Colorado Rockies: Can they keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers?

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DENVER, CO – APRIL 09: The statue of ‘The Player’ stands watch outside the stadium as the San Francisco Giants face the Colorado Rockies on Opening Day at Coors Field on April 9, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

Last season, the Colorado Rockies finished the season with a 87-75 record and in third place in the National League West. They made the playoffs but they trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by 17 games in the standings.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have proved time and time again that they are the team to beat in the NL West. They put up a 100+ wins this season and went on to the World Series. They also have won the National League West title for five consecutive seasons. In the front office, they have elites executives like their General Manager Farhan Zaidi and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman. The cards have been looking well for them for what seems like the longest time but will the Rockies be able to keep up the same pace?

The Payroll

The Dodgers spent $244 million on player salaries just this year, but with that comes the luxury tax. Even though that may be it doesn’t phase the Dodgers that much with all the talent they have. The highest paid Dodger is Clayton Kershaw, obviously, coming out to a whopping $215 million for 7 years. It’s a lot of money, yes, but Kershaw is most definitely worth it.

After Kershaw, there is the recently acquired Matt Kemp and closer Kenley Jansen. The common thing with all these men is that they’re all either 30 or older. This team has a lot of young talent, but the vets are the ones that are making bank.

DENVER, CO – JULY 19: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies hits a home run in the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on July 19, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

The Stats

If you look solely at statistics it tells a different story. The Dodger with the most home runs was rookie Cody Bellinger (39), the Rockies have two tying for it, Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon (37). Offensively both the teams are extremely skillful. The Dodgers posted 730 RBIs this season and the Rockies with 793. Nolan Arenado had 130, Charlie Blackmon trailed him with 104, and Mark Reynolds was third on the team with 97 RBI. Like Reynolds, Cody Bellinger had 97 RBI but he was the leader for the Dodgers. They didn’t have anybody else above 77 RBI but they had four players between 71 and 77 RBI.

Pitching is where the tide starts to shift towards the Dodgers. LA’s pitchers have a combined ERA of 3.38, whereas the Rockies have an ERA of 4.51. With pitching in a pitcher’s park like Dodger Stadium and a hitter’s park like Coors Field, it is easier to pitch in Dodger Stadium but even with comparing the pitching staff’s by ERA+, the Dodgers pitchers had a 124 ERA+ while the Rockies had a 111 ERA+.

Along with ERA and ERA+, the Dodgers obviously take the crown for the most wins with 104 and the Rockies with 87. Statistics are like bars of gold in baseball nowadays and these are stats to pay attention to when talking baseball.

DENVER, CO – JUNE 18: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates hitting a 3 RBI walk off home run in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on June 18, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

The Big Names

Every ball club has a face of the team. This person is the real money maker and brings in the crowds. With the Rockies, no doubt about it, it’s Nolan Arenado. If you’ve seen any of his defensive plays you know why he’s one of the most talked about 3rd baseman in the game.

Then with the Dodgers, you already know who I’m going to say. No surprise here: it’s Clayton Kershaw. He’s most definitely going to be a future Hall of Famer. Kershaw also has one of the highest selling jerseys in all of the MLB. These are the names that get people talking making them want to spend money, go to games, and engage in baseball culture.

The Histories

The Dodgers have an illustrious history of many great signings and winning 6 World Series is pretty good. With this generation of Dodgers it seems to be that everything is in place. They continue to move one step forward every season, but have yet to score the ultimate prize.

The Rockies will be 25 in 2018 with just one pennant, but securing a Wild Card spot seems to be their forte. Although the Rockies are a young team, it doesn’t mean they aren’t showing the potential of becoming a World Series Champion team. One concept that never fails with the Rockies is their optimism and passion the players give to having a successful team.

DENVER, CO – AUGUST 04: The Philadelphia Phillies play the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 4, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

The Fanbases

Fans play one of the biggest roles in a baseball game. They are known to either completely tear down a team or build them up with just the crowd’s reactions. The Dodgers have one the strongest fanbases in all of baseball.

Some fans support from where the Dodgers were originally from, Brooklyn. Since the Dodgers are now based in LA you see the influx of celebrity fans. Those celebs also have fanbases that drive in more for the boys in blue.

The Rockies take another route to reach a country-wide fanbase, social media. Their team engages with fans all over their platforms no matter where they’re from. The Rockies may not have many celebs come to a game, but they reach out to those that attend games and keep up with social media.

The Product of the Equation

I simply would like to give you all a different viewpoint when it comes to keeping up with the Dodgers. Playing devil’s advocate is the best way to remain unbiased. Now the outcome of each comparison leads to conclusions. The Dodgers will most likely be the team to beat for the unforeseen future.

That doesn’t mean that the Rockies won’t be able to kick them out of the top spot. I’d be amazed if the Dodgers didn’t take the NL division title or even make a postseason appearance (though I will own up to it if that does happen).

Next: How the Rockies can also compete with the Astros as well as the Dodgers

The Rockies are on the cusp of having a stellar team that is up to par with the Dodgers. All that has to be done is letting the chips fall where they may. The best thing about baseball is all the what if’s it keeps us on our toes. This division is exactly the reason to watch the Rockies who will be able to keep up with the Dodgers.

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