Colorado Rockies Countdown: Top Five Right-Handed Pitchers

5.  Pedro Astacio (1997-2001, 10.8 bWAR)

Pedro Astacio started out his career with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. After six years in L.A., Colorado traded current first base coach Eric Young to acquire Astacio. In his first full season with Colorado, Astacio got rocked as he led the league in earned runs allowed, home runs allowed, and hit batsmen (clearly not things you want to led the league in). But Astacio tamed Coors Field a little bit and went on to win 17 games for the club in 1999. Astacio’s 1999 season is the second-best individual season by a pitcher in Rockies history according to bWAR.

Astacio established himself as the anchor of the Rockies staff during his tenure, although it was in vain as the Rockies never made the playoffs during the Astacio era. Pedro made a name for himself by having one of the most durable arms in all of baseball. Pedro once led the league in innings pitched, and holds the Rockies record of most complete games in career with 14. Astacio also struck out 170 batters or more in a season three different times, making him one of the best strikeout pitchers in Colorado Rockies history.

When everything was said and done, Astacio had a serviceable 16-year career in the Majors. Finishing his Rockies career with a 53-48 record in 827.1 IP. As one of the most durable pitchers in the Majors, Astacio led the league in home runs allowed three different times, and hit batsmen twice in his career. Rockies fans fell in love with Astacio because of his durability and flair for the strikeout. In the end, Coors Field had a dramatic effect on Astacio, his home/road splits are dramatic, including the fact that 10 of the 14 complete games Astacio threw came on the road. Had it not been for altitude, Astacio might have made an All-Star game or two. Astacio currently works as a pitching advisor for the Rockies front office.

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