An Even Start

 

The way the schedule works now, with every team playing each other and less weight put on divisional matchups, there's far less that feels deliberate about matchups at certain points, but I found it fascinating that the Rockies and Rays got to play each other in the first series of the year. Two teams that did the least of anybody in their division, with huge battles towards the top of each. The way things are being projected, both of these guys are predicted to finish in last place. And here they are, playing each other to begin the season. Get a firm grip early on, cause you may lose it soon after.

Have we learned much about either team? Nothing foundational. I mean, personally, I learned that Rays home games do look a little more majestic without the ugly dome lighting of the Trop. Getting them in an open air stadium with stands that fans can reasonably fill does wonders for them, it actually feels like a normal MLB experience. I do think some of the jabs at this clearly being a Yankee park are funny, like the retired numbers outside the stadium being for clearly not Rays [wow, they retired B.J. Upton's #2??], but the Rays do feel at home there. It's still Tampa. It's still nice a lot of the time. 

The Rays themselves came off well during the opening season. Junior Caminero finally feels MLB-ready, with 5 hits in 10 at-ats. Kameron Misner looks to factor in well, hitting a walk-off home run in Game 1. Pepiot, Littell and Bradley can all hold down opposing teams and stay sharp, which is a nice feeling in a Rays year without McClanahan, Springs or Glasnow. Three guys that can go 6 and not worry people. Last couple years the rotation's been an issue, seems fine so far. Even with Lowe ailing and Kim and Lowe out, you're seeing definite answers in multiple positions. Danny Jansen works as an everyday catcher. Jonathan Aranda could be an answer at a corner spot. Jonny DeLuca's certainly stealing enough bases to qualify for an everyday job. 

Logically, a team that is simply 'efficient' and 'good' isn't going to do much when compared to the top 3 teams in the division, but the Rays could still surprise people and be ahead of where they were last year.

As for the Rockies...there are answers, but they may not be the ones the Rockies are looking for. Their sole win thus far, they started Antonio Senzatela, who's been out for a year or so. Senza went four and a third, gave up 9 hits, but no runs. Struck out no one. Senza, if his first start is to be believed, is now a conservative, keep-it-in-the-infield type pitcher, who's aided by the team's defense [Tovar, McMahon, Farmer and Doyle help this] but can't really show off as much. Kyle Freeland, meanwhile, can still strike people out and keep runs down but gets let down by the bullpen, even away from home. 

Zac Veen, Adael Amador and Drew Romo, the three biggest foundational position players, did not make the team out of camp. In a surprise move, the Rockies went with Hunter Goodman as starting catcher, a position I literally had no idea he even played. I was thinking Stallings would start, but they apparently have faith in Goodman, and so far he has 4 hits and an RBI. Amador's position is currently being filled by Kyle Farmer, who's actually been responsible for 2 RBIs thus far. And Veen's RF is being filled by Nick Martini, who miraculously has 4 hits and an RBI. So this ploy to control service time worked out for the Rockies after all, just...not really in the wins column. 

The Rox do have Ezequiel Tovar, Ryan McMahon and Brenton Doyle to anchor the lineup, but Doyle is the one who 2025 could make or break. McMahon is a veteran standout, Tovar's for real, and Doyle's coming off a great season. So was Nolan Jones, and now he's back in Cleveland. Doyle so far only has a couple hits and hasn't been responsible for much, but it's early. Something could happen. 

Also, the team's only home run so far has come from Mickey Moniak, who was a late roster addition. Yes, they're on the road, but they have Michael Toglia and Kris Bryant. Oh, by the way, Bryant's yet to get a hit. Thrilling.

Both of these teams have a lot to prove, and at the moment one seems more determined to prove it than the other. But it's a long season, and a lot could happen. 

Coming Tonight: He's big, strong, and hits home runs. And that seems to be enough for some fans around here.

Denverboten

 

I just talked about the White Sox stockpiling former Houston catchers [they have three], and I think it's wild looking at how many 'bad' teams have managed to recreate a catching battery from a past 'better' team. For instance, the 2024 Colorado Rockies have managed to reunite Elias Diaz and Jacob Stallings, who were a catching battery for a few years in Pittsburgh. Diaz left for Colorado because he lost a starting gig to Stallings, and now Stallings is backing up Diaz, which is poetic justice if you ask me.

Which is to say that the Rockies aren't very good this year. They signed Kris Bryant to be the hero and are now trying to unite behind Ryan McMahon. That's not the same thing.

Look, I don't even know what to tell you. Marquez and Senzatela are injured, Bard's out for the year, and Freeland's cooked. The rest of this pitching staff is just sort of getting by, and that is not what you want in a stadium where balls fly out more than usual. The hopes of this team are resting on the shoulders of Dakota Hudson and Austin Gomber, two people who couldn't be trusted in St. Louis, and Ryan Feltner, a guy who seems to need a full season like he needs a hole in the head [and he very nearly got one of those last year]. And unsurprisingly...it's not going well. 

This Rockies team is a lot better when the pitching staff is sturdier and healthier, and it's decidedly not that this year. So that's already stacked against them. Then you have to factor in that the other 4 teams are much better, even the Giants, who are struggling recently. And then you have the fact that despite the fact that a lot of these guys are actually playing well, like Blackmon, McMahon, Diaz, Tovar and somehow Jake Cave, the guys who you want to start playing well to fuel the next stage of the team are...taking their time. Elehuris Montero hasn't really had his breakout moment yet. Nolan Jones is hitting .200, not quite disputing theories that his 2023 season was his peak. Brenton Doyle is producing a lot but not terrific defensively, which is not something you want for such a young, foundational guy.

There is a chance that things go from 'unbearable' to 'acceptable' with this team, but it probably won't happen in any way that truly challenges the rest of the division. The season for the Rockies is no longer about trying to compete, it's really about making enough progress to not lose 100 games and carry something over to 2025. And with this many contracts, it would be nice to have a palpable vision of a future for a team this dire.

Coming Tonight: A lower-tier young player who's proof that if you want to build a competitor, every step counts. 

The Search for Rockies Who Are Not Hurt

 

I don't know how the Rockies did it, but they wound up with a majority of their pitchers on the IL at once. Antonio Senzatela, German Marquez, Noah Davis, Dinelson Lamet and even rookie Ryan Rolison. Then, Ryan Feltner went on the IL with a nasty comebacker injury. That is...a good chunk of a rotation, and right now only Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber remain from the opening day rotation. Freeland is doing well, Gomber...is not.

Having all that open space for starters means that some wild stuff is happening in Denver. Like...Chase Anderson's starting games. And he's actually doing alright with it so far. Connor Seabold's starting more than he did in Boston, and he's...doing as well as you'd expect. Last night they brought up Karl Kauffmann to start against Texas and that didn't go particularly well either. Playing the Rockies right now is like Russian roulette, like you will likely get one of the bad starters but there is a chance you could get Kyle Freeland.

As I wrote about a few weeks ago, this bullpen is still very good, and new Peter Lambert has joined as a long-man, which is a nice touch. Fernando Abad is also getting reps with this team, which...it's so weird that someone like Fernando Abad lasted til 2023, this current era of relief. But yeah, mostly it's Jake Bird, Justin Lawrence, Brent Suter and Brad Hand staying hot, even without Gilbreath and Kinley, so I still have to commend that aspect.

The injuries have also carried over to the lineup, aside from the obvious absence of Brendan Rodgers, whose specter sort of haunts this team. I never thought somebody like Brendan Rodgers would be missed this much, but then who else is the centerpiece? Not McMahon this year. Not Bryant, with this mediocrity. Cron's hurt. There's really no central lineup piece to guide this team forward, and I think they still expect it to be the 36-year-old Charlie Blackmon, which...isn't ideal. I'd love it if Kris Bryant started playing multi-dimensionally, but I'm not sure if that's asking too much of him.

The Rockies are banged-up, scattered and a bit lost. I hope they find some answers as they go, but I'm not exactly sure how long that'll take.

Coming Tonight: He beat Kimbrel to 400, and I think he deserves to be commended for it.