Colorado Rockies: Should we be worried about Kyle Freeland?

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland was not very talkative after Saturday night’s home loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had just surrendered career-high numbers in runs allowed (eight) and home runs allowed (three) in six innings of work as Colorado dropped its second consecutive game to their National League West rivals.

However, one quote that Kyle Freeland gave to members of the media (including Rox Pile) after his performance spoke volumes.

"“This is a game of adjustments. If you can’t make the adjustments, someone is going to come and fill your spot so I have to figure some things out,” Freeland said bluntly."

On the same day that Tyler Anderson was optioned to Triple-A after struggling through his first five starts of the season, Freeland showed that the front end of the rotation still has some work to do as well.

Fastball command and location were pointed out by Freeland and Colorado manager Bud Black as issues that caused Saturday night’s problems. Those are the issues that have haunted Freeland through his first seven starts of the campaign as well. Those are also the areas where Freeland will have to make the necessary adjustments.

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Now at 2-5 this season with a 5.90 ERA, including giving up five or more runs in three of his six starts, there are some reasons to be concerned, including the location of Freeland’s pitches this season.

According to BaseballSavant.com, Freeland has thrown 1,294 four-seam fastballs this season, accounting for 39.9 percent of his pitches. They are the red dots in the graphic below. Fifty percent of those pitches have been in the strike zone with a vast majority of those being in the upper part of the zone.

It’s one of the reasons why Freeland’s home run numbers per nine innings are at 1.82 this season as opposed to 0.76 last year.

On Sunday, I asked Bud Black about what he was seeing from Freeland so far this season.

"“His fastball is still reading out at 90 or 91, which is his normal. Occasionally he’ll pop at 92,” Black said. “For me, the ball is just a little bit elevated, out over the plate. His strength a lot of times is when he’s pitching well inside to righties, hard in on the corner, and the ability to get the ball down and away. The last couple of starts, that has happened enough during the course of his outings.”"

OK, so let’s look at pitch locations so far in 2019 versus last season (2019 is below on the right while 2018 is on the left). If getting the ball inside and hitting the corners is a key to Freeland’s success, the lack of it this season so far could also be one of the biggest reasons why he isn’t replicating his numbers from 2018 when he went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA.

Black said that location was a key to any pitcher’s success, including his when he threw for 15 Major League seasons.

"“I had to rely on location and changing speeds. Most guys do,” Black said. “If you make mistakes, you’re going to pay.”"

And that’s where we are with Freeland at this point in the campaign. He isn’t a pitcher who is going to blow batters away with his power. He is a pitcher who needs to hit his spots and have his control on point. So far, that just hasn’t been the case.

In all, 54.4 percent of Freeland’s pitches haven’t been in the strike zone while the league average is 51.1 percent. This season, batters have swung at 1,467 of Freeland’s pitches and missed on 320 of them. That’s 21.8 percent, which is below the league average of 24.9 percent.

So what’s the bottom line? Absolutely, there is reason for concern with Freeland’s performance. There is also a reason to be concerned because a shaky Freeland impacts a Rockies rotation that has little margin for error up and down its grouping. Anderson is at Triple-A. Jon Gray has allowed five runs in three of his six starts. Antonio Senzatela has had his moments but is searching for consistency.

Outside of German Marquez, it’s been a mixed bag this season for the Colorado rotation, a group that was expected to be among the Rockies’ strengths this year.

One last note, let’s also be clear that Freeland has battled a blister through recent starts. However, he is adamant that it did not affect him on Saturday night.

Yes, Freeland will need to make adjustments and locate his pitches better. Until he does, there is absolutely a reason to be concerned about not only the 25-year-old southpaw but also the ability of Colorado’s rotation to shut down the opposition on a consistent basis.