2015 Outlook: Rockies Starting Pitching

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

What it all means for 2015

Pitchers omitted from the list include Tyler Chatwood and Tyler Matzek. Chatwood has undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss most of, if not all of next year. For 2016 and beyond, Chatwood will be relied on to come out and provide strong performances for Colorado. Matzek has shown improvement as the season has progressed, but having a 5.14 ERA is highly concerning. Even if the Rockies continue to be one of the best offenses in the leagues, they can’t be counted on to score more than five runs every outing Matzek makes. Another season in Triple-A will do wonders for the southpaw.

When the beginning of 2015 rolls around (which cannot come soon enough for Rockies fans), barring any major free agent signings or major injuries (knock on wood), here is how I expect the rotation to shake out:

Jorge De La Rosa
Jhoulys Chacin
Brett Anderson
Jordan Lyles
Eddie Butler

If 2014 has taught us anything, it’s that plans can change at any time. Can we expect this rotation to stay intact all of 2015? It seems highly unlikely. However, maybe a mid-season promotion of Jon Gray or rapid development of Tyler Matzek could spark the club. Anything will help, considering this club has ranked last in the NL in starting pitching three of the last four years.