Colorado Rockies: Analyzing the Second-Half Rotation

Prior to the final game of the first half on Sunday, Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss announced his starting rotation for the second half of the season.

Weiss has elected to go with Jorge De La Rosa, Chad Bettis, Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson, and Tyler Chatwood as his starting five in a second half of the season where the Rockies will have to catch fire in order to make any kind of run at a potential National League Wild Card berth.

Interestingly, Weiss told the media prior to Sunday’s game that this rotation was the best he’s had since he’s been managing the Rockies.

While the announcement of the rotation’s makeup wasn’t exactly a surprise, it also led to some questions as well. We’ll tackle those in tomorrow’s column. For now, let’s take a closer look at each of the pitchers who will start on the mound for the Rockies when the second half resumes on Thursday.

Jorge De La Rosa

Record: 5-6

ERA: 5.74

High point of the season: Facing the New York Yankees on June 14 at Coors Field, De La Rosa allowed just three hits in five shutout innings.

Low point of the season: Being sent to the bullpen in late May after his ERA climbed to 11.41 in a brutal showing in Boston following his return from the disabled list.

Analysis: Colorado’s all-time leader in wins has certainly rebounded from a tough start to his season. He put together a 4-0 mark and 1.96 ERA in June. While he hasn’t registered a victory yet in July, his ERA is 3.21 for the month. His latest outings could help the Rockies not only on the mound but also in any possible trade talks. A solid southpaw who could start or come out of the bullpen could be a nice bargaining chip for the Rockies.

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Chad Bettis

Record: 7-6

ERA: 5.65

High point of the season: With the Chicago Cubs starting the season on fire, Bettis went into Wrigley Field on April 15 and threw six shutout innings, handcuffing the Cubs to just three hits.

Low point of the season: A two-game stretch against Boston and Cincinnati in late May saw Bettis give up 15 hits and 13 earned runs in a combined eight innings. It was part of a May where Bettis posted a 7.02 ERA.

Analysis: Bettis has been an enigma this season. Is he the pitcher we saw in Chicago and the rest of April where he was 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA or the pitcher we saw in late May and early June who couldn’t get anyone out? With Bettis, the key is command. When he misses, he has to miss off the plate rather than over the middle … and that’s exactly what killed him during his worst performances.

He was solid in his last outing against Philadelphia before the break, allowing two runs in 6.2 innings of work. That’s the pitcher that the Rockies need in the second half.

Jon Gray

Record: 5-4

ERA: 4.67

High point of the season: On June 5 in San Diego, Gray struck out a career-high 12 while allowing just two runs in seven innings of work.

Low point of the season: The St. Louis Cardinals struck early and often against Gray on May 19, tagging him for nine runs and eight hits in 3.1 innings.

Analysis: After starting the season without a win in his MLB career, Gray has transformed himself into the ace of the Colorado staff. His fastball is blazing and his slider has turned even filthier as the year has moved along. He posted a 3.77 ERA in June and has a 3.65 ERA so far in July. Those numbers are trending the right way for the Rockies, who are counting on bigger and bigger things from Gray as the season (and his career) progresses.