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

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.