Colorado Rockies Ranking the 40 Man Roster: 15-11

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Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

We continue our look at the Colorado Rockies 40 man roster today by ranking numbers 15 through 11. These players are expected to be huge contributors to the team this year. Fitting for the current state of spring training, this edition consists of pitchers and catchers. Let’s get into it…

Number 15

Tom Murphy: Catcher Points: 89 Highest Rank: 11 Lowest Rank: 18

Murphy is a 25-year-old drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft from the University of Buffalo. He has been considered the catcher of the future for the Rockies since being drafted. He has spent most of the past two seasons in Triple-A but has been called up following the roster expansion in both 2015 and 2016.

The focus of his time in the minors has been working on his skills as a receiver and abilities on the defensive side of the ball. His bat has always spoken for itself, hitting .327/.361/.647 with the Isotopes last year. He launched 19 bombs in 80 games to go along with 26 doubles. Murphy started slow in May and June hitting under .300, but caught fire in July hitting a ridiculous .591 at the plate and didn’t slow down for the rest of the year even after being called up.

Murphy joined the Rockies in September and totaled 49 plate appearances. In this small sample size Murphy slashed .273/.347/.659 and hit five home runs, showing his offense is ready for the majors.

The big question for Murphy this year will be how he handles the young pitching staff for the Rockies. If he can prove an average defender, he could win the starting catcher job, and at minimum will split games with Tony Wolters. Murphy could also see sometime as a pinch hitter late in games or receive a couple starts at first base this year in an attempt to get him as many at bats as possible.

My prediction is he will start about 70 games at catcher and eclipse 15 home runs with a batting average in the .280s.

Sep 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Tony Wolters (14) attempts to pick up wild pitch rebound in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Number 14

Tony Wolters: Catcher Points: 87 Highest Rank: 11 Lowest: 19

Wolters was arguably the biggest surprise of the 2016 season. He was claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Indians last year just prior to spring training. Originally drafted as a middle infielder, Wolters made the switch to catcher in 2013 and has excelled ever since.

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He won the backup catcher job in spring training last year and proved himself for the rest of the year. He displayed immense defensive, especially in terms of pitch framing. He accounted for 72 “strikes added” for his pitchers last year (per stat corner). This ranked seventh-most among major league catchers. It’s even more impressive when considering that Wolters did that with way fewer opportunities compared to the starters above him. Wolters’ defensive prowess even earned him some love from fangraphs when Jeff Sullivan wrote an article detailing the fact the “Rockies could have their best pitch framing in history.” The pitching staff, obviously, loves playing with Wolters behind the plate as well.

The only issue with Wolters is he may not have the bat to play everyday offensively. This is based on only one season so it is too early to tell, but his first half was a little scary where he hit 218.

However, Wolters showed he could make adjustments at the plate in the second half of 2016. From July to October, Wolters slashed .309/.356/.479, even throwing in two home runs. These numbers coupled with his superior defensive ability make him an extremely valuable player. If he can maintain his offensive numbers in 2017, he could prove to be the primary catcher for the Rockies … but that is a big if.

I think he will get a slight majority of the starts behind the plate for the Rockies, solidify himself as one of the best defensive catchers in baseball and hit around .270 this year.

Sep 24, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chad Bettis (35) in the first inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Number 13

Chad Bettis: Starting Pitcher Points: 70 Highest Rank: 6 Lowest: 15

Bettis has had a strange journey to the major leagues after being taken in the second round of the 2010 draft. He made his major league debut as a starting pitcher in 2013 with mixed results, provoking a move to the bullpen in 2014. He was less effective in a bullpen role that season with an ERA of 9.12 in 21 games.

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Bettis then returned to the started rotation in 2015 and was a different pitcher. He was, arguably, the best pitcher for the Rockies that year started 20 games and accounting for 115 innings. His ERA of 4.23 was impressive, especially when spending time at Coors Field.

His success continued in 2016 where he was a key member of the Rockies’ best rotation in recent memory. Bettis led all pitchers in starts, innings pitched, and pitcher wins, throwing 186.0 innings over 32 starts on his way to 14 wins. His ERA of 4.79 was respectable and was actually better at Coors Field than on the road.

Another exciting stat for Bettis is that he seemed to really figure things out in the second half of the year. He battled through some early season struggles, where his ERA was 5.65, to become dominate in the second half. Over his last 14 starts, Bettis owned a 3.75 ERA, a stretch that included a complete game gem, shutting out the Giants while allowing only two hits.

After a scare with testicular cancer, Bettis is ready to go for the 2017 season. I expect him to build of the success of the second half last year and provide the Rockies with a stabilizing presence in the young rotation.

September 22, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood (32) throws in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Number 12

Tyler Chatwood: Starting Pitcher Points: 69 Highest Rank: 9 Lowest:15

Chatwood was initially acquired from the Angels for Chris Iannetta in 2011, the same season he made his major league debut. He has been very solid for the Rockies ever since but has struggled to stay healthy. He started only four games in 2014 before suffering an UCL injury requiring Tommy John surgery. It was the second time Chatwood underwent the major surgery, the first being as a 16 year-old high school student. After missing the entire 2015 season, Chatwood was eager to return to the rotation in 2016 and had a very successful season.

Over 158 innings, Chatwood boasted an ERA of 3.87, going 12-9 in 27 starts. Chatwood’s elbow seems to be a non-problem with a quick stint on the 15-day DL secondary to back pain being his only injury in 2016.

Chatwood, more than any other Rockies’ pitcher, showed a dramatic split at Coors Field. In 14 starts at home, Chatwood struggled his way to a 6.12 ERA and a WHIP of 1.641. Chatwood dominated on the road, owning a miniscule ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.13. The difference came entirely from hits as Chatwood had nearly identical BB/9, K/9 and K:BB stats regardless of where the start was located.

Chatwood is one of the most volatile pitchers in the 2017 rotation, secondary to his injury history as well as the dramatic splits in 2016. Hopefully he will be able to normalize his performance at Coors Field while staying healthy this season.

Sep 18, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Greg Holland (56) pitches 12th inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Detroit won 5-4 in twelve innings. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Number 11

Greg Holland: Relief Pitcher Points: 66 Highest Rank: 7 Lowest: 14

Holland agreed to a contract with the Rockies in late January. It was a huge deal for the Rockies, who added one of baseball’s best relievers over the past five seasons. The only drawback is the fact that Holland underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of 2015, keeping him sidelined all of last year. The contract is for one year with an option for 2018, and a multitude of incentives based on Holland’s performance.

From 2013-2015, Holland served as the primary closer for the ultra-competitive Royals team. He accumulated 125 saves during these three seasons. Over 174 innings, he had an ERA below 2.00, and was striking out 12.5 batters per 9 innings. The other important thing is that he was constantly in high leverage situations for a team in contention and throughout the playoffs, which is obviously extremely valuable experience.

It remains to be seen whether Holland will be able to regain his form, but with Adam Ottavino coming off the same surgery successfully I like his chances.

In a showcase in November, Holland’s velocity was clocked around 90 MPH, which is lower than during his time with Kansas City. This was intentional as the reliever did not feel he was at the point in his rehab to be comfortable letting it loose. He says his goal for the showcase was to show that he “could still pitch.”

Next: See Which Players Ranked 16-20

Holland will reunite with Steve Foster, who was a pitching coach for the Royals prior to joining the Rockies in 2014. My prediction is that Holland will start the year in a set up type role, being deployed whenever Bud Black feels the situation is most dire. It would not surprise me to see him shift into the closer role as the season moves forward in hopes of him shutting the door in crucial games down the stretch.

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Colorado Rockies Ranking the 40-Man Roster: 15-11