The reputation surrounding the Colorado Rockies throughout their existence as a franchise has been based on their offense and the ability to put up crooked numbers on a nightly basis.
So far in 2019, the mighty Rockies’ offense has struggled to get going and as a result, they have a sub-.500 record this season. Over the course of their seven-game road trip to start the season, the Rockies hit a measly .194 as a team, striking out 12 or more times in four of the seven games away from home.
The drought at the plate has thrown fans into an uproar with many internally believing the fanbase is overreacting to Colorado’s poor start, including franchise cornerstone Nolan Areando.
“It is frustrating and I get why people get frustrated about it, but we are just as frustrated,” Arenado said. “It’s just a matter of having quality at-bats and we will. It’s just early in the season. Sometimes you go through those struggles.”
Colorado’s hitting woes have stretched to the entire lineup. The Rockies have scored an average of 2.8 runs per game through their first nine games.
One of the reasons the Rockies’ lineup has struggled to catch fire in part is due to pressing during at-bat’s.
“That’s natural at the start of the season for players,” Manager Bud Black said of the team pressing at the plate. “There is a little different feeling in your body when the season starts. If you get hits, it’s great and if you don’t, you pressed. Things have a tendency to smooth out.”
The Rockies have struggled to string hits together, especially with runners in scoring position. Colorado is batting .250 with runners in scoring position and .220 with men on base.
Part of the problem stems from the Rockies’ aggressive nature at the dish.
“We are an aggressive team (and) sometimes we live and die by taking aggressive swings,” Arenado said. “We have to be better with men on base, moving guys over, the little things because that’s how we are going to win ballgames.”
The most frustrating part of the Rockies’ struggles at the dish is that it comes at a time when their pitching staff has done a marginal job, keeping the club in every game they have played thus far. The downfall of the Rockies is their biggest strength on paper: offense.
“Our starting pitching is going to keep us in games,” Arenado said. “They have proven the last few years that they are going to keep us in games. We just have to score runs for them.”
While Colorado’s offense has struggled in all areas this season, where they need to improve most is late in games. The Rockies’ are hitting .183 collectively in the final three innings.
“We have to have those quality at-bats and try to stay away from strikeouts,” Arenado said. “If we have good at-bats late in the game. I think we can really turn the tide.”
Things have not gone according to the plan for the boys on Blake so far throughout the season. Between a sluggish offense and dealing with injuries, the Rockies have looked asleep at the wheel so far this year.
“I think it’s just a matter of getting at-bats and getting back into it,” David Dahl said. “We wanted to start a little better, but we have to string at-bats together, have more quality at-bats throughout the whole lineup.”
The Rockies will continue to remain aggressive in the batter’s box as they try to dig themselves out of their slow start; however, if they continue to struggle past the early portion of the season, it could develop into a long, bitter summer for the club and their fanbase.
The Rockies are not just dying by being aggressive, they are being strolled to the slaughterhouse on nearly a nightly basis so far this season.