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Colorado Rockies: What worked well before the All-Star break

By Ryan Ladika |
SEATTLE, WA - JULY 7: Starter Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch during the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on July 7, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - JULY 7: Starter Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch during the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on July 7, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
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SEATTLE, WA – JULY 7: Starter Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch during the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on July 7, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – JULY 7: Starter Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch during the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on July 7, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

The Colorado Rockies did not enjoy most of the early success that the 2017 season saw through the first half, but that didn’t stop them from pulling it all together in July to finish with a 51-45 record entering the 2018 All-Star Break.

“Toward the end of the first half, we really put it together in the sense that we pitched and hit and played defense all at the same time…and if we can put all that together, I think we’re going to be really competitive and make things interesting.”

In an interview with Nick Swisher at the 2018 All-Star Game, this was Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon‘s assessment of Colorado’s strong finish of the first half of the 2018 season … and he’s right.

One of the club’s main struggles early on in the season, the offense, has started to come around. The starters are going deeper into games than they were earlier this season. And the Rockies have been reaping the benefits.

After a forgettable June that saw the club win only 11 games, the Rockies enter the 2018 Midsummer Classic having won 8 of 10, 13 of 16 and their last five in a row after a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners.

Young pitching carrying the team … sound familiar?

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A huge part of Colorado’s recent success has been Denver native Kyle Freeland. He has taken a huge step forward after his rookie campaign last season, and is giving the Rockies length virtually every time he toes the rubber. He has thrown six or more innings in 12 of his last 15 starts, including 11 quality starts. Not to mention the fact that he has bested the likes of Robbie Ray, James Paxton and Madison Bumgarner, and that’s just his last three starts. With the recent struggles of Jon Gray this season and the inconsistencies of German Márquez and Tyler Anderson, Freeland has been Colorado’s most reliable starter throughout the first half.

The most impressive part? He’s pitched considerably better in Denver than he has on the road. After eight starts at Coors, his home ERA sits at 2.76, with a batting average against of just .223. For comparison, in 11 road starts, his ERA is 3.38 away from Denver, with a batting average against of .248. This is what makes Freeland so valuable for a team that struggled mightily to win at home early in the season.

Despite a shaky start to the season, Anderson has stepped up lately as well. In three July starts, Anderson boasts a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings with 23 strikeouts, including an eight-inning scoreless outing on the Fourth of July to help complete a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants. Even Jon Gray, fresh off a surprising demotion to Triple-A Albuquerque, came back and pitched like the ace everyone knows he can be with 7.1 innings of one-run ball and six strikeouts against the Mariners. If the Rockies want to stay in contention, they’re going to need this strong starting pitching run to continue.

DENVER, CO – APRIL 20: Scott Oberg #45 of the Colorado Rockies throws in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field on April 20, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – APRIL 20: Scott Oberg #45 of the Colorado Rockies throws in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field on April 20, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Bullpen coming back to form

After a dreadful June in which the Rockies had the worst bullpen ERA in baseball by almost two full runs (7.78, Philadelphia was 29th with a 5.79 ERA), that number has come back down to earth quite considerably in July. They currently sit at an even 3.00 ERA after 13 games this month, good for 10th in MLB.

I’m going to highlight one under-the-radar reliever who has come through in the clutch for the Rockies lately: Scott Oberg. He has quietly turned in scoreless outings in 13 of his last 15 appearances since May 29, and in three straight overall. He now owns a sub-3 ERA (at 2.96 to be exact) with 21 strikeouts in 27.1 innings.

Adam Ottavino has continued his dominance, despite the fact that his 1.62 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 67 strikeout line didn’t net him an All-Star Game invite. Wade Davis has turned it around since his forgettable Father’s Day blown save against the Texas Rangers.

Offense heating up

The Rockies’ offensive struggles early this season were well-documented. Over the last 30 days, though, the club has finally started to show what its true offensive capabilities are. The Rockies are 11th in offensive non-pitcher fWAR at 4.4, 7th in wRC+ at 113, and 2nd in wOBA at .364 during that span. Carlos González and Ian Desmond have turned things around after tough 2017 seasons, and Trevor Story has turned himself into one of the top offensive shortstops in the National League, and was rewarded with his first career All-Star Game invite.

Going forward

Recency bias can be a heck of a drug, and it can make it hard to see anything that needs to be improved upon going forward because of this recent strong stretch of complete baseball the Rockies have been playing. Colorado cannot take its foot off the metaphorical gas pedal, though.

Overshadowed by the team’s great play have been the struggles of Jake McGee and the return of Bryan Shaw, two relievers the Rockies desperately need to get right. McGee’s 6.15 ERA this season would be a career-worst, and he has given up runs in eight of 17 appearances since the beginning of June. Shaw is back from the DL and his rehab stint with Albuquerque and, like McGee, his 7.23 ERA this year would be a career-worst … by far. Since returning to the 25-man roster, he hasn’t given up a run in two appearances spanning 1.2 innings, so he’s another player to watch.

Next: Colorado reveals the plan for the return of David Dahl

Overall, the Rockies have put themselves in a good spot entering the second half, but they still find themselves on the outside looking in on the playoffs. There is still work to do, but this should be a fun second half to watch.

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