The year 2014 was a pretty standard season by the Colorado Rockies recent standards. For those who haven’t been paying attention, that’s not a good thing. A disappointing 66 wins. Fewer than 600 combined at bats from their star-studded duo of Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. But perhaps most predictable from this team, a National League leading 755 runs scored, while still finishing with a -63 run differential. The Rockies by nearly all measures are not your average MLB team.
Even their stadium, Coors Field, is by no means your prototypical MLB ballpark. I’m not even talking about its well-documented altitude of roughly 5,200 feet. How about the fact that when this stadium was being constructed they found dinosaur fossils reminiscent of a Jurassic Park scene, leading this charming triceratops to become the team’s mascot. One could even point out their bullpen, which wouldn’t surprise anyone if a black bear was living in there. Or perhaps the team’s inexplicable finish to the 2007 season leading to the franchise’s only World Series appearance (before eventually being swept) is evidence enough of this team’s bizarre history.
Despite this team’s interesting, albeit short history, the Rockies last five seasons have been mediocre at best. And coming off one of their worst seasons in team history, it would seem time for a major overhaul at all levels of the franchise. But that doesn’t seem to be the direction ownership and management are pursuing. Instead of trading oft-injured stars Tulowitzki and Gonzalez, the team is sticking to their guns and appear to be looking to compete this season rather than re-tool. Should baseball fans be surprised by this decision? Probably not considering what we’ve seen from the Rockies over the past couple decades.
So what exactly should baseball fans expect from the 2015 Colorado Rockies? It’s hard to tell. Coming off a 66 win season would suggest the Rockies are likely to finish similarly low in the standings. While that is probably the most likely scenario for the 2015 Rockies, there is still some hope for their upcoming campaign. Healthy seasons from Tulowitzki and Gonzalez would be a nice place to start. In other words, don’t hold your breathe on this one.
Dissecting the Rockies roster, a couple things will immediately jump out. This team has one helluva lineup for a 66-96 team. It could be argued in fact, as Buster Olney recently did, that the Colorado Rockies have the best infield in all of baseball (when healthy). With the likes of Tulowitzki, Nolan Arenado, Justin Morneau, Wilin Rosario, D.J. LeMahieu, and Daniel Descalso, the Rockies have a talented group of players around the diamond. The outfield is also a gifted group with Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, Corey Dickerson, and Drew Stubbs patrolling.
Aside from a talented lineup, this team lacks in every other department: starting pitching, bullpen, and defense. Nolan Arenado had another fantastic season at the hot corner, winning a second consecutive gold glove. But the team collectively was awful on defense sporting a .984 fielding percentage, good for 9th in the NL. Combine that with a lowly Total Zone Fielding Runs Above Average (Rtot) of 1, and this team struggled defensively in 2014.
It’s one thing to have a poor defense, but when your pitching is even worse, that’s a recipe for disaster. It’s no secret that the Rockies lack pitching, and for the most part always have, but allowing a league high 818 runs (41 more than any other team) is a combination of the two. To understand how much a role the team’s poor pitching played in it, take a peak at their ERA+ of 88, tied for 2nd worst in baseball. Or perhaps even more telling, their FIP (fielding independent pitching) of 4.43, the worst in all of baseball. If there is one thing fans can count on from the Rockies in 2015, it will be another lackluster team pitching performance.
With such a lopsided roster, and a team that has been spinning its wheels for the past five years, the Rockies should consider a makeover. Sure they’ve got plenty of talent to suggest a bounce back season is possible, but overall the team has too many holes to compete in what could be a talented NL West. While it is in some ways admirable of the team to stick with their two franchise players in Tulowitzki and Gonzalez, they’d be better off selling the two for prospects to build alongside their younger core of Rosario, Arenado, Dickerson, Blackmon, and LaMehieu. Such stubbornness from the Rockies front office to ship that duo out of town has been a bit head-scratching for fans. It’s time to end the mediocrity in Denver.
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