3 reasons why the 2019 Colorado Rockies will make the postseason

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Jon Gray and Tyler Anderson pull it together

Barring something unforeseen in spring, Kyle Freeland and German Marquez seem etched into the 1-2 spots in the 2019 Rockies rotation. Following that young duo, performances by Gray and Anderson this season have the chance to truly make the Rockies one of the best top-to-bottom rotations in Major League Baseball.

Gray’s struggles last season have been well-documented. However, even during the darkest days of last season, there were signs of hope. A 1.66 ERA in three July starts, spanning 21.2 innings. His second-to-last start of the year where he allowed one run and four hits over seven innings in a home win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

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It’s clear that the former first-round pick is being given every opportunity to rebound and come back even stronger in 2019. If he can truly succeed in what has been called a physical and mental rebuild and have the “ace” debate taken off his shoulders as he slides into a third or fourth starter role, it would be huge for the Rockies.

Anderson, meanwhile, started a career-high 32 games last season and seemed to put his health issues behind him. Like Gray, though, there was plenty of inconsistency. April saw a 1.88 ERA in five starts while five August starts netted an 11.38 ERA. He gave up 30 home runs last season, tying him for the most in the National League. He also allowed just one run and four hits over six innings in an NLDS start at Milwaukee.

What can a second healthy season bring for the 29-year-old southpaw? Like Gray, if he can put together a strong campaign and help solidify the back end of the rotation, it would go a long ways toward Colorado reaching the postseason again.

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