For the Colorado Rockies, as well as everyone else in MLB, pitchers and catchers are about to report. So what better time to have a report on the pitchers and catchers?
There has been a ton of turnover in the front office and on the coaching staff. Not as much on the roster. But there are some new additions to discuss and potentially more to arrive as spring carries on.
Let’s also leave those bullpen weirdos for another time. There’s bound to be a ton of competition out there over the next month so we will focus on the rotation here.
Speaking of which…
Kyle Freeland
You know him. You probably love him. Denver’s own Kyle Freeland will return for his ninth season in purple pinstripes. He will turn 33 in May.
Over 1,260.1 IP in his career, Freeland has posted a 4.54 ERA and a total of 19.2 bWAR. In 2025, he passed Ubaldo Jimenez (18.9) with the most WAR for any pitcher in Rockies history. His worst season to date was 2024, in which he posted 0 WAR, bouncing back up to 1.4 in 2025.
Freeland is most likely to get the nod on Opening Day and will serve as the most important leader on the pitching side. Every time he takes the mound, he has an opportunity to cement himself as the greatest Rockies pitcher of all time. So that’s fun.
Michael Lorenzen
The only guy with the resume to challenge Freeland’s is newcomer Michael Lorenzen. Spending the first chunk of his career with the Cincinnati Reds and as a reliever, Lorenzen has since bounced around the league a bit while also proving to be a steady starter.
He wasn’t especially impressive for Kansas City a year ago, posting a modest bWAR of 0.4 but managed 2.7 in 2024. Having turned 34 in January and with 11 seasons under his belt, he too should play a leadership role despite being new to the clubhouse.
While Lorenzen doesn’t boast “ace” status, he should serve as a dramatic upgrade over who the Rockies were putting on the mound every five days a year ago. It will also be fascinating to see if the club makes use of his plus athleticism. He used to be a two-way player, y’know?
Chase Dollander
After the two old men comes the young buck. Let’s be clear, this spot is Dollander’s to earn but there is also just no clear competition to take it from him right now.
Rather than spending 2025 in Triple-A, which would have been normal, Dollander was rushed to the bigs and showcased all the good and bad in his game. The stuff is truly electric and could, at times, make even the most seasoned of hitters look like amateurs. The velocity on the fastball and spin on his breaking stuff are what dreams are made of. But his location, so far, is where nightmares come from. You could say it’s been a mixed bag.
Dollander learned the hard way his rookie season that MLB hitters can punish even great stuff when left in the middle of the zone. He would surrender 18 home runs on the year as part of a 6.52 ERA, striking out 82, walking 49.
If you were looking for them, it was easy to see the glimpses of hope but the results simply were not there. Can he take a big step forward given that experience and now at the ripe age of 24? We will all find out together but there is nobody in the system with as much potential on the mound as this former first-rounder.
Ryan Feltner
The forgotten man. Hard-throwing righty Ryan Feltner has been hampered by injuries in his young career. He’s pitched over 100 innings only once (2024) and hasn’t exactly blown down the doors when he has been healthy. Though, the potential is also clearly there. And a lot of it.
His best campaign thus far was in 2024 when he tossed 162.1 innings with a 105 ERA+ and 138 strikeouts to just 52 walks. It’s a live arm.
At 28 years old his resume says you can’t count on him but does suggest that a healthy improvement could help stabilize the rotation.
Jimmy Herget
Somewhat quietly this offseason, the Rockies announced they were going to try reliever Jimmy Herget in the rotation.
On the surface, it’s easy to see why. He was easily the club’s best pitcher a year ago and was often tasked with multiple innings out of the ‘pen, throwing 83.1 with a 2.48 ERA. The 32-year-old sidewinder showed remarkable affinity toward Coors Field. He kept the walks incredibly low (26) while missing a ton of bats.
The big question for Herget will be how well he can transition. Is he going to be able to throw five or six innings? Will he be limited to three or four innings and serve more as a kind of “opener” or throwback to the piggyback system? This will be something to watch in Spring Training as a quality version of Herget as a starter could be a boon for this team in desperate need of better pitching.
The Prospects
Battling it out for the final spot in the rotation over the next few weeks will be a parade of intriguing young arms, all seeking to prove themselves.
Tanner Gordon, McCade Brown, and Carson Palmquist all have big league experience but have yet to show that they belong at that level. First round draft pick Gabriel Hughes is also right on the cusp and could win the job with a strong spring.
Lefty location specialist Sean Sullivan is not yet on the 40-man roster and has not yet pitched at Triple-A but don’t be surprised if skyrockets with a strong March.
The Rotation
It’s not the most intimidating group of names. But there should be some steadiness at the top with veterans Freeland and Lorenzen and plenty of good competition at the bottom with the young guys. There is a ton of pressure on Dollander to emerge as the best among them, because it’s not clear who else has that potential. But there is also more flexibility than there has been in years past, especially if Hughes and Sullivan are finally ready to jump into the mix.Check back later this week as we look in on the Rockies catcher situation.