Colorado Rockies: A bandwagon fan’s guide to the 2017 season

Maybe one of the reasons why you put your Troy Tulowitzki jersey in the closet a few years ago and never brought it out again was because the Rockies simply had no pitching. No matter how good the offense was, the pitching couldn’t keep up. Too many 15-14 games for your liking, right? Trust me, we understand.

Colorado Rockies

Well, this year’s team doesn’t have that problem. A young rotation and a solid bullpen are helping the Rockies actually win games this year instead of lose them. People are actually using the word “good” and “Colorado pitching” in the same sentence this season. Crazy, right?

Now that you’re on the bandwagon and chatting it up with your new Rockies friends, be sure to drop the names of Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela with a sentence that is something like, “Wow, these young guys are really stepping up this season, huh?” Bonus points for you if you talk about how well they’ve pitched in the absence of Jon Gray (Colorado’s ace who has been on the shelf for weeks now with a foot injury) and Chad Bettis (who hasn’t pitched this season after battling cancer).

Also, while we’re talking about pitching, you’ll want to introduce yourself to the lights-out closer the Rockies signed in the offseason, Greg Holland. Yeah, a lot of people wondered if he would be able to show the stuff that he had before Tommy John surgery. Well, he’s proving that he has that stuff. He’s 19-for-19 on saves (that leads the Majors by a long shot) with a 0.96 ERA. Drop those numbers when you’re discussing the bullpen.

One last tip … if you want to talk about how this year is so different from last year, just bring up Jake McGee. Another big part of the bullpen’s success this season, McGee has a 2.00 ERA after striking out two in a scoreless inning on Wednesday night. That comes after a 4.73 ERA in his first season with the Rockies. Go ahead and use, “What a difference a year makes, huh?” You’ll blend in just fine.