Five key questions facing the Rockies
1 Should a young Rockies rotation worry about the sophomore jinx?
They were the youngest starting pitching staff in the league last season and helped Colorado get to the postseason, with four rookies leading the way. But three of those starters faded late in the season. Only German Marquez lasted to the end. So the Rockies set them in motion this past winter to withstand a full season, crafting their offseason routines to ensure a longer run.
But now the real test starts: Hitters got a taste of their talent last season and collected evidence on how to beat them. Marquez, Kyle Freeland, Jeff Hoffman and Antonio Senzatela need to improve. It comes with experience. Two of them, Senzatela and Hoffman, will start the season in the minors. Marquez and Freeland will join Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson and Chad Bettis in the rotation.
2 Will the Rockies hit enough home runs?
What bizarro world do we live in when the most pressing question for the Rockies is: Can they hit for enough power? This is the land of the Blake Street Bombers. Pitching was always their problem, never hitting. Now it’s flipped. Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon each hit 37 home runs last year, tied for third in the NL. That accounted for 39 percent of the team’s total. Mark Reynolds, no longer with the team, hit 30 homers. After that, the numbers drop off.
The Rockies ranked 10th in the NL with 192 homers last season. But they led the league in runs scored with 824. Does it matter? This is the new age of baseball, where strikeouts for pitchers and home runs for hitters are paramount. Arenado and Blackmon will hit their share. The Rockies need significant power output from Trevor Story and Carlos Gonzalez, with a fair amount more from utility man Pat Valaika. And if Ian Desmond can get back to double-digit homers, that’d be helpful.
3 Is this Rockies bullpen even better?
Their winter spending spree can’t really be called a makeover because the Rockies had one of the top bullpens in the NL already. But when GM Jeff Bridich spent $106 million on three relievers — new closer Wade Davis and setup man Bryan Shaw, and re-signing lefty Jake Mcgee — the Rockies improved even more. It was a significant investment.
Davis will replace Greg Holland in the ninth inning. They were teammates in Kansas City when the Royals won the World Series. And Davis arrives without the pending elbow concerns that came with Holland last season. Shaw replaces deadline acquisition Pat Neshek, who left the Rockies in free agency. And Mcgee was their second-best reliever last season. They join longman Chris Rusin and bounce-back candidate Adam Ottavino in a stacked bullpen.
4 Is this the final year in Colorado for two core players?
Questions are already swirling about the long-term viability of re-signing Nolan Arenado. But his contract doesn’t come due until after 2019. The more pressing concern comes with the two other players who make up the Rockies’ core: Charlie Blackmon and DJ Lemahieu. They helped build this team from the depths of the NL West into contenders. But their contracts end after this year.
There has been no indication yet that either will be re-signed. Blackmon was an MVP candidate last year and, despite being 31 years old, he will command a sizable paycheck on the open market. Lemahieu is a two-time all-star, but the Rockies have lined up prospects — notably Brendan Rodgers — to take his place. Blackmon’s and Lemahieu’s time in Colorado may be coming to an end.
5 Can the Rockies reach the postseason again?
In their 25-year history, the Rockies have never reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons. They followed a World Series run in 2007 with a losing record and a third-place finish in the NL West in 2008. They earned a wild-card berth in 2009, then fell back again in 2010. Ditto 1995 and 1996. Is another regression coming?
The difference this season is in roster makeup. When the Rockies have solid pitching, like they did in each of their playoff seasons, they can succeed. When they don’t, they struggle. That’s why GM Jeff Bridich reinvested in the bullpen. That’s why they stacked their rotation with young, eager and talented starters. There finally is a formula for success at Coors Field. They just need to follow through.