Colorado Rockies: 3 strange numbers from a strange month

Winning road record, losing record at Coors

The Rockies finished the first month of the season at 15-15. However, at home they were 5-7, while the road record was 10-8 (and they improved that to 12-8 after winning at Wrigley on May 1-2).

The batting stats would suggest misery on the road. They are slashing .209/.286/.378 (despite Blackmon hitting nine of his 10 home runs in opposing ballparks. His road OPS is 1.128 versus a home OPS of .728). Their home slash line is .255/.331/.416 — obviously we want that to improve, but with these offensive numbers one would expect a better home record.

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Success (and failure) has really hinged on the pitching. The pitching staff fared much better on the road, with an ERA of 3.40 on the road versus 5.78 at home. Opponents’ OPB is .344 at Coors versus .294 in their home ballparks. And the bullpen has been dynamite on the road, as nine of the Rockies’ 12 road victories have been by three runs or less.

But these odd splits are bound to normalize. April’s weather was particularly odd, including some frigid games at Coors. Meanwhile, after the Cubs series, the Rockies had played 12 games at home versus 20 on the road. More time at home will help this team find a groove at Coors (“You just know this team’s gonna hit!”), especially once the heat of a Denver summer sets in.

History also suggests a return to normalcy. According to Neil Paine at FiveThirtyEight.com, since 1995 (the Rockies’ inaugural season) the team has had the highest difference between home and road OPS+ at +15 (a home OPS of 102 versus a road OPS of 87). This was a full four points more than the team with the second-highest difference, the Houston Astros.

Next: The top 5 Rockies performances from the first month of the season

The Rockies need to improve their home record to give themselves a shot at playoff baseball. It would just be an added boost for them to continue playing well on the road — and avoid the dreaded “June Swoon.”