Germanated

 

So much for 'we got Kris Bryant so we're gonna compete'.

The Rockies this year were always gonna struggle for 3rd or 4th, but for them to be a 5th place team, cornered by a much younger Diamondbacks team, even WITH Kris Bryant and a re-upped C.J. Cron, has gotta suck. Cause they were putting the work in, they've got people locked up and ready to fight for them, and now without Trevor Story and Jon Gray they've sunk even further.

I just think about German Marquez, who was their reliable ace going into this season, and who always seemed to outdo even the most formidable of Coors Field currents. And how even he's been struggling, has an ERA over 5 and is 8-10. This is the guy that's supposed to hold things down, and in his age-27 season he produces his worst numbers to date. Marquez is locked up for one more year, and I'm assuming he'll put on a tour de force to either boost his free agency case or pitch in a stadium that doesn't bog down his ERA, but this season is very worrying. Marquez used to be this rotation's rock, and now someone like Kyle Freeland, who's good but still a bit unreliable at times, has to take over.

You're also seeing Charlie Blackmon slowly phase himself out in what will possibly be his last season in Denver, and make way for younger pieces like Michael Toglia, who's a lineup piece that could infuriate NL West teams for years to come, and Elehuris Montero, who's just putting some nice contact numbers together himself. Plus, this team has a 35+ year old closer who is one of the most efficient in baseball, and they've got him for two more years. On one hand, this could be a recipe for disaster, as Bard is gonna start pitching his age eventually, but on the other hand, it's security a lot of teams don't have.

I think if Brendan Rodgers, Ryan McMahon and Michael Toglia perhaps stay good, this could be the beginnings of a nice core if the Rockies ever decide to compete again. Only thing is the Dodgers are gonna be good for a while, and the Padres have some stars locked up for a while. Not to mention the D-Backs are still building something great. I'm kinda intrigued to see what their 2023 statement is gonna be.

Coming Tomorrow- A very divisive third baseman for a team that just won't fade into the sunset.

Throwing Rox

 As you might expect, the first Rockies season without Nolan Arenado isn't going too well.

It's already sort of designated that the Rockies would be one of the teams that wouldn't do too well, seeing as the Dodgers and Padres are expected to compete and the Giants are expected to end in third. So really, with the stakes this low, the Rockies have to focus on doing as many little things as possible to keep the season from being a total failure. Which is a decent outlook on things.

And right now, there are some decent performances brewing for the Rockies. I mean, most prevalently there's Ryan McMahon, whose bat has come alive in a HUGE way recently, hitting .324 with 5 homers and 9 RBIs in the first 10 games of the season. McMahon has been playing small ball ever since his call-up in 2018, so to see him really find his place in this lineup is a nice sign. 

Additionally the rotation is in good shape at the moment, with Jon Gray, German Marquez and Austin Gomber pulling decent numbers in their initial starts. Gray seems to have gotten off to the best start of anyone, and is hopefully looking at his best year yet, while Marquez is doing his usual stuff with a higher ERA. Daniel Bard is also doing really well in the ninth, which is a nice continuation of his comeback story from last year. 

The rest of the team isn't...that worthy of merit, sadly. Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon are just doing okay so far. The bullpen is struggling in big situations. Dom Nunez has 3 homers in his first season as the starting catcher, but can't hit for average. Chris Owings was off to a phenomenal start then immediately got injured. A lot of this team still feels prototypical and like an in-between roster, and the Rockies are gonna have to come to terms with the fact that this team has reached that point.

I'm not expecting a 100-loss season, thanks to the good things we are looking at here, but I don't see much coming from this team, sadly.

Coming Tonight- Speaking of 100-loss teams, a pitcher for one [from 2019] looking to help turn the corner. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Rockies

 

Merry Christmas! This may not be the holiday season any of us asked for, but it still is what it is. The minimized state of Christmas this year means I can get away with posting this on the 25th and not fear a supreme lack of views. It's like Thanksgiving, everybody's home, everybody's together in some way, and there's more time to relax, I presume [I write these in advance].

Anyway. 2020 Rockies. Uh...perhaps the most middle of the road a team could be this year. Under .500, but not in a way that still garners playoff time. A few good seasons, but not enough to merit much attention. Another step backward for the 2018 playoff contenders.

Nolan Arenado was one of the victims of the lack of crowds this year, along with Javier Baez and Christian Yelich. This was Arenado's most human year yet, as he bat .253 with 26 RBIs and 8 home runs. The lower contact numbers are concerning, especially considering the large contract the Rockies just signed Arenado to. I sincerely hope it's a one year fluke, cause Arenado is still an elite player and I'd hate for him to suddenly not be.

2021 Prediction: He finally gets that MVP he's been inches from for years. 

German Marquez, after a few years of ruling the Rockies' rotation, had a bit of a down year as compatriots Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela did most of the heavy lifting. Despite pitching the most games with 13, he had a 4-6 record with a 3.75 ERA. His 75 Ks were still the team high, though.

2021 Prediction: Will lead the team in wins and Ks. If the DH is taken away, he'll hit .250 again. 

Daniel Murphy has served his purpose as a contact hitter, and is now just your regular, old fashioned power 1st baseman. Anybody can do what Murph is doing in Denver, and they already had Ian Desmond for it, but he opted out. So Murph now just sorta...is there. He bat .216 with 13 RBIs and 3 homers. Not much to cry about, but for a former MVP candidate it's a sad fall.

2021 Prediction: If anyone signs him, it'll be as a backup DH. Then he retires. 

Raimel Tapia is the Boba Fett of baseball. Looks cool, does nothing to warrant it. Last few years he's been fun on the base paths and in the outfield but has no positive stats to note. However, this year was a few steps up, as he bat .321 with 59 hits and 17 RBIs, and had some positive defensive numbers to boost his WAR. He's not Story/Arenado levels yet, but he's getting there.

2021 Prediction: The contact mojo wears off, and the Rockies cut him midyear. 

If 2020 was a normal season, this would be a Marlins uniform that Matt Kemp would be wearing, as he made camp with the Marlins and was close to making the team. Then the pandemic hits, Kemp gets released...and signs with the other 93 expansion team, the Rockies, makes the team and becomes the go-to DH for the Rockies. While it wasn't a HIGH mark for Kemp, he still got 21 RBIs and 6 homers out of the deal, and he revitalized himself after a disappointing 2019, so...better than nothing.

2021 Prediction: That said, I don't know if he'll make camp with whoever signs him this year. His best numbers are clearly behind him.

The other guy who made the team based solely on summer camp tryouts was Daniel Bard, a former Red Sox reliever who'd kicked around the majors for 6 years, trying to make camp with Chicago, Texas and other clubs with no avail. 2020 was the year Bard finally returned to the majors, and oh what a return it was- Bard led the bullpen in strikeouts with 27, eventually got the closing gig, and had a 3.65 ERA and a 0.9 WAR, highest in the 'pen. 

2021 Prediction: A season that won't be as starry as 2020, but will still be consistent. 

In the absence of Jon Gray, the Rockies brought up Ryan Castellani to add to the bullpen. In 9 starts, Castellani struck out 25, had a 1-4 record and a 5.82 ERA. The perils of pitching at Coors Field.

2021 Prediction: Either he learns from the Big 4 how to pitch in Denver or he's repurposed as a reliever. 

Of the two backup infield options from 2019, Josh Fuentes had the starrier year. Fuentes took some starts at 1st from Daniel Murphy and was clearly the more feasible option, as he hit .306 with 17 RBIs in 30 games, and had a WAR that topped even Charlie Blackmon's. It's looking like he'll be the option at 1st going into next year, unless Ian Desmond really wants it. 

2021 Prediction: A full-season star-making turn for Fuentes, joining with the Arenado-Story core to really aid this team. 

As for the guys the Rockies got from the trade deadline, the weaker of the two was Orioles reliever Mychal Givens, who had a 6.75 ERA in 10 games. The Rox got him as a closing option and he blew more saves than he kept. 

2021 Prediction: Will be one of the more overlooked relievers of the 2021 Denver 'pen.

And then you have Kevin Pillar, pinched from Boston as a decent outfield bat for the stretch. Pillar hit .308 in 24 games, with 28 hits and 13 RBIs, a decent bit of pop to a lineup that sort of trailed off as the playoff race took shape.

2021 Prediction: Similar to this year- cheap 1 year signing, some solid outfield time without much statistical impact.

Coming Tomorrow- The Royals are rebuilding, and this year was...for better or worse, the result of that. 

Revenge of the Rockies

I know it's a bit crass to post a German on D-Day, but...hear me out.

The Rockies...had a bit of a slow start, especially after rushing into the playoffs, taking down the Cubs and becoming a fun wild-card threat out of nowhere last year. The main reason why I wrote them off early last year is because a lot of the fun, built-up team from last year, including Carlos Gonzalez, DJ LeMahieu, Gerardo Parra, Adam Ottavino, and a cameo by Matt Holliday, was gone, and the replacements were, at least in April, futile and forgettable.

...well, one Brendan Rodgers call-up later, and we're off to the races.

The lineup has become pretty damn strong, with Daniel Murphy's average finally passing .250, Story and Arenado nabbing 15 home runs apiece, and only a comparatively weaker Ryan McMahon and a 'this is what we've got'-era Ian Desmond batting under .250. Blackmon's back tomorrow, Raimel Tapia's finally hitting at a major league level, and Tony Wolters has become a worthy starting catcher.

And while Kyle Freeland's demotion has been kind of disappointing, the rotation of German Marquez, Jon Gray, Antonio Senzatela, Chad Bettis and now Peter Lambert is, while a bit uneven in parts, still pretty great. Marquez has become the franchise ace that the team's been needing for years, while Gray is working towards a 4.10 ERA, which is low both for him AND Colorado. And with Wade Davis on the DL, Scott Oberg has slid in smoothly for the closing position.

This is a fairly sharp team with some definite aspirations and talent, and they could go far. However, the Padres and D-Backs are also in the race, and have also held onto the division second place spot. So it could go several different ways.

Coming Tomorrow- Former Phillie, current background character in what has become the Vlad Jr. Show.

Brewers/Rockies 2018

This week is the last chance for any team to break into the playoffs, especially in the NL, where all but one race is out in the open, and teams are close enough in division series' that the Wild Card spots are still very much live. Which...brings me to my current chagrin.

The Cardinals are still in playoff contention. They're currently holding onto the second Wild Card spot, and if the season would end today (or...last night, which is when I wrote this post) then the Cardinals would be in. Which wouldn't be that much of a problem, as the Brewers haven't had too much trouble defeating them tonight.

But...I just worry about allowing the Cardinals to sneak into the postseason. They're one of those teams that, regardless of team prowess and what they've done in the regular season, could quickly turn into a behemoth and claw their way to the end. And even though they look kind of meek right now...I am still very scared. So scared that I am officially, for this week, becoming a fan of both the Milwaukee Brewers and the Colorado Rockies. Yeah. That's not a joke.

It's not too far off, if we're being honest- both are fun teams that have had serious highlights this year, and have come back from 2017 disappointment. The Brewers have been lights-out for most of the year, retooled at the deadline and became even stronger, and could be deadly in the playoffs. The Rockies have added power, and fine-tuned their pitching staff, to the point where October is definitely possible for them. Plus, the Brewers have Curtis Granderson and the Rockies have Matt Holliday. So they definitely have people for me to root for.

So, if the Brewers and Rockies keep winning games, and the Cardinals keep losing games, then I have no problems. Right now, the Brewers are doing a nice job against St. Louis in the playoffs, while the Rockies are (or, were last night) within one-half game of catching the Cardinals for the Wild Card spot. The Brewers-Cards matchup is going on at the same time as the Rockies face the Philadelphia Phillies, who are out of playoff contention and completely failing at baseball right now.

So yes...this means I am rooting against my hometown Philadelphia Phillies. But it's for the greater good, I swear.

If the Rockies sweep this series, THEY catch momentum in time for their series with the Nationals, and they might be able to clean the plate and settle into that last WC spot. If the Brewers sweep this Cards series, they go on to play the Tigers, another easily-won series. The Cardinals' next opponents are the Chicago Cubs, who will have already clinched the NL Central by the time they play them (I imagine), and will hopefully have no trouble sending them home for the month.

So...we just need the Cardinals, Rockies, and Cubs to stay hot for the next week, and the Cardinals' playoff hopes are all but shot. And for those of you thinking that I'm a bit petty in seeking defeat on a team like this, I refer you to the 2011 NLDS. That should answer all the questions you have.

Go Brewers, and Go Rockies! I believe in you!

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of Wild Cards, a rookie for the team that has to play my Yankees.

The Good German

Talking about the Rockies' rotation is odder than usual this year. Not because the team's good, but because for the first time in over 5 years there's a competent, consistent rotation going on in Denver...and the ERA numbers are trying to tell me otherwise.

Right now German Marquez is coming off as the ace, as he's got a 10-5 record, over 100 strikeouts, and the sort of dominance that's been present in a ton of the pitchers in Colorado. Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, Jon Gray, and the NEWLY REJUVENATED CHAD BETTIS are all doing fantastic. It's just hard for pitchers to keep ERAs down in Coors Field, and that's probably why a lot of sportswriters aren't still proclaiming that they're good. I should also note that Tyler Chatwood is a part of this rotation, and he's not really having a very good season, but the Rockies are still using him anyway.

With Jeff Hoffman back in the minors for now and Tyler Anderson on the DL, this rotation has depth, and no shortage of raw talent all-around. Their only downside is, yes, pitching at home, where even a liner could make it out of the park. But with people like Marquez and Freeland, there's more of a chance to succeed.

The Rockies have a good shot of staying in the Wild Card race, but with the Brewers slowly advancing, they're gonna need to keep this up if they wanna still be considered (to play the D-Backs).

Coming Tonight: The Blue Jays haven't been doing a ton right, but calling up this potential pitching savior is one of the few saving graces.