Colorado Rockies Pitching Prospects Belong in Bullpen?

Our colleagues at Call to the Pen took a look yesterday at the top 10 Colorado Rockies prospects for 2017. You can check it out here as well as learn exactly what went into the formula to pick the top 10.

There are four players on the list who played for the Rockies last season — Jeff Hoffman, German Marquez, Tom Murphy and Raimel Tapia. Only two of those were ranked in the top 5 of Call to the Pen’s list, so it’s just another indication of the bright future that lies ahead for the Rockies thanks to their strong farm system.

In this article, we’ll look at what the two pitchers mentioned above bring to the Rockies. We’ll discuss the position players in another article soon.

Let’s look at the pitchers

The two pitchers on the list, Hoffman and Marquez, pose some interesting options for the Rockies next season. With a rotation that is buoyed by Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson, Tyler Chatwood and Chad Bettis, it could be argued that one or both of those two pitchers could be used as the fifth starter. It could also be reasoned that one or both could help in the bullpen. After all, the Rockies need additional talent in the bullpen and these two pitchers certainly possess that talent.

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Hoffman spent time in the bullpen last season and we made the argument of why that was a good idea here and why that was a bad idea here. Of his 33.1 innings last season with the Rockies, only four came as a reliever. However, the statistics show, in a small sample size, why Hoffman in relief is an interesting thought.

With a 2.25 ERA out of the bullpen, Hoffman proved effective. His two relief outings lasted two innings each against the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers in late September while both teams were chasing postseason spots. None of the seven homers the right-hander surrendered last season came during his relief outings.

Marquez, meanwhile, broke the “Coors Field” myth that so many around the country bring up again and again. Pitchers can’t pitch in Coors Field, right? Well, new manager Bud Black had something to say about that in his introductory press conference. Marquez also proved that it can be done by a young pitcher, as he posted a 1-0 mark and 2.25 ERA in three outings at Coors Field. He didn’t allow a homer in his 12 innings at 20^th and Blake last season.

Conversely, on the road, Marquez struggled, going 0-1 with a 9.35 ERA.

As a starter or reliever, Marquez was statistically pretty even, with a 5.28 ERA as a starter and 5.06 ERA out of the bullpen. However, opponents hit .338 against him when the right-hander started compared to .286 in relief.

Next: Why Signing Jon Singleton Makes Sense for Colorado

While both certainly seem to have futures in a starting role, using them out of the bullpen in 2017 could serve a dual purpose. Not only could the duo gain valuable MLB experience but they could also provide the Rockies with some help in what was a beleaguered bullpen in 2016.