The Colorado Rockies are coming off a disappointing 59-103 season in which there wasn't much positive coming off of this team outside of a good-looking City Connect jersey and an All-Star MVP by Elias Diaz. They have two young guns that can become the face of this team: outfielder Nolan Jones and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, as well as notable veteran players Kris Bryant and Charlie Blackmon.
Starting Lineup
This lineup projects with Elias Diaz behind the plate, Kris Bryant at first, Brendan Rodgers at second, Ezequiel Tovar at short, Ryan McMahon at the hot corner with an outfield of Nolan Jones, Brenton Doyle, and Sam Hillard with Charlie Blackmon at DH. Former Cardinals Prospect Elehuris Montero and first baseman Michael Toglia highlight the bench of guys that should play well in Coors Field. The Rockies brought Jacob Stallings back up Diaz, but that doesn't move the needle. This offense has a few young pieces that could shine, but with a stacked NL West, this offense will struggle.
Pitching Staff
Talking about struggles, we have the pitching staff. The starting 5 has some decent options, with Kyle Freeland as the Ace, German Marquez as the No. 2, and Cal Quantrill, Dakota Hudson, and most likely Ryan Feltner rounding things out since Antonio Senzatela will be recovering from an injury all season. The bullpen has Jalen Beeks as a long reliever/spot starter and shifty Justin Lawrence as the closer, with Daniel Bard setting him up, but outside of them, this bullpen and staff aren't pretty.
Freeland and Marquez are solid. ERA won't show that, but they have been in Colorado for a while and have shown flashes of being good; if he bounces back, Quantrill can be a solid starter in most rotations. Feltner has had a good offseason and is fighting to prove himself in his age-27 season. Dakota Hudson is there to eat innings, hoping his ground ball numbers can help his game out in the Mile High. I see the rotation staying static to last year, but all eyes, in my opinion, are on Justin Lawrence and Cal Quantrill. If this team is doing poorly at the deadline (which is likely) and these guys are doing well, I expect them to be shipped out.
Colorado Rockies Team MVP Pick
Nolan Jones will be the team MVP this year. He's coming off a season in which he hit .297 with 20 home runs and a spring in which he's hitting .275 in 40 at-bats. His left-handed swing and pop in his bat are made for Coors, and he shocked the world with his performance last season. This team doesn't have many bright spots, but Nolan Jones is someone to pay attention to.
One Burning Question for the Colorado Rockies
The team's big question is simple: does the offense take a step forward? Will guys like Tovar and Doyle pick it up with the bat? Will Rodgers and Bryant show they can still be a valuable asset to a team? You know what you're getting with the pitching staff, but the offense has room to be decent.
Colorado Rockies Record prediction: 60-102
The NL West is way too competitive for the Rockies to keep up. They pick up an extra win, but it's more of the same for a disappointing franchise.
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