There is no easy solution when it comes to fixing the Colorado Rockies, but the issue that comes up the most is always the same.
They need pitching. They need starting pitching. They need relief pitching. They need a new pitching coach. It all revolves around the guys on the mound.
But it is the type of pitcher that needs to become the priority for the Rockies. Colorado needs pitchers that strike guys out. Power arms would be the most successful at Coors Field, not guys who pitch to contact.
For the longest time, the Rockies brass wanted sinkerball pitchers that don’t avoid bats. The defense has been stellar in Denver for quite a long time but having too many balls in play is a bad strategy – especially at Coors Field. Balls end up in gaps, those doubles lead to runs and those runs lead to big innings. Those have been a problem for this staff for several years.
The 2015 staff was abysmal to say the least. The Rockies ranked 15th in strikeouts and 15th in walks allowed in the National League. They also gave up an average of 10 hits per nine innings. Too many balls in play at Coors Field are a strong recipe to lose games. Jorge De La Rosa led the team with 134 strikeouts. Nobody else was over 100. The Rockies ranked last or next to last in all major pitching categories.
The team to look at is the 2009 Rockies, which despite not getting out of the division series, is the best team in franchise history. Colorado went 92-70 that season and had five starters win over 10 games. Colorado ranked eighth in the NL in strikeouts and the key statistic was fourth in walks. They gave up 8.9 hits per nine innings that season as well. Ubaldo Jimenez was the ace of that staff and plenty of nasty stuff. De La Rosa and Jason Hammel also had high strikeout totals.
That is the blueprint for the Rockies to start having any success again. Power arms will the capability of missing bats. General manager Jeff Bridich has already started to lean to that way of thinking with the trade of star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays. Jeff Hoffman, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco all throw hard and have the ability to miss bats.
The Rockies have a pitcher that can do that already in the big leagues if they let him stay up. Jon Gray does not pitch to contact. He fanned 40 in 40 2/3 innings in his brief stint. Colorado needs to go into spring training with Gray near the top of the rotation. He is ready to be a Major Leaguer. That is not really the Rockies’ way but maybe things will be changing after watching Gray’s talent.
Pitchers like Jordan Lyles, Chris Rusin and Yohan Flande are nice back-end rotation guys but they will get shelled plenty pitching with the Rockies. They will have some good games, which the Rockies saw at times last season from Rusin and Flande, but it will be hit or miss. Consistency is needed on the mound for the Rockies.
Pitch count will always be an issue with hurlers that have big strikeout numbers. Of course, Colorado pitchers already struggle with that because of free passes. The Rockies need to look at what the Royals built in their bullpen to solve this problem.
Kansas City has guys that throw 98-100 mph in the back of their bullpen. Wade Davis, the closer for the Royals whole Greg Holland is out due to Tommy John surgery , was nails in the postseason. The game was over once the Royals had the lead late in games.
Colorado is starting to build towards that in its bullpen. Relievers like Castro, Tommy Kahnle, Jairo Diaz and Rex Brothers have the right set of pitches and the live arms to succeed out of the bullpen.
The Rockies need to go all power all the time with their pitching staff to be a competitive team in the NL West. It will take some time as guys like this do not just drop out of thin air. But with a lot of work and some patience, which is not easy with the past records of this team, the Rockies could be making some noise in the near future.
