The Colorado Rockies have opened the 2017 season as hot as just about any team in baseball. With a record of 16-10, the Rockies sit atop the National League West after one month of play.
In the offseason, the Rockies added manager Bud Black, first basemen Ian Desmond, and relief pitchers Mike Dunn and Greg Holland. So far, the Rockies additions have put them in solid standing out of the gate in 2017 despite injuries to Desmond and Dunn during the season’s first month.
As it stands, the Rockies’ offense and defense rank among the NL’s best. Collectively, the Rockies sit top-five in runs, hits and home runs in the NL, per usual. They rank sixth in fielding percentage and would rank higher were it not for a two-game stretch against Washington that produced five of their 13 errors.
The offense got off to a slow start, but what’s been most surprising this year has been the pitching. With an average age of 24.8 on Opening Day, the Rockies owned the NL’s youngest pitching staff. With the loss of Jon Gray, the NL’s youngest got even younger in April; however, so far both Colorado’s starting rotation and bullpen have held their own. As a whole, the Rockies staff ranked among the top of the NL rankings in wins and innings pitched, boasting durability and production for the developing staff.
While April was certainly impressive, the outlook for the team’s future this season should have people excited. As it stands, the Rockies sit six games above .500. That said, they have missed key pieces Jon Gray and Ian Desmond for much of the early part of the season. Now though, the Rockies are coming around collectively. As a unit, Colorado is starting to fire on all cylinders which have them in a good standing moving forward this season.
Colorado may be off to a good start out of the gate in 2017, but consistency is key in the big leagues. If the Rockies want to sustain this level of play, they will need the offense and the starters to continue handing the bullpen a lead and limiting its workload. The month of April was certainly a huge success in a season suddenly full of expectations for Colorado.
Maintaining those expectations in May will be no small order as they open with a pair of series against division rivals San Diego and Arizona before hosting the World Champion Chicago Cubs. A visit from Los Angeles doesn’t make things any easier to follow.
After an off day Monday, they turn the page to May on Tuesday in San Diego hoping for an equally strong second month of the season.