5

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 14, 2022

7. Colorado hits a grand slam against the Washington Nationals on April 7

It’s been over a year since the Rockies have homered with the bases loaded. After hitting a club-record 11 grand slams in 2021, there were none in 2022 for the first time in the organization’s 30 seasons. They’ll snap that streak quickly in 2023. Let’s take Brendan Rodgers off Víctor Arano.

8. Austin Gomber bounces back to 2021 levels and has the start of the season

Last year, it was Chad Kuhl’s three-hit, complete game shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This year, it’ll be the Blake Street Gomber with the best outing for a starter as he re-approaches the promise shown when first acquired. 

9. Colorado will make at least two deals before the trade deadline

Does this get your attention yet? There finally seems to be a plan in place for the future of the club and behaving like a normal MLB franchise will be part of this strategy. (The best part: you’ll never guess who they’ll actually deal.)

10. Daniel Bard continues to live his best life with an invitation to the 2023 All-Star Game 

Comeback Player of the Year in 2020, then a contract extension and tremendous light show in 2022 and now this. Maybe the club’s closer will get to meet Eddie Vedder in Seattle and together they can sing “Alive,” Bard’s original walkout song with the Rockies.

SEVEN years out of MLB. SEVEN.

MLB Players have voted Daniel Bard as NL Comeback Player in the 2020 Players Choice Awards presented by @Topps!

Daniel defied odds for the @Rockies. After a bad case of the yips, minor league deals and retirement, he's back!

Congrats, Daniel! pic.twitter.com/ZPVgJ9W4w7

— MLBPA (@MLBPA) October 22, 2020

11. Zac Veen debuts at home on August 14 against the Diamondbacks

You will have never wanted to watch Arizona and Colorado on a Tuesday night more than this. Honestly, we’re all hoping this prediction is wrong because we want this 21-year-old outfielder with serious swag to show up a lot sooner that a month following the All-Star Break. 

12. Brendan Rodgers sets new mark for offense at second base

B-Rod will be the new franchise standard for hitting as a second baseman. Whether you prefer Clint Barmes’ 23 homers in 2009 or Ryan McMahon’s 24 in 2019 (only 18 were actually at 2B), Rodgers will go one more. As for RBI – 74 by Eric Young Sr. 74 in 1996 or 83 by McMahon in 2019 (66 RBI at 2B), he’ll take that record, too. 

🚨2ND RODGERS WALK-OFF IN 2022🚨 pic.twitter.com/I0fvddMcxI

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 21, 2022

13. September call-ups are plentiful once again

There were 10 MLB debuts last year and there still could be a lot this season, too. They’ll come late, mostly in August and September, and by some non-40-man roster players like right-handed pitchers Chris McMahon, Jeff Criswell and Nick Garcia. 

14. Hartford Yard Goats wins the Eastern League

Three winning seasons in six campaigns for the Goats have produced two third-place finishes (2016 and 2019) and one second-place (2022). This year, they’ll take the top spot in the Double-A Eastern League and continue to improve the potential of the farm system.

15. Rockies adds two more Coloradans to the roster

When this club finds something that works, they really stick to it. And pitchers from the Centennial State have had a pretty good track record as of late. Three is the record of Colorado kids on the team at one time. They’ll blow past four and find two more to play alongside Kyle Freeland, Lucas Gilbreath and Pierce Johnson. (Tuesday’s signing of Ty Blach to a minor league deal could make this bold prediction more of a gimme.) 

16. Bud Black signs another one-year extension to manage the Rockies in 2024

Harry Ralston Black can pretty much manage this team for as long as he’d like. Though his time will come eventually to make way for another skipper soon, it won’t be until the 2025 season.

17. Ryan McMahon wins his first Gold Glove Award

With Brendan Rodgers manning second base and upstart Elehuris Montero looking to force his way into the starting lineup at third base, McMahon will end up splitting his time between multiple positions as he had done every season before 2022. Now, with a Gold Glove Award for Utility, Mac will finally be recognized for his dynamic defensive abilities.

Nobody does it better than Ryan McMahon😤 pic.twitter.com/c6lEuwcg3V

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) September 5, 2021

18. Nolan Arenado removes the postseason monkey off his back

A player of Arenado’s ability should not hit .152 in October. That 2-for-11 performance in the 2018 NLDS with five strikeouts helped sink the Rockies offense against the Brewers. He’ll finally play up to par this year, and then some, to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to their first World Series since 2013.

19. Colorado adds $100 million in contracts through free agency and trades next offseason

In anticipation of contending with their up-and-coming crop of prospects for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, GM Bill Schmidt will find a way to improve the corps for the next window of contention. Maybe even by trading from the surplus of youngsters in the system. (Surprisingly, they will not be in the market to sign RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani, but they will say hello to his agent to check on the wife and kids.)

20. Todd Helton gets 85% of votes on all public ballots on his way to being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Let’s hope this is a bad take. Maybe this will age poorly and we’ll learn on January 24 that Helton has the 75% of votes to earn enshrinement in Cooperstown on July 23. If not, mark your calendar and book your hotel for upstate New York for summer of 2024.