At the same time that the best pitcher in Colorado Rockies history begins to regress, a new ace may developing before our eyes.
After a rough few outings, Jorge De La Rosa was removed from the Rockies starting lineup in May and banished to the bullpen. The change seems to have been the right choice for both the Rockies and De La Rosa, who has now worked his way back into the starting rotation.
Since being handed the reliever duties, De La Rosa has shown glimpses of his old self. According to MLB.com, De La Rosa’s last four outings have been spectacular. Going back to his last appearance in May and his three in June, De La Rosa has only allowed one run in the 13 innings he’s pitched. He also boasts a .82 ERA in June.
As De La Rosa continues to find his niche, a new pitcher is stepping up in the wake of De La Rosa’s inconsistency.
Jon Gray, in his first full season in a Rockies uniform, is showing signs that he might be the ace the Rockies have been desperately looking for.
On Saturday, former Rockies pitcher Jason Hirsh joined Sports Stampede with Michael Klahr on Mile High Sports Radio 1340 AM | 104.7 FM to discuss the Rockies lineup. 
Gray’s 4-3 record gives only a glimpse of how well Gray has pitched so far in 2016. After an April in which Gray’s ERA ballooned up to 11.42, it has since settled back down to 4.55.
Tyler Chatwood is another Rockies pitcher who has been lights out in 2016. He boasts a 8-4 record and a 3.15 ERA. Unfortunately for Chatwood, a back injury has sent him to the 15-day disabled list.
For the first time in a long time, it seems as if the Rockies may have more pitchers than they know what to do with.
“There is a glut in the pitching right now with the Rockies,” Hirsh said. “They’re going to have to make some decisions on these guys like Chris Rusin and Christian Bergman, who’s coming back from injury pretty soon.”
As a rotation begins to develop, the Rockies will need their pitchers to stay competitive if they want to remain in contention.
To hear more Rockies talk, listen to the podcast below …
https://soundcloud.com/milehighsports/6-18-16-jason-hirsh-tells-michael-that-jon-gray-is-a-true-ace-in-the-making
Catch Sports Stampede with Michael Klahr every Saturday from 8a-10a on Mile High Sports Radio AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.