Colorado Rockies: Selecting the All-Time 25-Man Roster

Pitchers

We’ll finish up our 25-man roster with nine pitchers.

Pedro Astacio

Astacio 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 history. He finished his Rockies career with a 53-48 record (including 17 wins in 1999) in 827.1 innings pitched.

Jhoulys Chacin

Chacin is one of the best starting pitchers Colorado has ever developed. Named the organizations top prospect in both 2009 and 2010, Chacin is only one of two Rockies to ever post a sub-3.50 ERA in a season more than once.

Not many pitchers in Colorado history have had better individual seasons than the one Chacin had in 2013. After starting 31 games, Chacin won 14 games and posted a 3.47 ERA for a Colorado team that lost 88 games.

Aaron Cook

Cook has pitched more innings than anyone else in Colorado Rockies history. You’ll find Cook’s name toward the top of a lot of Rockies leaderboards. Most notably, Cook is second in career wins and complete games in club history. Cook will be remembered by Rockies fans not for having any one spectacular season, but for his consistency and almost decade-long stint in Colorado’s rotation.

He also finished his Rockies career with a 36-32 record at Coors Field.

Jorge De La Rosa

Hip hip Jorge! De La Rosa is Colorado’s all-time winningest pitcher, posting an 86-61 mark in nine seasons with the Rockies. In 2013, the southpaw went 16-6 with a 3.49 ERA in 30 starts. He was also instrumental in Colorado’s 2009 playoff run, posting a 16-9 record and 4.38 ERA with a career-high 193 strikeouts.

Jeff Francis

Francis is the third-winningest pitcher in Rockies history. In a magical 2007 season, Francis led the team with 17 wins, which was tied for the most in Rockies history at the time. He also became the first Rockies pitcher to start in a World Series game.

Brian Fuentes

Fuentes occupies the top spot for the Rockies in career saves. In a seven-year career with Colorado, Fuentes closed a total of 115 games for the club.

After five straight losing seasons and making two All-Star appearances, Fuentes was rewarded for his patience in 2007 when he would make an All-Star Game and appear in the playoffs for the first time. Fuentes is only one of six pitchers to ever make an All-Star Game appearance for Colorado.

Ubaldo Jimenez

Jimenez’s finest moment as with the Rockies came on April 17, 2010. Facing off against the Braves in Atlanta, Jimenez became the first Rockie to ever pitch a no-hitter. On that night, Jimenez struck out seven Braves and frequently touched 100 MPH on his fastball.

Jimenez would go on to have the greatest individual pitching season in Rockies history that year, setting single-season records for most wins (19) and most strikeouts (210). Jimenez would also become the first Rockies pitcher to ever start an All-Star Game. Jimenez finished in third for the National League Cy Young award in 2010.

Steve Reed

At 461 games, Reed holds the Colorado Rockies record for most games played in club history. In a strike-shortened 1994 season, Reed led the Majors in games played with 61. In seven collective seasons with Colorado, Reed appeared in 60 or more games each campaign.

He is also second in Rockies history with 66 runs prevented.

Next: Remembering What Key Rockies Players Were Like at Double-A

Bruce Ruffin

Ruffin tied a Major League record as Ruffin is the only Rockies player ever to strike out four batters in one inning. One of those strikeouts happened to be Sammy Sosa. You might also recognize Ruffin’s name because he is fourth on the Rockies career saves list, two saves ahead of a guy named Rafael Betancourt. The fact that Ruffin is among the Rockies leaders in saves is a bit surprising considering he came into the league as a starter with the Phillies. Ruffin started a total of 152 games over a 12-year career.