Colorado Rockies: 5 guarantees for the rest of the 2017 season

For a few days this week, the sky was falling for the Colorado Rockies. And it wasn’t just because a temporary steady rain threatened to delay part of their first game against the Seattle Mariners at Coors Field.

No, Rockies fans started to get a little edgy because the Mariners took the first three games of a four-game, home-and-home interleague series. You know, those Seattle Mariners that were in the bottom of the American League West standings heading into the series. And they did it against those Colorado Rockies, the team that was coming off a stretch that had won nine out of its last 13 games, including a sparkling 7-3 road trip during a season-long journey away from Coors Field.

But, as Colorado manager Bud Black reminds us often during his press conferences, that’s baseball. It’s a game sometimes that doesn’t make sense because teams can go from ice cold to red hot (or vice versa) in a very short time.

Another thing that Black reminded us of before the team hit the road to Seattle was that this year’s team shouldn’t be judged on how past Colorado teams have performed.

“Like I’ve said many times, this is a new team,” Black adamantly told reporters on Tuesday night. “Every year is different. The composition of the team. The composition of the coaching staff. The composition of a new year. I don’t want to draw any comparisons to previous teams. I assume that we’ll play good baseball, home and road.”

Yes, this Rockies team may be different. However, there are certain things that we can guarantee will happen as the season goes along. With that in mind, let’s take a look at those five guarantees.

Let’s face it … Greg Holland has had a monster season for the Rockies as the team’s closer. We published an article recently about just where Holland’s season could rank in Colorado’s history books. In an offseason where signing Holland, coming off Tommy John surgery, was viewed as a high-risk, high-reward move, Colorado was willing to take the chance. The team has been rewarded for its faith.

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In Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Mariners in Seattle, Holland recorded his 20^th consecutive save. When the Rockies have needed him, Holland has come through. With an ERA at 1.34 and 29 strikeouts versus only seven walks in 20.2 innings, the 31-year-old right-hander has been exactly what Colorado management hoped he would be when they signed him.

However, it’s a guarantee that Holland will blow a save as the season goes along. It’s possible that he could blow more than one. In his best year, Holland was 46-for-48 with the Kansas City Royals in 2014. The following year with the Royals, he was 32-for-37.

Despite how he has looked so far, Holland is indeed human. He will struggle at some point this season. However, there is little doubt (based on his past performances) that Holland will bounce back, whatever struggles he might face. Just be prepared that a struggle is coming.

Injuries are going to happen. We just saw Los Angeles outfielder Mike Trout go on the disabled list with a torn ligament in his thumb. The injury has doomed the Angels season according to many “experts” in the field.

Colorado Rockies

So what would happen if Colorado suffered an injury to Nolan Arenado or Charlie Blackmon? There are players on the team who are more irreplaceable than others, of course. However, the Rockies have tried to safeguard against injuries as much as possible by building a team focused on versatility.

Last season, when Trevor Story’s record-setting season was cut short by a thumb injury, the Rockies struggled as Cristhian Adames and Daniel Descalso tried to fill in. The plan simply didn’t work. It didn’t work when Mark Reynolds went out with a broken hamate bone either. Gerardo Parra at first base (when he was healthy)? Not good.

So what would happen if Story was lost for the season again this year? The Rockies have Alexi Amarista and Pat Valaika as well as Ian Desmond, who could revert back to the position he played for seven seasons with the Washington Nationals.

This year, we’ve already seen Mike Dunn and Adam Ottavino lost from the mound for periods of time. Desmond started the year on the disabled list and David Dahl has yet to see the field. However, the Rockies have done quite well without them on the shelf.

The reason? Colorado’s depth that has been accrued through the farm system and free agent signings who can play multiple positions. It’s worked so far. Could it help the Rockies get through the injuries that are bound to happen as the season goes along? You bet.

Streaks of both the losing and winning kinds are going to happen. You can be sure that there are going to be times this season when the Rockies look like the best team in Major League Baseball (see the first three games of the Philadelphia series) and times they look like they might not make the postseason (see the first three games of the Seattle series).

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Sure, you’re going to see plenty of people around the country count on the Rockies having a June swoon … or fade once the All-Star break ends … or when the calendar turns to September … or whatever you might here. There are going to be people making too much of losses and too much of wins. Hey, that’s what we’re supposed to do when we follow a team with passion, right?

One thing to know, however, is that this year’s Rockies team seems to be built for longevity rather than collapse. You can walk around with a “The End is Near!” sandwich board … but this isn’t that season and this isn’t that Rockies team.

Much like the stock market, the Rockies are going to have their ups and downs this season. So will every other Major League team. However, with the Rockies, there have been plenty more high points this season than low points, no matter how you felt after the Washington series or after the first three games against the Mariners.

Let’s end this with a bang. The National League West is going to be the most fun division to watch the rest of the season … and we have a front row spot to watch the drama unfold.

Sure, it’s conceivable that the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Rockies could all make it to the playoffs out of the same division. The three teams are all less than a game apart in the standings as Friday’s play begins. All three are also built around what makes good teams good … pitching.

But will all three make the playoffs? It’s unlikely but possible. The St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers or Chicago Cubs will win the National League Central … but with a current five-game Wild Card lead over the other teams who won’t capture the division title, it’s going to take a lot to catch up if some ground isn’t made up soon.

So our guarantee? Two of the three teams from the National League West will make it into the postseason – the Rockies and the Dodgers. However, it’s going to go down to the wire (not only who gets in the playoffs but also who wins the West) since the division is so tough from top to bottom.

Next: The 5 greatest seasons in Colorado history

We still have a long ways to go before September and October. However, we’re looking forward to what’s going to be a fun and exciting end to the regular season. You can count on that.