The 100 Greatest Colorado Rockies: No. 34 Kevin Ritz

We continue our look at the top 100 Colorado Rockies of all time in this article. Here, we look at No. 34 on our list, Kevin Ritz.

Maybe it’s not surprising that one of the best starters in Colorado Rockies history had a 5.28 ERA in the best season with the club. Pitching in Coors Field in the 1990s is all relative and Kevin Ritz took advantage.

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In 1996 he won 17 games which at the time was a club record. Ritz is still tied for second with Pedro Astacio and Jeff Francis with that number. Ubaldo Jimenez is the leader with 19.

Ritz came to the Rockies in 1994 after playing with the Detroit Tigers for four seasons starting in 1989. He did not play in the 1993 season. He didn’t stand out until he came to Denver.

In 1995 he went 11-11 with a 4.21 ERA. He had the most wins on the team that year, but he also had the most losses. He started the most games for the Rockies (28) earning his highest WAR in a single season of 4.5. He did not perform well though in the playoffs giving up seven runs in seven innings.

The next season Ritz learned from those experiences and turned in the best performance of his career. In 1996 he pitched 213 innings and won 10 games before the All-Star break. Only four other pitchers have done this in team history including Shawn Chacon, Aaron Cook, Jason Marquis and Ubaldo Jimenez.

Next: Despite Solid Start, Colorado Rockies Fans Should Remember Past Lessons

Although he had a 5.28 ERA and game up a league leading 125 earned runs, he found a way to win at Coors Field. Something seemingly impossible to do in the 90s. He retired in 1998 after a series of injuries and after he dedicated his time to his kids. An exemplary man and Rockies pitcher.

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