The 100 Greatest Colorado Rockies: No. 43 Rex Brothers

We continue our look at the top 100 Colorado Rockies of all time in this article. Here, we look at No. 43 on our list, Rex Brothers.

From a pitching standpoint, Rex Brothers was one of the only bright spots for the Colorado Rockies in 2012. In a year where the Rockies had their worst record in franchise history and used a four-man rotation, Brothers got many opportunities to prove himself.

He did not disappoint. The 2013 season turned out to be even better for Brothers.

Brothers was drafted in the first-round in 2009 out of Lipscomb University, a team he helped get to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. That success translated all the way through the minor leagues where he had a 3.13 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 100.2 innings.

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He was primed for prime time and debuted with the Rockies in June 2011. Brothers looked like the majors did not phase him pitching in 40.2 innings with 59 strikeouts and a 2.88 ERA. In 2012 he became a staple in the Rockies bullpen nearly pitching 70 innings with a 3.86 ERA with a career high 83 strikeouts. The dominance continued in 2013 and with a 1.74 ERA, Brothers was on his way to being one of the greatest relievers in Rockies history.

That’s why the next two seasons seemed utterly implausible. Many fans have the theory that Brothers’ productivity declined because of the Rockies changing his delivery mechanics. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post wrote that a large contributing factor was shoulder injuries. Manager Walt Weiss said that his struggles were probably a mixture of mechanical and physical issues.

Either way, Brothers ERA ballooned to 5.58 ERA in 2014 and he spent most of 2015 in Albuquerque trying to regain his command. He didn’t and the Rockies traded him to the Cubs in 2016.

He was released by the Cubs before Spring Training even ended. Thankfully Rex Brothers’ story in baseball isn’t over. The Atlanta Braves signed him to a minor-league contract before the 2017 season. While Brothers potential of being a closer in the majors looks like a fond distant memory, he still has the velocity to contribute to the Braves bullpen.

Next: 5 Reasons Why the Colorado Rockies Will Win the World Series

If he can channel any of the command he exhibited in his early days with the Rockies, there will certainly be a future for Rex Brothers in this league.