Strike 3: The Colorado Rockies won’t lose 100 games this season.
They may continue to lose fans and followers, including the radio sports talkers who are loath to even mention them, and they may continue to lose credibility with the fan base that’s sick and tired of all the losing. But on the field, they will continue to improve and by the end of the season, they will look a good deal better than they do right now.
Yes, that’s not saying too much considering the height of the bar at the moment. But it is something.
We aren’t talking playoffs of course. We aren’t even talking about “meaningful games in September.” Not in 2024. The guys in purple pinstripes will finish somewhere around 25 games under .500 and well out of the national conversation by the time September arrives. We will once again be watching the Dodgers, Braves, Phillies and the rest of the regulars battle for the National League pennant.
The Rockies organization will have to settle for another high draft pick in 2025 as the endless rebuild continues.
So why won’t this bunch that has stumbled through the first two months – a shocking seven-game winning streak notwithstanding – lose more than 100 games for the second straight season? Two reasons, really.
First, the overabundance of young – and hungry – players that make up most of the 40-man roster. They’re all eager to play and prove themselves. As they get more comfortable in the big leagues and build some confidence in what they can do, their performances will improve. As other middling teams start trading away players – like the Rockies did last year – the competition will get a little easier, too.
What happened to Colorado last season was due in large part to being overloaded with middling veterans who clearly weren’t going to be part of the future and had no place being part of a rebuild. C.J. Cron, Jurickson Profar, Randall Grichuk, Mike Moustakus. Guys like these – most of whom brought something back in return after being traded away at some point in the lost season – don’t help the clubhouse atmosphere or do much for the box score. They’ve already earned a lot of money and would prefer to be plying their trade somewhere else, with an outfit that could perhaps be participating in those aforementioned “meaningful games.”
You don’t have to be a vocal “unhappy camper” to have a less than positive influence in the clubhouse and around young players. Unhappy is unhappy.
The second reason is reinforcements. Pitchers German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela, along with Kyle Freeland and Lucas Gilbreath could all be back at some point and should help make a suspect pitching staff at least get back to being middling. And if your team is mediocre, you’re probably not going to lose at a .667 clip.
So there’s all that to consider. Expect the Rockies to be improved by the time football training camp gets going, even if you won’t be hearing anything about it.
