During Spring Training and before Opening Day, there was still hope that the 2023 season would have things to cheer for. Whether it was veterans stepping up to get a win total improvement or the young players making a major league impact, there was hope.
At the time, MLB.com released their top three Colorado Rockies preseason storylines to look for during the regular season, with each of the three playing out differently. At the All-Star break, where are the Rockies’ preseason storylines now?
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How the Rockies Preseason Storylines Have Played Out So Far
Preseason Storyline 1: Kris Bryant’s Do-Over
Bryant had missed much of the 2022 season with several injuries, partially leading to the dreadful record that the team put up. His signing the offseason prior signaled that the front office still believed that they were in a position to win and compete in the NL West, but that did not happen.
While he was good when healthy, he only played 42 games all season, leading to him being the major storyline entering the season while being looked poised for a strong bounce back.
Through 58 games this season, it is not looking great. Not only has he missed a good chunk of time, but he is also slashing .261/.339/.374 with 13 extra-base hits (six HR), 19 RBI, and 23 walks to 42 strikeouts for a .713 OPS. He is just one of many bats struggling, but his 85 OPS+ has had a sizable impact on the 34-57 record the team currently has.
A second-half resurgence is not completely out of the question, but it is far less likely to occur given the 31-year-olds recent injury history and rough production despite being in a hitter-friendly ballpark. Bryant has even been slightly better on the road, sporting a .718 OPS on the road and a .707 OPS at home.
Preseason Storyline 2: Is Ezequiel Tovar the Real Deal?
The short answer? No. The question made sense, though, as Tovar looked to be the next cornerstone shortstop for the Rockies after Troy Tulowitski and Trevor Story. The team’s top prospect and top 25 prospect in the entire league, there was a lot to love about his potential.
In the first half of the 2023 season, it has not been that pretty. While prospects around the league, such as Corbin Carroll, Josh Jung, Elly De La Cruz, and more, have had a significant impact, Tovar has yet to have the same luck.
Playing 84 games, he is slashing .260/.296/.428 with 31 extra-base hits (nine HR), 44 RBI, four steals, and 85 strikeouts to 13 walks, good for a .724 OPS and 85 OPS+. Defensively, on the other hand, he has been great, which is why he is worth 1.6 WAR on the year.
But overall, his bat has been such a letdown to begin his career. He has failed to control the strike zone and when he does make contact, it usually is not hit necessarily hard. His gap power and home run swing are due nearly entirely to his home ballpark.
At Coors, he boasts a .812 OPS, while on the road, he has a .633 OPS. If he played a majority of his games at a different ballpark, his stats would look much worse.
For his percentile rankings, he sits in the fourth percentile in walk rate, seventh percentile in chase rate, 21st in strikeout rate, 25th in whiff rate, and 28th in hard-hit rate. While his bat could be better, the defense plays at the big league level at a premium position, but overall, Tovar has been underwhelming.
Watchable sports are getting really thin this time of year (especially if you’re a ‘fan’ of the Colorado Rockies), so here’s Sasquatch playing a saxophone. pic.twitter.com/BCgTtWpd4j
— SoonerKeith (@SoonerKeith1) July 1, 2023
Preseason Storyline 3: It’s Still About the Starting Pitching — the Main Guys and the Depth.
There have been few things great, from the top dogs coming in or the back of the rotation. Nine pitchers have made at least one start for the Rockies, with the lowest ERA being 4.72 from Kyle Freeland. Six of those nine pitchers have an ERA above 6.00 and three have an ERA above 9.00.
Germán Márquez only pitched 20 innings before going down for the rest of the season with Tommy John surgery. After being hit earlier this season by a comebacker, Ryan Feltner may not return to the mound. Two major rotation arms down with injuries, with other minor injuries causing impacts as well.
With the only healthy starter with an above-league average ERA+ being Freeland at 106, the pitching has certainly been bad. However, the bats have also been very bad in the first half of 2023, meaning the terrible record the Rockies have, comes with a mixed bag of blame to go around.
Main photo credits:
Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Kris Bryant, Ezequiel Tovar, Trevor Story, Corbin Carroll, Josh Jung, Elly De La Cruz, Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, Ryan Feltner
