Chad Bettis Opens Up About His Cancer Battle and Future

Bettis has focused on his health for weeks now. On Monday in Golden, he said he was ready to turn the attention back to baseball and get ready for the 2017 season.

“I’m super excited,” Bettis said. “With the offseason additions we added and key pieces we needed, it’s exciting. I think I can speak for everybody that we’re chomping at the bit to get going at spring training. Pitchers and catchers can’t report soon enough.”

Coming off a 14-8 campaign, including a 3-1 mark with 3.08 ERA in September, Bettis believes he’s a part of a strong Rockies rotation that could spell success this season.

“I think that we have a very good, if not great, group of guys and a strong core with (Tyler) Chatwood, Andy (Tyler Anderson), (Jon) Gray and me,” Bettis explained. “That fifth spot is kind of open but we know whoever fills that spot is going to fit right in with us. It’s refreshing, not only to know that whoever takes that spot is going to fit right in with the group and know we’re not going to miss a beat. I do think that our starting staff is one of the more talented ones that we’ve ever had as a Rockies organization. It’s exciting.”

Bettis knows it will be a different season than in years past. He not only shoulders the responsibility of pitching at a high level and trying to get Colorado into its first postseason since 2009, but also being at the front of a battle with a disease that is not often discussed.

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“If I’m able to bring awareness to it, then I have no problem doing it,” Bettis said. “I think that we all really want to live private lifestyles but, unfortunately, that’s not the job that we took. This is part of it. I could’ve probably hidden this but if I can help someone else, then it’s probably better for it to be out there than for me to retain the information and hold it within.”