Colorado Rockies: Three things we might have gotten wrong

With the first full month of the 2019 Major League schedule behind us, it is safe to say that there is plenty of baseball left to play this season. With the Colorado Rockies still hovering just below the .500 mark, that’s a very good thing to know and remember.

One of the jobs for any media outlet is to try to forecast what things may or may not happen during the season. We do that for the Colorado Rockies, along with other media organizations who are focused on the team. However, forecasting is by no means an exact science … and neither is the game of baseball. That’s just one of the reasons why we love the sport so much.

Obviously, we love to talk about the times that we have talked about players and trends heading into the 2019 season and our thoughts have actually turned out right. Well, at least so far they have, kind of like our pick of Bryan Shaw for Colorado’s comeback player of the year when we wrote this article back in February.

Today, however, let’s be honest about some of the things that haven’t gone the way we expected so far this season … at least in our minds. Let’s talk about three players who have surprised us in a good or not so good way and if those trends will continue. And, by the way, that doesn’t include Kyle Freeland, who has struggled to a 4.82 ERA and 4.33 FIP through his first six starts and already spent time on the injured list.

We tried to pump the brakes on all of the worry surrounding Tyler Anderson and the back end of the Colorado rotation this season. We tried to explain how Anderson’s strong September would pave the way for a more consistent 2019. We attempted to use the logic of an offseason where he could recover from any injuries that held him back last season and truly start the 2019 campaign fresh and ready to be a strong middle-of-the-rotation guy for the Rockies.

Well, so far, none of those logical thoughts have become a reality. The 29-year-old southpaw has struggled this season to an 11.34 ERA in four starts heading into Friday night’s scheduled start at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his two previous home starts, he has lasted just a combined seven innings while opponents are hitting .419 against him. Yikes.

Is Anderson in trouble regarding his rotation spot? Read into it whatever you will from this recent discussion on MLB Network Radio with Colorado manager Bud Black…

What happens after that? Friday night could determine a lot about Anderson in the rotation and his future with the Rockies. If he falters, expect the questions to fire up quickly. Could we see Chad Bettis back in the rotation? Could Jeff Hoffman get another call-up? What about Peter Lambert or a future Rockies pitcher finally getting a chance to step into the rotation? Maybe a free agent out there like Dallas Keuchel could be signed?

We were hoping to see a healthy and efficient Anderson on the mound this season. So far, it hasn’t happened.

Colorado Rockies fans have clamored for a couple of seasons about Raimel Tapia and wanting to see what he could do if given an ample amount of playing time. So far this season, Tapia is rewarding those who banged the drum for more at-bats and for more moments of “mucho swagger” at the plate.

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Without Gerardo Parra and Carlos Gonzalez taking up spots in the outfield, and with Tapia out of options, the Rockies finally decided to see exactly what the 25-year-old outfielder could bring to the lineup. They have seen Tapia post a .286/.329/.584 slash line and blast four home runs this season after totaling just three in his three-year Major League career prior to this year. He has also pushed veteran outfielder Ian Desmond into a platoon situation.

I admit that I advocated for the Rockies to trade Tapia in the offseason. But I also admit that I wrote that article thinking that Colorado would still find a way to bury Tapia somehow this season and not give him playing time. However, Tapia pushed his way into the lineup and is making a big difference at the bottom of the Colorado batting order.

There is still plenty for the young outfielder to work on, including some things on defense and cutting down on swinging at balls outside the strike zone. However, it’s clear that Tapia has earned the right to play more with a hot start that hopefully will continue.