[MMastro92]

2014 Colorado Rockies Season Preview

Opening Day Roster


Position Players
Starters BA/OBP/SLG HR RBI
C - Wilin Rosario RHB .292/.315/.486 21 79
1B - Justin Morneau LHB .259/.323/.411 17 77
2B - DJ LeMahieu RHB .280/.311/.361 2 28
3B - Nolan Arenado RHB .267/.301/.405 10 52
SS - Troy Tulowitzki RHB .312/.391/.540 25 82
LF - Carlos Gonzalez LHB .302/.367.591 26 70
CF - Corey Dickerson LHB .263/.316/.459 5 17
RF - Michael Cuddyer RHB .331/.389/.530 20 84

Bench BA/OBP/SLG HR RBI
C - Jordan Pacheco RHB .239/.276/.312 1 22
INF - Charlie Culberson RHB .293/.317/.404 2 12
INF - Josh Rutledge RHB .235/.294/.337 7 19
OF - Charlie Blackmon LHB .309/.336/.467 6 22
OF - Drew Stubbs RHB .233/.305/.360 2 10

Pitching Staff
Rotation W-L ERA WHIP
Jorge De La Rosa LHP 16-6 3.49 1.38
Tyler Chatwood RHP 8-5 3.15 1.42
Juan Nicasio RHP 9-9 5.14 1.47
Jordan Lyles RHP 7-9 5.59 1.51
Brett Anderson LHP 1-4 6.04 1.61
Jhoulys Chacin RHP* 14-10 3.47 1.26
*starting season on disabled list

Bullpen W-L ERA WHIP
Chad Bettis RHP 1-3 5.64 1.68
Franklin Morales LHP 2-2 4.62 1.54
LaTroy Hawkins RHP 3-2 2.93 1.15
Wilton Lopez RHP 3-4 4.06 1.41
Adam Ottavino RHP 1-3 2.64 1.33
Rex Brothers LHP 2-1 1.74 1.29
Matt Belisle RHP 5-7 4.32 1.25

Expectations from Roster
Offensively, this Rockies team is led by Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and reigning NL Hitting Champion Michael Cuddyer. Tulowitzki, Cuddyer and Gonzalez were all OPS juggernauts last year, compiling OPS numbers of .931, .919 and .958 respectively. These three will likely make up the meat of the order, and the possibility of a winning season for the Rockies is directly correlated to the success of the above three. Additionally, look for youngsters Nolan Arenado and Corey Dickerson to make a significant contribution as both embark on their second Major League campaign. Arenado hit .267 last year with an OPS of .706 in 133 games. Dickerson on the other hand only played in 69 games last season, registering an OPS of .775 and a wOBA of .330.

While hitting may be a strength for the Rockies, pitching, specifically the rotation, may be a problem area. The rotation will be anchored by Jorge De La Rosa and Jhoulys Chacin, both of whom posted solid numbers last year. Chacin will be on the DL for the first week or two of the season. After these two, the Rockies will look for a strong third campaign from young Tyler Chatwood who followed up a weak 2012 campaign with a strong 2013 campaign. In order to be a playoff team, Chatwood will need to be a major contributor. The rotation is filled out by Jordan Lyles and Brett Anderson, both of whom are hoping to bounce back from dismal 2013 seasons. The bullpen however, is much stronger than the rotation. It will be led by returning arms Rex Brothers and Adam Ottavino, as well as the calming veteran influence of LaTroy Hawkins.

Overall, owner expectations for this team is to post a winning record, while my own expectations is for this team to win around 85 games.

Prospect Update
The Colorado Rockies enter the 2014 season with the 24th ranked Minor League system. Only two prospects, pitchers Eddie Butler (32) and Jonathan Gray (89) find themselves in the top 100 prospects in Major League Baseball. 23 year old Butler posted a 2.07 ERA with 118 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.06 in 122 innings last year splitting time between A and AA-ball. The 22 year old Gray pitched 37.1 innings last year in between rookie and A-ball, finishing with a 1.93 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and 51 strikeouts to only 8 walks.

The Rockies however also have a solid crop of position player prospects, led by 19 year old outfielder David Dahl. Dahl only played in 10 games last season, but in his 2 year career in the minors he has hit .366 with a 1.01 OPS. Dahl is joined by Ryan Casteel and Rosell Herrera as the teams top position player prospects. Casteel hit .270 last year in 108 games at the A-ball level, also driving in 76 runs and hitting 22 home runs. Herrera tore up A-ball last year, hitting .343, with a .933 ops, and a .399 wOBA in 126 games.

Overall, the system is a lot better than it is given credit for. All of the above five prospects can eventually blossom into first-team players with hard work and dedication. In addition to above, infielders Trevor Story, Ryan McMahon and Christhian Adames will be interesting prospects to follow as the season progresses.