It was a rainy, depressing week at Coors Field. Photo Credit: John Leyba – The Denver Post
After a tough week in week four, it seemed as if there was nowhere to go but up for the Colorado Rockies. Unfortunately, that was not the case. After another abysmal week that saw the team go winless and stretch their season-worst losing streak to nine games, everyone in the clubhouse is left searching for answers.
Record this week: 0-4 Season record: 11-17 (5th in NL West, 8 GB of LAD)
Monday, May 4 – Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies – Postponed
Tuesday, May 5 – Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies – Postponed
Wednesday, May 6, Game 1 – Arizona Diamondbacks (13) at Colorado Rockies (7)
W – Collmenter (3-3) L – Matzek (2-1)
HR: Morneau (3), Hundley (2), Stubbs (2)
Players of the game: Justin Morneau – 3 for 5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI Nick Hundley – 2 for 3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI Drew Stubbs – 1 for 1, HR, 2 RBI
Wednesday, May 6, Game 2 – Arizona Diamondbacks (5) at Colorado Rockies (1)
W – Ray (1-0) L – Lyles (2-3)
Players of the game: Troy Tulowitzki – 2 for 4 Michael McKenry – 1 for 3, 2B, RBI
Justin Morneau – 1 for 4, 2B
A very rainy/snowy week in Denver started off with the Rockies trying and failing to play the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday and Tuesday night. Monday’s game has yet to officially be rescheduled, though early September looks like it might be a good fit to get the game in. Tuesday night’s game was made up as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday. The doubleheader was one that the Rockies would like to forget. They weren’t competitive in either game, falling behind 9-0 early in game one and failing to get anything going offensively in game two against Diamondbacks pitcher Robbie Ray, owner of an 8.16 career ERA coming into the game. With more rain and snow in the forecast and a series against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers up next, things didn’t appear to be on the verge of getting any better for the Rockies.
Thursday, May 7 – Day off
Friday, May 8 – Los Angeles Dodgers (2) at Colorado Rockies (1)
W – Anderson (2-1) L – Butler (2-3) F/5
Players of the game:
Troy Tulowitzki – 2 for 2, 2B Corey Dickerson – 2 for 3 Nolan Arenado – 1 for 2
Saturday, May 9 – Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies – Postponed
Sunday, May 10 – Los Angeles Dodgers (9) at Colorado Rockies (5)
W – Baez (1-0) L – Oberg (1-1)
Players of the game: Wilin Rosario – 2 for 3, RBI Rafael Ynoa – 2 for 3, RBI
Nick Hundley – 1 for 4, RBI
With the weather being more or less the same as it was earlier in the week, the series with the Dodgers was also shortened by rain. The first game of the series was a 2-1 loss that lasted just five innings before the rains came and was perhaps the most frustrating loss of the losing streak for the Rockies.
With sheets of rain coming down in the fifth inning, the Rockies trailed by a run in what looked to be their last shot to tie the game up before a rain delay. It started when manager Walt Weiss inexplicably kept lefty-killer Wilin Rosario on the bench and instead allowed starting pitcher Eddie Butler to hit against left-handed Brett Anderson, even though it was clear that the game was about to be stopped and Butler’s day would be done. He would ground out weakly to second base. Then, after Charlie Blackmon walked and stole second with two outs, Corey Dickerson hit an infield single up the middle while Blackmon attempted to score from second. The throw beat Blackmon to the plate, but he appeared to slide in safely under the tag. Still, home plate umpire Tim Timmons called Blackmon out. Weiss challenged the call, but despite several replay angles showing Blackmon getting his foot in before the tag, the out call was upheld and the inning was over. The Rockies wouldn’t get another chance to hit in the game.
After the second game of the series was postponed, this time due to a mix of rain and snow, the loss in game three was frustrating in its own way. The offense scored five runs against reigning NL MVP and Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, but the Rockies pitching staff would continue to show a troubling lack of command, walking 10 Dodgers en route to allowing nine more runs while increasing their league-worst BB/9 to 4.03 and their league-worst ERA- to 121.
It was not a fun week, but just like last week I’ll do my best to at least find some sort of positives that came from it. Here are the players of the week.
Rockies position player of the week: Nick Hundley – 10 PA, .444/.400/.889, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 212 wRC+
In case you needed any further evidence that getting games in was tough this week, Nick Hundley is the player of the week despite having just 10 PA. With a 130 wRC+ on the season so far, Hundley has been the best hitter on the team in the first five weeks. Take a look at his home run on Wednesday afternoon against the Diamondbacks:
Longest Rockies home run of the week: Drew Stubbs – 435 feet
Within the context of the game, this home run was about as meaningless as a home run can be. It cut the Rockies’ deficit from 12-3 to 12-5 in the eighth inning against the Diamondbacks. For Stubbs though, it had to feel good to do something positive after what has been the roughest start to a season in his career. Plus, long home runs are fun to watch. This one is the third longest hit by a Rockie so far this year. Enjoy!
Rockies pitcher of the week:Jordan Lyles – 1 start, 7 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, BB, 6 K
I know, I know. Those numbers aren’t even very good. I was really close to not awarding a pitcher of the week at all this week, but I decided that Lyles did just enough good things to deserve it. For starters, four runs in seven innings at Coors Field isn’t THAT bad, and even going seven innings at all has been a feat for Rockies starters so far this season. In addition to that, Lyles was one misplayed ball by Charlie Blackmon away from allowing one run in seven innings, and then we’re looking at a really good outing. He also had a strong K/BB ratio, something we haven’t seen much of from Rockies starters this season. For that, he gets pitcher of the week for the third time this season. Unfortunately, no video from his start is available.
That about does it for week five and I can’t say I’m upset about putting that week in the rear view mirror. Here’s hoping for some better things next week, maybe even a win or two! Be sure to take a look ahead at week six (it has to get better at some point, doesn’t it?) and don’t forget to subscribe, like View from the Rooftop on Facebook and follow on Twitter.
The Colorado Rockies’ infield defense is so good, it’s almost as if they can fly. Photo Credit: Justin Edmonds – Getty Images North America
The third week of the regular season was the second consecutive week with a 3-3 record for the Colorado Rockies. With six home games this week as opposed to six road games last week, the 3-3 record isn’t quite as satisfying. Nonetheless, the Rockies find themselves in second place in the NL West and in a solid position moving forward. First, let’s take a look back at week three.
Week Record: 3-3 Season Record: 10-8 (t-2nd in NL West, 1 GB of LAD)
Monday, April 20 – San Diego Padres (14) at Colorado Rockies (3)
W – Despaigne (2-0) L – De La Rosa (0-1)
Players of the game: Nick Hundley – 2 for 3, BB Charlie Blackmon – 1 for 4, 3B, RBI Rafael Betancourt – IP, 0 R, K
Tuesday, April 21 – San Diego Padres (7) at Colorado Rockies (6)
W – Maurer (1-0) L – Logan (0-1) S – Kimbrel (5)
HR – Hundley (1)
Players of the game:
Nick Hundley – 2 for 4, 3B, HR, 2 RBI
Charlie Blackmon – 1 for 4, 3B, 2 RBI Troy Tulowitzki – 1 for 3, 2B, RBI
Wednesday, April 22 – San Diego Padres (4) at Colorado Rockies (5)
W – Ottavino (1-0) L – Kelley (0-2)
HR – Dickerson 2 (4)
Players of the game: Corey Dickerson – 2 for 3, 2 HR, 2 RBI, BB Michael McKenry – 3 for 4, 2B, SB Nolan Arenado – 2 for 4, 2B, RBI
Thursday, April 23 – San Diego Padres (1) at Colorado Rockies (2)
W – Lyles (2-1) L – Ross (1-1) S – Axford (2)
HR – Dickerson (5)
Players of the game: Jordan Lyles – 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Corey Dickerson – 2 for 3, HR, RBI, BB
Nick Hundley – 2 for 3, BB
In a series that started out looking as if it could be a complete disaster, the Rockies did a nice job of righting the ship without letting things spiral out of control. Game one against the San Diego Padres was an absolute nightmare. Just minutes before the game, third baseman Nolan Arenado was scratched from the lineup with a sore wrist. It didn’t get any better from there as Jorge De La Rosa allowed nine runs (seven earned) on nine hits in just two innings in his first start of the season and Corey Dickerson had to leave the game with plantar fasciitis. When it was finally all over, the Rockies had lost, 14-3, and extended their losing streak to four games. The next day, with Arenado and Dickerson once again out of the lineup, the Rockies lost, 7-6, and ran their losing streak to five. Things got better from there.
The next day, Dickerson and Arenado returned to the starting lineup and combined for four hits, a double, and two home runs to help the Rockies to their first win in six tries. In the series finale, great work from starting pitcher Jordan Lyles and relievers Scott Oberg, Rafael Betancourt, and John Axford earned the Rockies a win and a series split.
Friday, April 24 – San Francisco Giants (4) at Colorado Rockies (6)
W – Butler (2-1) L – Heston (2-2) S – Ottavino (3)
HR – Blackmon (2)
Players of the game: DJ LeMahieu – 3 for 4, 2 2B, 2 RBI
Corey Dickerson – 2 for 4, RBI, BB
Charlie Blackmon – 2 for 5, HR, RBI
Saturday, April 25 – San Francisco Giants (5) at Colorado Rockies (4)
W – Machi (1-0) L – Brown (0-1) F/11
HR – Tulowitzki (2), Gonzalez (2)
Players of the game:
Troy Tulowitzki – 2 for 5, HR, RBI Carlos Gonzalez – 1 for 5, HR, RBI Justin Morneau – 3 for 5
Sunday, April 26 – San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies
Game postponed due to inclement weather; makeup date TBD
In the second series of the week, the Rockies welcomed the San Francisco Giants to town for what was supposed to be a three game series. The Rockies took care of business in game one, a 6-4 win that gave them a three game winning streak behind a home run from Charlie Blackmon and a three hit day from DJ LeMahieu. The second game of the series saw Jorge De La Rosa deliver a solid bounce back start for the Rockies, but ultimately ended in a 5-4 loss in 11 innings. Game three was supposed to be played on Sunday afternoon. Alas, Mother Nature had other ideas. The game was postponed due to inclement weather with no makeup date announced as of yet. Oh, this also happened during the series:
It was a decidedly average week for the Rockies, who will now travel out on the road for more divisional games against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Padres. It should be interesting to see how the offense performs after their first significant exposure to Coors Field this season.
Before we get to that, however, let’s take a look at the player and pitcher of the week. Don’t forget that you can find a running leaderboard of the player and pitcher of the week on the right side of the screen.
Rockies position player of the week: Corey Dickerson – 19 PA, .375/.474/.938, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 265 wRC+
Despite missing a game and a half with plantar fasciitis, a heel injury, and another half game after fouling a ball off his leg, Dickerson remained ultra-productive this week en route to earning his second player of the week honors of the young season. His three home runs this week give him a team leading five on the season and, as long as he can stay healthy, Dickerson looks primed to have a monster season. Here’s a look at his two home run game against the Padres:
Longest Rockies home run of the week: Corey Dickerson – 440 feet
So, this Dickerson guy can hit a little bit. His 440 foot blast this week currently comes in as the second longest Rockies home run of the year, behind only the mammoth 461 foot shot off the bat of Carlos Gonzalez in week one. The first home run in the video above is the 440 footer in question.
Milestone home run of the week: Troy Tulowitzki’s 100th home run at Coors Field
One of the greatest players in franchise history became just the fifth Rockie to hit 100 or more home runs at Coors Field, joining Todd Helton, Larry Walker, Vinny Castilla, and Dante Bichette. Congrats on your first hundred Tulo, here’s to 100 more. No embeddable video for this one, but you can watch Tulo’s homer here.
Rockies pitcher of the week: Jordan Lyles – 1 start, 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K, W
So far on the young season, Jordan Lyles has been the best starting pitcher for the Rockies. It shows here, as he will be pitcher of the week for the second time already thanks to his outstanding performance against the Padres this week. More performances like this one could really give the Rockies rotation a boost. Here’s a look at his quality start:
Jordan Lyles had a strong opening week with two quality starts in two tries. Photo Credit: Mike McGinnis – Getty Images North America
Last week I ran the first of a season-long series previewing every week of the season. This is the second of two pieces that will be running every Monday, with this one reviewing the past week and naming the Rockies position player and pitcher of the week. Without further ado, a look at week one of the Colorado Rockies’ season.
Week record: 4-2 Season record: 4-2 (1st in NL West, +0.5 games on SD)
Monday, April 6 – Colorado Rockies (10) at Milwaukee Brewers (0)
W – Kendrick (1-0) L – Lohse (0-1)
HR – Dickerson (1), Arenado (1)
Players of the game: Kyle Kendrick – 7 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 6 K; 2 for 3, 2B Nolan Arenado – 3 for 4, 2B, HR, BB, 4 RBI Corey Dickerson – 2 for 5, HR, 4 RBI
Tuesday, April 7 – Colorado Rockies (5) at Milwaukee Brewers (2)
W – Lyles (1-0) L – Garza (0-1) S – Hawkins (1)
Players of the game: Jordan Lyles – 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K
Nolan Arenado – 2 for 5, 2B, RBI Nick Hundley – 3 for 4, 2B, RBI
Wednesday, April 8 – Colorado Rockies (5) at Milwaukee Brewers (4)
W – Hawkins (1-0) L – Rodriguez (0-1) S – Axford (1) F/10
HR: Dickerson (2), Gonzalez (1), Rosario (1)
Players of the game: Carlos Gonzalez – 2 for 5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI Wilin Rosario – 1 for 1, HR, RBI
Corey Dickerson – 2 for 4, HR, RBI
The first series of the season for the Rockies was about as perfect as an opening series could be. It included a blowout where everything went right, a garden variety solid team win where everyone did their jobs, and an exciting extra innings win. Rockies fans got to see a record setting performance as well, with the team tying the record set by the 1912 New York Giants with 12 doubles in their first two games of the season. It was even three road wins, something the Rockies struggled mightily with in 2014. The club also got strong pitching in the series, with game three starter Eddie Butler falling just a third of an inning short of making the team three for three in quality starts. The bullpen allowed just two runs in the series, both coming in a blown save from LaTroy Hawkins that involved several balls that were not hit hard but happened to find holes. All in all, the Rockies headed to Coors Field feeling awfully good about themselves.
Thursday, April 9 – Day off
Friday, April 10 – Chicago Cubs (1) at Colorado Rockies (5)
W – Bergman (1-0) L – Wood (0-1)
HR: Morneau (1)
Players of the game: Troy Tulowitzki – 2 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI DJ LeMahieu – 3 for 4, RBI Brooks Brown – 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K
Saturday, April 11 – Chicago Cubs (9) at Colorado Rockies (5)
W – Hammel (1-0) L – Kendrick (1-1)
HR: Arenado (2)
Players of the game:
Nolan Arenado – 2 for 4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI Justin Morneau – 2 for 5, RBI
Corey Dickerson – 2 for 4, 2 RBI
Sunday April, 12 – Chicago Cubs (6) at Colorado Rockies (5)
W – Ramirez (1-0) L – Hawkins (1-1) S – Rondon (2)
Players of the game: Charlie Blackmon – 3 for 4, 2B, RBI
Jordan Lyles – 6 IP, 5 H, ER, 3 BB, 3 K
DJ LeMahieu – 1 for 4, 3B, 3 RBI
As the Rockies traveled home to Coors Field to face off against the Cubs, the first game of the series went as smoothly as the first three in Milwaukee, as the Rockies cruised to a 5-1 win. From there, things went downhill. Kyle Kendrick was roughed up in his first Rockies start at Coors Field, allowing eight earned run in 5 innings in a 9-5 loss to Chicago, the first of the season for the club. Then, on Sunday, it appeared that the Rockies were going to overcome four errors and take their second straight series until LaTroy Hawkins blew his second save in as many chances, ultimately resulting in a 6-5 Rockies loss.
All in all, it was a solid first week for the Rockies. They currently hold a slim lead in the division (though that hardly matters this early in the season) and have gotten outstanding work from everyone in the bullpen aside from Hawkins. In fact, all other Rockies relievers have combined for 18 2/3 scoreless innings to start the season. This is definitely an encouraging sign going forward. One other interesting note from the first week is that the Rockies have now scored exactly five runs for five consecutive games. Now, let’s take a look at the Rockies players of the week. You can find a running leaderboard of the Rockies position player and pitcher of the week on the right side of the screen.
Rockies position player of the week: Corey Dickerson – 26 PA, .417/.462/.792, 243 wRC+, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
With several hitters getting off to strong starts for the Rockies, choosing the season’s first player of the week was very difficult. Ultimately, I went with Corey Dickerson, who narrowly beat out guys like Nolan Arenado, Troy Tulowitzki, and DJ LeMahieu, all of whom are also off to great starts. Corey gets the nod here thanks to a team leading 243 wRC+ in week one as well as his two home runs; one of which was the first Rockies home run of the season, the other pulled the Rockies even in the seventh inning against Milwaukee on Wednesday. Here is video evidence of Corey’s two home runs for your viewing pleasure:
Longest Rockies home run of the week: Carlos Gonzalez – 461 feet
This was not only the longest Rockies home run of the week, it so far is the longest home run in the Major Leagues this season. You’ll probably want to replay this one a few times:
You can also find a running tally of the five longest Rockies home runs of the season on the right side of the screen.
Rockies pitcher of the week: Jordan Lyles – 2 games started, 2 quality starts, 1-0, 12 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 2.25 ERA
The pitcher of the week was another tough call. There were a number of bullpen options who also have an argument to go here, most notably Adam Ottavino and Rafael Betancourt. In the end, Lyles gets the nod with his two quality starts, more than the rest of the team had combined this week. He left both games with the Rockies leading and gave them a great shot to win in each of his starts. For that, he earns a spot as Rockies pitcher of the week. Take a look at his quality start in Milwaukee on Tuesday:
That does it for week one. Make sure to take a look ahead at week two of the season and don’t forget to subscribe, like View from the Rooftop on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and check back on Thursday, April 16, as I look at what the Rockies should do in the bullpen.
Tyler Matzek will start the home opener for the Rockies later this week. Photo Credit: Chris Humphreys – USA Today Sports
Every Monday, I’ll be giving an update of where the Rockies stand and taking a look at the week to come for the Rockies. This is an exciting week as the Rockies play both their season and home openers and look to get off to a fast start in 2015. Here’s what the club has coming up in week one.
Season Record: 0-0
Number of Games This week: Six (3 @ Milwaukee Brewers, 3 vs. Chicago Cubs)
Season Record of This Week’s Opponents:
Milwaukee Brewers: 0-0
Chicago Cubs: 0-1
Daily Opponent and Pitching Match-Up*:
*Pitching stats will typically be season stats, for this week I’ll use 2014 stats instead.
Monday, April 6 – Colorado Rockies at Milwaukee Brewers (12:10 pm MDT)
Saturday, April 11 – Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies (6:10 pm MDT)
Jason Hammel (10-11, 3.47 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (10-13, 4.61 ERA)
Sunday April, 12 – Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies (2:10 pm MDT)
Kyle Hendricks(7-2, 2.46 ERA) vs. Jordan Lyles (7-4, 4.33 ERA)
Next Monday, I’ll take a look at how these games went and name the Rockies player and pitcher of the week in the first weekly review. Also be sure to check back on Thursday, April 9 as I take a look at how to optimize the Rockies lineup and don’t forget to subscribe, like View from the Rooftop on Facebook, and follow on Twitter.
Rockies starting pitchers struggled in 2014. They finished the season 24th in fWAR, 27th in ERA-, 29th in WHIP, and last in K/9, BB/9, and innings pitched (IP). They were also forced to use a league high 15 different starting pitchers, mostly due to injuries. It isn’t all doom and gloom though. They have some very promising young prospects, improved their pitching depth during the off-season, and should see better health than they did in 2014. All of that is bound to make them at least a little better, right?
De La Rosa, who turns 34 the day before the season opener, comes into 2015 as the ace and anchor of the pitching staff. In 2014, his 32 starts were 10 more than any other Rockies pitcher and his 184 1/3 innings pitched led the staff by nearly 60 innings. His performance in those starts was roughly league average, with a 4.10 ERA, 96 ERA-, and 101 FIP-, good enough for 2.1 fWAR and 2.4 rWAR.
Surprisingly, De La Rosa has thrived in the hitter’s haven of Coors Field. Since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2013, Jorge has a superb 2.92 ERA and 3.56 FIP at Coors. In his last 57 home starts for the Rockies, the team has an astounding 48-9 record! Winning and losing isn’t all about the pitcher, but with a record like that, I have a hard time believing that it’s just a coincidence.
Given his great success there, particularly relative to the way that most pitchers struggle in that environment (all other Rockies starters have a 4.98 ERA at Coors Field since 2013), I recently wrote over at Purple Row about a plan to get him as many home starts as possible. The Rockies seem to have similar ideas, as De La Rosa is scheduled to start the home opener on April 10th, depending on the severity of a groin injury that has limited him to just one spring training start. In 2015, Steamer projects Jorge for a 4.46 ERA and 2.4 fWAR in 190 innings. ZiPS is not as optimistic, projecting a similar 4.44 ERA, but just 1.2 fWAR and 121 2/3 innings.
Tyler Matzek is a big reason the Rockies rotation could take a step forward this year. A first round pick by the Rockies in 2009, Matzek was once rated as high as the 23rd best prospect in all of baseball before control issues looked like they were going to derail his career. Since having a ridiculous 8.9 BB/9 in 2011, Matzek has steadily improved that number every year since; dropping it to 6.0 in 2012, 4.8 in 2013, and 3.7 in 2014.
After getting his first call to the Major Leagues in 2014, Matzek’s command continued to improve with just 3.4 BB/9 in 117 2/3 innings over 20 appearances (19 starts). The reduced walk numbers weren’t the only promising thing about Matzek, though. He also put together an impressive 4.05 ERA (95 ERA-), 3.78 FIP (88 FIP-), and closed the season with the best month of his short career. In four September starts spanning 26 2/3 innings, Matzek was fantastic. He put together a 1.69 ERA (39 ERA-), 2.12 FIP (49 FIP-), 9.1 K/9, and 3.0 BB/9. Tyler will look to leverage that strong finish into a successful season in 2015, his first full season as a Major Leaguer.
ZiPS projects Matzek for a 4.30 ERA and 2.4 fWAR across 182 1/3 innings in 2015 while Steamer projects him for a 4.76 ERA and 1.1 fWAR across just 114 innings. Steamer’s projections seem awfully pessimistic to me and I expect him to be a strong number two starter behind De La Rosa. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we’re all calling him the number one starter by the end of the season.
One of the few new faces we’ll be seeing in a Rockies uniform this season is Kyle Kendrick, who signed a one year, $5.5 million contract with the Rockies this February after spending the first eight years of his career with the Phillies. The owner of a career 4.42 ERA (111 ERA-) and 4.65 FIP (116 FIP-), the Rockies likely don’t expect him to be great this season. Kendrick, who has made 62 starts and thrown 381 innings over the last two seasons, is a guy who will hopefully be able to give the Rockies some length and relieve some of the pressure from a bullpen that threw the third most innings in the Majors in 2014.
Another positive to having Kendrick on the roster is that it gives the Rockies another Major League quality arm to use in the short term while their top prospects get some additional experience in the minor leagues. This, in theory, will allow the Rockies to call up those prospects because they want to, not because injuries and poor performance have forced their hand. Kendrick’s career high fWAR is just 1.6, but with all these things that won’t show up in a stat like WAR, he may end up being more valuable than that for the Rockies.
Kyle is slated to get the ball in the season opener against the Brewers. A lot of fuss has been made about it, but starting on opening day doesn’t necessarily mean that the Rockies think he’s their best pitcher. ZiPS projects Kendrick for a 4.99 ERA and 1.5 fWAR across 166 innings in 2015 while Steamer projects him for a 4.81 ERA and 1.1 fWAR across 137 innings. The Rockies included an incentive in Kendrick’s contract that pays him an extra $500k if he pitches 190+ innings, so the team is hoping that he beats those projections.
Coming off his best season as a Major Leaguer, Jordan Lyles enters the 2015 season expected to be somewhere in the middle of the Rockies rotation. Even though he’s only 24 years old, this will already be Lyles’ fifth big league season. After struggling to a 5.35 ERA (136 ERA-) and 4.55 FIP (116 FIP-) over 377 innings in his first three seasons, Lyles turned a corner in 2014, putting together a 4.33 ERA (101 ERA-) and a 4.22 FIP (98 FIP-) across 22 starts and 126 2/3 innings. The improvement resulted in Lyles having 1.6 fWAR and 1.1 rWAR, both career highs, despite missing two months with a broken hand.
Lyles was picked up by the Rockies along with Brandon Barnes in exchange for Dexter Fowler prior to the 2014 season. He was coveted by the club for his youth, at just 24 years old he still has plenty of time to improve, and his ability to get ground balls. Since 2012, he’s 12th out of 86 pitchers (min. 400 IP) at inducing ground balls. This plays well with the elite infield defense of the Rockies and the huge outfield at Coors Field. It’s a trend that both Lyles and the Rockies hope will continue in 2015.
The date of Lyles’ first start has yet to be announced by the team, but it seems likely that he’ll slot in on either April 7th or 8th against the Brewers. ZiPS projects him to have a 4.70 ERA and 1.4 fWAR across 143 2/3 innings while Steamer projects him at a 4.57 ERA and 1 fWAR across just 92 innings. Both of those innings totals, especially Steamer’s, seem curiously low, so expect the WAR numbers to improve simply due to him throwing more innings than they expect.
Yesterday’s unexpected release of Jhoulys Chacin puts the fifth rotation slot in flux. There has been no official announcement as to who will fill the space previously filled by Chacin, but my best educated guess is that it will go to the recently acquired David Hale, at least in the short term.
Traded from the Braves to the Rockies for two minor league catchers, the 27 year old Hale has limited Major League experience, but the experience he does have has been relatively successful. Across 98 1/3 innings, he’s put together a 3.02 ERA (83 ERA-) and a 3.92 FIP (107 FIP-) with 5.3 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9. In his 44 innings as a starter (8 starts), he’s been even better, with a 2.05 ERA (56 ERA-), 2.93 FIP (80 FIP-), 7.4 K/9, and 3.5 BB/9.
Hale figured to see time in the rotation at some point during the season anyway, being there from day one might just be a bit earlier than we all expected. If Hale is able to perform the way he has so far in his Major League career, he will be a more than passable option at the back end of the rotation. ZiPS and Steamer disagree pretty severely on the projections for Hale this year, with ZiPS at a 5.49 ERA and Steamer almost a full run lower at 4.56. If/when Hale makes his first start of the season is yet to be announced.
Minor League Options
The Rockies have a plethora of potential options in the minor leagues. There are realistically about 10-11 more pitchers who could potentially see time in the starting rotation, depending on performance and injuries. I’ll go more in depth about a few of the more exciting prospects who we might see in the big leagues in 2015. For the rest, I’ll just give a quick rundown of their career stats, their 2014 stats (if applicable), and their 2015 projections.
The top prospect in the Rockies’ system is Jon Gray. The 23 year old was the first round pick of the Rockies in 2013 has been rated as high as the 13th best prospect in all of baseball prior to the 2015 season and doesn’t appear to be far away from being on the Major League roster. Gray has a repertoire that includes a fastball that he typically throws 92-95 but can be pumped up to 97-99 when he needs it, a very good slider, and an improving change-up that is still a work in progress, but has the potential to become an above average pitch. Gray has yet to reach the big leagues and isn’t currently on the 40-man roster, but I’d imagine both of those things will change soon. He is likely to be called up at some point during the 2015 season.
Butler, the best prospect in the Rockies system aside from Gray, was the Rockies first round pick in the 2012 draft. He got a cup of coffee in the Major Leagues last season, making three starts that encompassed 16 innings with a 6.75 ERA (158 ERA-) and a 5.69 FIP (132 FIP-). Eddie was dealing with some injury issues last season, so it will be interesting to see if he can improve on those numbers now that he’s healthy. Eddie is considered by many to be a little closer to the Major Leagues than Gray and will probably be the first of the two to be called up. Butler works with a mid-90’s sinker, a great change-up, and a slider that is still a work in progress.
Major League/2014 stats – 16 IP, 6.75 ERA (158 ERA-), 5.69 FIP (132 FIP-), 1.7 K/9, 3.9 BB/9
If Tyler Anderson can stay healthy, there’s a good chance that he can become a solid Major League pitcher. Unfortunately, health has been an issue for Tyler. Anderson, the first round pick for the Rockies in 2011 (sensing a trend?), has been great in the minor leagues (career 2.39 ERA there), but has dealt with a recurring shoulder injury that has kept him on strict pitch counts and prevented him from ever throwing over 120 innings in a season. It has also prevented him from pitching at all in spring training this year. When healthy, Anderson has a low 90’s fastball and a very good change-up, but is still working on developing a third pitch to keep hitters off balance. If he can stay on the mound, it’s possible that we’ll see Anderson pitch for the Rockies in 2015.
That wraps up our first look at the starting rotation. Feel free to comment and let me know any feedback you have! Also, don’t forget to subscribe, like View from the Rooftop on Facebookand follow on Twitter. Check back on Thursday, March 26, for the next installment of the Rockies 2015 Position Preview Series: Middle Relief.
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