Colorado Rockies: Their starting rotation has some issues

As German Marquez continues to charge ahead like a bullet train, the back end of the Colorado Rockies rotation is struggling to stay on the rails.

Heading into Monday’s series opener against Atlanta, the Rockies rotation had given up 34 earned runs through 10 games. German Marquez and Kyle Freeland were responsible for just four of those runs. The rest? Jon Gray has allowed eight runs, Tyler Anderson eleven, and Chad Bettis eleven (and in just 8 1/3 innings, good for an 11.88 ERA).

This has made the Rockies starters 25th in baseball in ERA (5.60) while opponents have slashed .266/.346/.444 against them (the .790 OPS is good for 25th as well).

The rotation was supposed to a strength for this squad. Last season, the starters posted an fWAR of 14.3, 9th in all of baseball.

But before diving further into the issue, I have to address Gray: he is not the problem. Gray had three excellent innings against the Dodgers on Saturday before allowing four runs in the fourth and sixth innings to Rockies-killer Justin Turner and an obscenely hot Cody Bellinger.

It is the two other rotation spots that need retooling.

Anderson’s struggles are carrying over from last season, as the Rockies have lost 13 of his last 15 starts. And now he is on the injured list. According to Thomas Harding at MLB.com, Anderson had been pitching through the knee issue all spring.

It’s certainly looked like something was wrong with Anderson in his two 2019 starts. He struggled with command against Miami on March 30 – especially with his cutter, which has become a make-or-break pitch. If he can’t locate that pitch, he will get lit up, like he did against the Dodgers in the home opener on April 5.

The same goes for Bettis, and this might be the worst version of Bettis we’ve ever seen. His lack of control is getting him behind in counts, his breaking ball is ineffective, and major-league hitters are taking advantage. The result is a 47.1 percent hard-hit rate and six walks in just 8 1/3 innings so far.

Bettis was effective in the bullpen at the end of 2018, where he posted a 1.93 ERA and allowed just three walks and one home run in eight appearances. That might be where he belongs, because right now he has no business being on a major-league rotation – especially one that wants to contend for the postseason.

So, if the 3-7 Rockies are going to bounce back, it is imperative that the team finds some answers for the caboose of this rotation.

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A huge boost to the Rockies would be a healthy Antonio Senzatela. Senzatela allowed two earned runs and posted three strikeouts across five innings in his rehab start with the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes this past weekend. And Senzatela was solid at the back end of the rotation after earning a starting role in early July 2018, finishing with a 3.95 ERA and allowing just less than four earned runs in nine of 13 starts.

The Rockies can plug Senza into the rotation with a fair amount of confidence.

It could also be Peter Lambert‘s time. The 21-year-old prospect has no appearances with the big club, but had a promising Spring Training, posting a 3.38 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. He cruised through three innings in his first start with Albuquerque before getting knocked around in the fourth inning.

Oh, and Lambert had seven strikeouts and one walk in Albuquerque’s March 25 exhibition game against the Rockies.

Jeff Hoffman would probably not be a permanent fixture for the Rockies rotation, but could offer some emergency assistance. He has big-league experience, yet inconsistency is his calling card. But Harding reported that Hoffman has “the potential for an overpowering fastball, thanks to a velocity increase after refining his workout program and motion during the winter.”

It also might be Hoffman’s final chance to prove he can be a viable Major League rotation arm.

Teams almost never have the consistency in their rotations that the Rockies did last season, when the team used just six starters (with the exception of a lone Hoffman start in July). And 2019 promises to be a more turbulent year on the mound. Buckle up, Rockies fans.