Colorado Rockies: Searching for another rotation arm

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DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 6: Relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman #34 of the Colorado Rockies delivers to home plate during the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on September 6, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

The Colorado Rockies‘ unbearable bullpen meltdowns are obscuring the starting rotation’s own rough season.

As of June 18, the Colorado Rockies starters were third-worst in baseball in runs allowed per game, at 5.20. They have 30 quality starts (right at league average), but first-inning struggles and their own susceptibility to implosions are cause for serious concern.

For better or worse, the Rockies have maintained the same five-man rotation for the entire season. I doubt this lasts until October. So, when the Rockies need another rotation arm — as a result of injury, consistently bad performances or both — who could take the mound as a replacement? Here are some options.

Jeff Hoffman

The Hoff is one of the obvious choices to step into the rotation. After joining the Rockies system in the 2015 Troy Tulowitzki trade, Hoffman made his first start on May 11, 2017, before going back to the bullpen in August.

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As a starter, Hoffman had a 5.28 ERA with a WHIP of 1.39. He impressed in his first four starts, allowing just one run in each outing, but he was never quite the same after allowing nine runs in just 3.2 innings to the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 21, 2017. The book was out on Hoffman, and he struggled mightily with command. After allowing just two home runs in his first seven starts, he allowed 11 home runs in his final nine starts.

Since being called back up on June 8, Hoffman has worked 3.2 innings. He had a strong 2018 debut on June 9, his only earned run a two-out walk that Jake McGee allowed to score. He entered the ninth inning in last night’s loss to the New York Mets and walked two batters in for runs, but the game was already a wash.

Hoffman could be a better starter in 2018. He’s showing more confidence in his slider, which he’s employed at a 31 percent rate with the Rockies this season. He’s also doing a better job inducing ground balls, which the Rockies desperately need for Coors Field success.

Right now, Hoffman is a much-needed arm in the bullpen. But he could step into the rotation once again and be a solid replacement in 2018.

Antonio Senzatela

The other clear solution is Antonio Senzatela. He should be with the Rockies right now, but is nursing an ill-timed groin injury he suffered on June 6 after starting for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.

Senzatela is pitching well for the ‘Topes. In 26.2 innings, he’s racked up 33 strikeouts while walking just eight. He has a 2.70 ERA and a solid WHIP of 1.13. His return to the ailing Rockies bullpen can’t come soon enough.

Peter Lambert

Peter Lambert is having a stellar season with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats. He boasts a 2.40 ERA, and in 78.2 innings he has 61 strikeouts to just 11 walks.

The Rockies system is excited about Lambert. But he lacks a good swing-and-miss pitch, which might give him trouble in Triple-A and the majors. His control partly makes up for it, and he does a an effective job creating soft contact and ground balls.

Speaking with The Athletic, Yard Goats pitching coach Mark Brewer said Lambert was developing quicker than guys like Senzatela and Hoffman. He said Lambert has “everything you need to have to pitch in the big leagues and be successful.”

No, it’s not realistic to expect the 21-year-old to take the mound for the Rockies this season. But it feels like this pitching staff is cursed, so who knows — the Rockies might have to get creative in search of answers.

Riley Pint

Riley Pint is the Rockies’ most highly regarded pitching prospect, and he’s back in action after suffering a forearm injury that knocked him out of his April 8 start with the Class-A Ashville Tourists.

It’s highly unlikely we’ll see the 20-year-old in Denver any time soon, but he is the top pitching prospect. With his uneven 2017 season and injury hopefully behind him, he can work on better controlling his high-speed fastball (he can pitch into the triple digits and routinely pitches in the mid- to upper-90s). He’s also carefully managed his innings throughout his career.

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Pint’s ceiling is extraordinarily high. If he finds consistent command of his fastball and develops a major-league slider and curveball, we could see a Pint-sized (aka 6 feet 4 inches) starter in the Rockies’ rotation sooner than expected.

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