Rockies Year in Review: Chris Rusin

Today, we highlight Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chris Rusin.

Here at Rox Pile, we are starting a player review for each and every player that suited up in a Colorado Rockies uniform this season. This series will be going all the way up until Dec. 16 with player profiles posted every day.

Rusin signed a one-year, $507,500 deal with the Colorado Rockies this past offseason, looking to add a little depth to a young, inexperienced rotation. That proved to be a steal as Rusin was arguably one of Colorado’s top starters this past season.

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The former Chicago Cub had his moments with Colorado this season, including a masterful performance on Aug. 16 against the San Diego Padres. If you’re a Rockies’ fan and missed that game, you definitely missed out on a good one. The southpaw was absolutely dominant, pitching to contact as he record 14 groundouts and 13 fly balls — collecting just four strikeouts.

Everyone was shocked from the get-go when Rusin made his Rockies’ debut. In his first two starts, the 29-year-old sported a 1-0 record accompanied by an ERA of 0.77. Rusin gave up just one run over 11.2 innings, walking five and striking out seven.

It’s rare to see a member of Colorado’s rotation notch a complete game, however, Rusin went on to do that not once, but twice. The other time Chris logged a complete game was on Sept. 3 against the San Francisco Giants, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out five.

Rusin was a vital member in Colorado’s rotation, yet like many others, had his struggles. One game I remember quite well was against the New York Mets on Aug. 22 — that wasn’t pretty. The southpaw lasted just two innings, yielding 11 runs on 12 hits, walking two and striking out three. Rusin saw his ERA go from 3.99 to 4.97 in a matter of two innings.

Rusin finished the season with a record of 6-10, collecting an ERA of 5.33 in 24 appearances — 22 starts. I’d like to see Rusin get another crack at Colorado’s rotation next season, possibly as the fourth or fifth starter.

Overall Grade: C+