Strike 3: There are zero expectations, and therefore no real pressure on the Colorado Rockies as spring training kicks into gear. Coming off the franchise’s very first 100-plus loss season has removed the last “I hope they don’t…” from the equation. There’s nowhere to go but up.
No, this isn’t going to be a playoff team by any stretch. They’re likely to still finish last in the National League West, about a zillion games behind the best team money can buy, the Los Angeles Dodgers. National League West rivals San Francisco and defending NL Champion Arizona will remain formidable too. San Diego may regress a bit, given their financial hurdles and roster trimming. But they still have more proven weapons than the Rockies do, especially on the mound.
Down at 20th and Blake, unproven is a fair description for this group of young Rox, but there’s a touch more certainty in terms of the everyday lineup than there was a year ago at this point. They return a Gold Glove winner in second-year center fielder Brendon Doyle, so that position isn’t in flux as it was last year at this time. They return budding All-Stars in shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and outfielder Nolan Jones, who will also be entrenched in the everyday lineup.
Add veterans Brendan Rodgers and Ryan McMahon and you have a very solid defensive infield.
Oft-injured former MVP Kris Bryant is slated to take over from a crowded field at first base, and will also share DH duties with Charlie Blackmon, presuming he stays healthy. (A big presumption.)
So you see? Less uncertainties.
That doesn’t mean a lot more wins just yet, but it can’t hurt.
While defense will be a strength (Colorado could field one of the best defensive units in all of MLB) the offense and the pitching are still big time question marks. But once again, it can only get better from a season ago.
The Rockies have three solid and experienced starting pitchers, including newcomer Cal Quantrill, who will team with southpaws Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber. After that, it’s a coin flip. The bullpen should be okay, provided manager Bud Black doesn’t have to use his relievers for four or five innings every single night and they don’t collapse from exhaustion in mid July. (Don’t bet on that just yet, either.)
And really, it’s fair to expect marked improvement from the offense, with Jones in the lineup for a full season and Bryant (fingers crossed) healthy and ready to contribute. They won’t be the Blake Street Bombers by any means, but if they can get back to the standard set by most middling Rockies teams, they could lead the NL in team batting average again and provide some excitement for the loyalists who keep filling up Coors Field.
In short, a team that’s likely to lose somewhere around 90 games could and should be easier to watch – presuming you can figure out how to do so on your streaming device of choice.
Again, it’s all about expectations. If you go in with very low, if any, expectations for the upcoming season, no one should be disappointed, right?
