Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies: 3 key players to watch

Jeremy Hellickson

In what has been a disappointing season so far for the Phillies, Jeremy Hellickson has performed well as a starter.

Philadelphia has 15 wins on the season … and Hellickson has five of those. With a 5-1 mark and 3.44 ERA, the 30-year-old right-hander has some stats that look good on the surface. However, there are a few things to look at a little deeper.

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Hellickson has given up nine homers this season. That follows seasons where he has given up 24 and 22 home runs, respectively, so he is susceptible to the long ball. With the Rockies hitting four homers in Sunday’s win in Cincinnati and Nolan Arenado blasting a ninth-inning shot on Monday, Colorado’s power game seems to be locked in at the moment. That may be bad news for Hellickson.

It’s also been a tale of two months for the 30-year-old right-hander. He was 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in April but is 1-1 with a 5.95 ERA in four May starts. Will he continue his cold trend this month against the Rockies? He’s coming off his best start of the month in a six-inning, one-run outing at Pittsburgh.

Next: No more tests needed for these Rockies

Hellickson will get the start on Wednesday against Tyler Chatwood, who has struggled at times for the Rockies this season. It could be the one pitching matchup of the series where the Phillies could have the advantage. However, with Colorado and Philadelphia trending in opposite directions, it could be one of the few advantages the Phillies have this series.