Strike 2: When the Toronto Blue Jays departed Coors Field recently, the headlines were all about the bludgeoning Bo Bichette and Co. had administered to the Rockies beleaguered pitching staff. Having the home team get outscored 45-6 over three games is after all, very noteworthy.
But there was something else at play in that series next last week that flew sort of under the radar. In the finale of the three game set, which the Jays won 20-1, Grandview High School product Kevin Gausman very quietly took the mound in his hometown and diced up the Rockies lineup. Over seven innings, the righthander gave up just three hits and one run while striking out eight. He got his eighth win and dropped his ERA to 3.85.
The Blue Jays have the best record in the American League, leading the AL East by three games and they look like a sure bet to be playing in October. That means Gausman will be back pitching in the postseason for the sixth time in his career. Drafted by Baltimore in the first round after a stellar stint at LSU, Gausman has now won more than 100 big league games and been voted an All-Star in both leagues.
What hurts, if you’re a fan of the Colorado Rockies, is that Gausman has been a free agent three times, signing with Toronto after the 2021 season after he went 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA for National League west rival San Francisco. He signed for $21 million and this season is making $23 million, which is $5 million less than Colorado is paying Kris Bryant.
Meanwhile, at this season’s MLB trade deadline, Cherry Creek and Air Force product Griffin Jax was traded by the Minnesota Twins to the Tampa Bay Rays, and now finds himself in the American League wild card race. Coming off three straight solid seasons coming out of the Minnesota bullpen, Jax has struggled this season. Nonetheless, he’s a proven quality arm who – like Gausman – grew up pitching at altitude and wouldn’t back down at the sight of the hill at Coors Field.
There are plenty of others. David Peterson, currently with seven wins and a 2.98 ERA for the New York Mets, and the Rogers brothers from Chatfield, Taylor (lefty reliever with the Chicago Cubs) and Tyler (Also with the Mets) are all doing quality work for their respective MLB clubs. Taylor has an ERA of 2.23 and Tyler is at 1.77.
Would any or all of these homegrown hurlers look good in purple pinstripes?
The Rockies have had a few locally grown pitchers in recent seasons. Both lefty relievers Ty Blach (Regis Jesuit) and Lucas Gilbreath (Legacy) have spent time in the Rockies bullpen, with Gilbreath now working his way back from injury in Albuquerque. And of course starter Kyle Freeland (Thomas Jefferson) continues to take the ball every fifth day as he tries to will the Rockies to wins in an attempt to avoid an historically bad finish to the season.
But they could and should have more locals in the lineup.
When it comes to conquering the stigma and the fear of pitching at altitude, there is no substitute for having already done so. Players like Peterson, Gausman and the Rogers brothers have already had tremendous success as young players in Colorado. The playing conditions would be nothing new.
As the Rockies move forward with what feels like an endless rebuilding project, the emphasis must be on finding solid starting pitching. Having a guy like Gausman at the front of the rotation, with Peterson and the Rogers brothers part of a staff would be the kind of thing that could give fans hope when they’re rooting for the home team.
