Colorado Rockies: 3 Players Who Will Bounce Back in 2017

Gerardo Parra

Remember that scene in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan where Captain Kirk just screams “KHAAAAN” with the intensity of a thousand white hot suns? Well, that’s how a lot of Rockies fans felt about Gerardo Parra last season.

Signed last January to a three-year, $27.5 million contract, Parra had a season to forget in 2016. His -2.8 bWAR was abysmal and unfathomable. He walked just nine times in 381 trips to the plate. He hit just .253 with seven homers and 39 RBI while striking out 73 times. The Rockies were so desperate to find a way to get him in the lineup last season that they even put him at first base, which was a disaster both offensively and defensively.

OK, there’s the bad in a nutshell. However, there are reasons for optimism in 2017. No really, there are.

First, it can’t get much worse for Parra this season. He played just 102 games last season after suffering a high ankle sprain in a collision with Story. It was symbolic of a rough year on the field for the 29-year-old outfielder.

Second, Parra’s career numbers show a strong chance for improvement. He’s a career .274 hitter with a .321 on base percentage and .404 slugging percentage. Those would all be numbers above what Parra did last season.

Parra will also be in a different role this season. Last season, he was expected to come in and carry the load in left field. This season, David Dahl is there and expected to have much of the playing time. Parra’s role will be more of an “off the bench” player, which could provide much less pressure for him to perform than he had last season.

We think Parra versus Dahl will be one of the biggest battles heading into the 2017 season. Read why (as well as check out the other two battles) by clicking here.

He’s also had the offseason to heal from his high ankle sprain, an injury he battled to overcome throughout the rest of the 2016 season.

While it may not be a tremendous improvement, Parra will be better in 2017.

Jake McGee

Flash back to June 10 of last season. On that night, McGee allowed four runs in the ninth inning as the San Diego Padres rallied for a 7-5 win at Coors Field. McGee, Colorado’s closer, would not only lose the game but also suffer a knee injury that would sideline him until July 2. By the time, he came back, McGee was no longer Colorado’s closer and his season would change completely.

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After McGee surrendered the lead to the Padres, Colorado was 26-2 in games where they led after eight innings. At that point, he had allowed 12 earned runs … and nine of them came in two appearances (four against the Padres and five in an April 24 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers). Between those two games, that’s nine runs in 1.1 innings of work. Other than that, he had surrendered three runs in 20.1 innings.

McGee had converted eight consecutive saves coming into the Padres game and went 9-for-10 in save opportunities in May, stringing together a 1.50 ERA during the month.

The 30-year-old southpaw had a solid August and September, with an ERA never going above 3.60 in a single month.

In all, he finished with a 4.73 ERA and his 15 saves led the team. Yet it felt like last season was a lost one for McGee. This year, however, will be different for him.

With Mike Dunn now on the roster, it’s expected he will have much of the left-handed specialist role that Boone Logan had last season. So where does that leave McGee? In a new, no-pressure role, it seems. He likely won’t be in the mix for closer so McGee may have a bigger role in the earlier innings. It could well be a role that suits him well.

Carlos Estevez

When McGee went down with his injury, Estevez was thrust into the closer role last season. It worked at first. The 24-year-old right-hander converted his first four saves and went seven-for-seven in save opportunities with a 1.80 ERA in July.

Then came August. Heart-ripping late-inning losses to Miami and Texas when the Rockies were in the mix for a Wild Card spot signaled the beginning of the end for Estevez in the closer role. It was a month that not only saw Estevez post a 10.00 ERA but also even saw him sent to Triple-A to try to regain his dominance.

It helped, but not much. Estevez finished the season by allowing six earned runs in his last 7.2 innings pitched.

The numbers aren’t great, but it’s important to take a look at Estevez as a whole. He started the season in Triple-A and last season was his first-ever experience at the Major League level. During that inaugural season, he was suddenly the closer. It was a lot of change and a lot to take in in a very short of time.

This season, Estevez has experience under his belt. He’s had an offseason to prepare for a season at the Major League level. Will he be one of the players considered for the closer role this season? It’s very possible. If that’s the case (or even if it isn’t), Estevez has experience and that can’t be taken lightly.

Next: The 5 Different Kinds of Colorado Rockies Fans

One other thing that can tremendously help both McGee and Estevez is the pitching knowledge that Black brings to his role as manager. Last year’s bullpen was a trouble spot for the Rockies to say the least. If McGee and Estevez can improve this season, it will make a big difference in the later innings.