Rockies Roster
Starting lineup
19 Charlie Blackmon CF
1.000 … He was the only Rockies player last season with a four-digit OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). His 142 Ops-plus, park adjusted, was the best on the team.
9 DJ Lemahieu 2B
.374 … Over the three seasons, his on-base percentage has been the club’s best. His .374 OBP last season trailed only Blackmon.
28 Nolan Arenado 3B .388 … His batting average with runners in scoring position a season ago. And his 1.266 OPS in those clutch situations was the best in baseball since 2013.
5 Carlos Gonzalez RF
79 … His home run total over the past three seasons, a monster mark lost amid an otherwise horrid 2017 season at the plate. But he hit .377 with six home runs in the final month last year.
27 Trevor Story SS
191 … His strikeout total in a sophomore season led the National League. But Story still finished with 24 home runs and the Rockies don’t want to discourage his power.
20 Ian Desmond 1B
40 … His anemic RBI total was indicative of Desmond’s worst career year. A broken wrist stunted his season. He is now the Rockies’ highest-paid player.
8 Gerardo Parra LF
.309 … His batting average rose more than 50 points from 2016, up from .253. And his OPS spiked from .671 to .793. He is also the Rockies’ best defensive outfielder.
22 Chris Iannetta C
6.1 … Runs he saved pitchers with pitch-framing a season ago, according to Baseball Prospectus. His ability to turn borderline calls into strikes was the best among free-agent catchers this winter.
Starting pitchers
55 Jon Gray RHP
2.44 … His ERA over the final two months last season, with a 7-2 record, were both among the best in baseball in that stretch.
44 Tyler Anderson LHP
17 … Games pitched in 2017 after suffering a knee injury. But he was set to start Game 1 of the NLDS if the Rockies got that far.
48 German Marquez RHP
8.2 … Strikeouts per nine innings in his rookie season, second on the team behind only Gray. The 22-year-old added a changeup in spring.
35 Chad Bettis RHP
28 … At 28, he is the senior member of one of the youngest staffs in the league. Looks to fulfill that leadership role now that’s he completely healthy.
21 Kyle Freeland LHP
11 … The 24-year-old Denver native’s win total last season was tied for most on the club, with Marquez. Tired down the stretch a season ago.
Relievers
71 Wade Davis RHP
$52 million … With a three-year deal, the Rockies gave their newest closer the biggest contract they’ve ever given a reliever, based on yearly average, about $17.3 million per.
29 Bryan Shaw RHP
82 … His innings total for Cleveland in 2017 would have trailed only Chris Rusin among the Rockies. He led the league in innings in three of the past four years.
51 Jake Mcgee LHP
139 … His Era-plus (adjusted for ballparks, where 100 is average) tied Greg Holland for the Rockies’ second-best mark last season.
52 Chris Rusin LHP
2.65 … The longman’s ERA last season made him perhaps the Rockies’ best pitcher overall and among the best relievers in the NL.
0 Adam Ottavino RHP
5.06 … The former closer’s ERA nearly doubled year-over-year last season due primarily to control issues.
38 Mike Dunn LHP
.212 … Right-handed hitters hit worse off Dunn than lefties (.244) and the Rockies used him equally in those situations. He is not only a lefty specialist.
45 Scott Oberg RHP
101 … He threw a 101 mph fastball in Los Angeles last season during the Rockies’ lateseason four-game sweep of the Dodgers. Need to develop consistency.
54 Carlos Estevez RHP
6-foot-4 … The Rockies’ tallest reliever is no longer growing up after pitching in the bigs parts of the last two seasons. Is expected to be a full-time member of the bullpen.
47 Jairo Diaz RHP
24 … His innings total the past three years was stunted by Tommy John surgery that made him miss all of 2016. Has hit 102 on the radar gun.
60 Zac Rosscup LHP
12.9 … His strikeout-per-nine innings ratio was best on the team, though he pitched in just 7 innings after a trade from the Cubs to Colorado.
Bench
14 Tony Wolters C
83 … Games played last season made him the Rockies’ most regular catcher, in part because of his left-handed bat and .341 OBP.
4 Pat Valaika INF
13 … His home run total last season made the rookie utility man one of the best pinch hitters in the league.
15 Raimel Tapia OF
8 … His stolen base total in 92 career games runs counter to his fleet feet. He is the fastest player on the team, but struggles on the bases.
3 Mike Tauchman OF
.370 … Over a month’s span this spring, he ranked second on the club in at-bats and with an impressive batting average.
24 Ryan Mcmahon 1B-3B
.374 … His batting average over 70 games at Triple-a last season was impressive. But his 14 home runs led Rockies to consider him as a starting first baseman.
26 David Dahl OF
23 … His extra-base hit total after a midseason call-up in 2016 set a scorching path for the rookie. But he missed all of 2017 with a rib injury.
6 Daniel Castro INF
.200 ... His batting average in 2016 with the Atlanta Braves marked a meager offensive output, and he did not play in the majors last year, but the Rockies signed him to a minors deal for his defense.