The 2023 season has been a very forgetful one for the Colorado Rockies. In the last eight games of the season, the Rockies have lost all eight, tying for their longest losing skid of the season.
In their first eight-game losing streak of 2023, opponents outscored the Rockies 24-64 and went from 5-6 on the year to 5-14, which is comparable to their most recent losing streak. They have been outscored 28-64 to go from a record of 29-40 to 29-48.
The Losing Streak
Only twice in their current losing streak have they scored more than five runs, scoring six on June 18 against the Atlanta Braves in a 6-14 loss and scoring six once again against the Cincinnati Reds in a June 20, 6-8 loss.
What has been a season-long struggle for the Rockies has bitten them during their losing streak. Their lineup has been inconsistent throughout the year, and three notable bats have been noticeably quiet during this eight-game stretch.
Jurickson Profar has gone 3-for-25, Jorge Alfaro 3-for-22, and Brenton Doyle 5-for-23. A combined 11-for-70, a .157 batting average, from a third of the lineup, is never a recipe for success. Especially for a team without a dominant pitching staff.
Alfaro's first long ball in purple! pic.twitter.com/VXG4f4P6SY
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 21, 2023
Seven different pitchers have received a loss over the eight-game stretch. Austin Gomber is the lone pitcher with two losses and Kyle Freeland, Dinelson Lamet, Connor Seabold, Chase Anderson, Noah Davis, and Daniel Bard each have a single loss.
The Rockies’ Present
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Coming out of the losing streak, the team now has just three hitters who are league-average or above with 50 or more games played and only two starters and five relievers above league-average in terms of pitching.
Ryan McMahon (119 OPS+, 74 games), Elias Díaz (107 OPS+, 66 games), and Charlie Blackmon (100 OPS+, 56 games) lead a very underwhelming offense and Kyle Freeland (111 ERA+, 15 starts) and Chase Anderson (106 ERA+, seven starts) are the only positive parts of a bad starting rotation.
The bullpen for the Rockies has been surprisingly good, but they have been able to do little with it. Every game is seemingly out of reach by the time they are ready to come in.
The single glimmer of any hope from this stretch is that all eight games were on the road. Now after an off-day, they start a three-series stretch at home, starting with three against the 41-35 Los Angeles Angels.
The Rockies’ Future
Given the state of the team’s farm system and that the team is not in a position to contend this season, any and all players with value should be looked to get dealt at the deadline for a long-overdue full-scale rebuild in Colorado.
No fan wants to watch the team through a rebuild at the scale the Rockies may want to pursue. However, it is the clearest path for the team to contend anytime soon.
Main photo credits:
Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Jurickson Profar, Jorge Alfaro, Brenton Doyle, Austin Gomber, Kyle Freeland, Dinelson Lamet, Connor Seabold, Chase Anderson, Noah Davis, Daniel Bard, Ryan McMahon, Elias Diaz, Charlie Blackmon
