Rockies seek improvement from young bullpen arms

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When watching playoff baseball, the games are generally close — pitching dominates all in the postseason. The Wild Card affair between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays proved just that, lasting three hours and 25 minutes. The turning point was, in the bottom half of the 11th, when former Rockies’ starter Ubaldo Jimenez gave up a three-run home run to Edwin Encarnacion, propelling Troy Tulowitzki and the Blue Jays to a 5-2 victory.

Tell me baseball doesn’t have a sense of humor.

Prior to that home run, both bullpens put up zeros. It was basically a chess match between managers Buck Showalter and John Gibbons. Unfortunately for the Orioles, Showalter made the mistake of going with Jimenez instead of his All-Star reliever Zach Britton. But hey, that’s just baseball. Use Britton in that spot and lose the game several innings later, in the same way, you’d be criticized for playing your best card too soon.

As for the Rockies, they should be taking notes about how these teams get the job done in terms of closing out ballgames. The Rockies were atrocious at doing just that this season, blowing 28 saves — 4th most in the league. The team believed the additions of Jason Motte, Chad Qualls, and Jake McGee would solidify their bullpen alongside proven veteran Adam Ottavino. That turned out to be a dud.

Colorado was hopeful for Miguel Castro, a trade chip in the Tulowitzki deal, to be a staple in the bullpen this season, but his durability proved to be an issue early on, landing on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. The 21-year-old bounced around between Colorado and the Albuquerque Isotopes this season, before finally ending up on the Isotopes for good on June 25.

Castro struggled in a Rockies’ uniform, allowing 10 runs on 18 hits in just 14.1 innings. The strikeout numbers are what you expect to see from a guy with his pedigree however, posting a K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings) ratio of 7.4 — 12 strikeouts in 14.1 innings pitched. Development will be crucial for Castro if he intends on being a fixture in Colorado’s bullpen long term. The fact that he’s just 21-years-old and has already gotten his feet wet in the Majors is a step in the right direction.

Carlos Estevez — “Wild Thing” — is another player that the Rockies are extremely high on and rightfully so. Estevez threw the third hardest fastball of anyone in the entire league behind Aroldis Chapman (100.9 mph) and Mauricio Cabrera (100.6 mph), averaging 98.5 miles per hour on his two-seamer. Not to mention his four-seam fastball was tied for eighth, averaging 98.0 miles per hour.

Estevez posted a 3-7 record in an up-and-down season, going 11-of-18 in save opportunities — 61.1%. Like Castro, the strikeout numbers are where you’d like to see them. Estevez struck out 59 batters over 55.0 innings pitched, racking up a solid 9.7 SO/9.  But there were plenty of problems with the hard-throwing reliever, whether it be due to poor mechanics or simply just missing location.

Estevez gave up 50 hits in 55.0 innings this past season, 8.2 H/9 isn’t what you’re looking for out of a reliever in the back end of the bullpen. Another thing tied together with giving up hits; Estevez allowed far too many free bases. Estevez walked 28 batters in his 63 games played, good for a walk ratio of 4.6 BB/9. Not to mention the 23-year-old finished with a FIP of 4.22, which is below average. Estevez still has a way to go with his development but this season was vital for his growing pains.

Jairo Diaz, a 25-year-old flamethrower, was expected to be a solid addition to Colorado’s pen this season.  If you remember, the Rockies traded infielder Josh Rutledge to the Angels in exchange for Diaz in the 2014 offseason. However, the right-hander suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow prior to the season, shutting him down for the 2016 campaign. Tough blow for a team in desperate need of arms in the bullpen.

Diaz made his debut with the Rockies toward the end of the 2015 season, appearing in 21 games. Diaz gave up just five runs in 19.0 innings pitched, finishing the year with an 0-1 record accompanied by an ERA of 2.37. Like Castro and Estevez, the strikeout numbers are exactly what you want — 18 strikeouts in 19.0 innings; 8.5 SO/9. Another thing that stuck out about Diaz was his FIP — 3.56 which is in the average to above-average range.

These three players will be crucial to Colorado’s success in the years to come. If you’ve been paying attention to the postseason, you will know that the bullpen is crucial to winning close games.

It’s absolutely the case that the Rockies should be addressing the bullpen this offseason, but the potential for improvement from players already on the roster should no be undersold or overlooked.