Colorado Rockies: Predicting who will be All-Stars in 2020

The Colorado Rockies sent four representatives to the Midsummer Classic in 2019 – not bad for a sub-.500 team – and there is plenty more All-Star-worthy talent to go around.

The soon-to-be-defending-World Champions should have a host of players gunning for a spot in the 2020 All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Or maybe not! Let’s break down the possible situation.

Almost a Sure Thing

Nolan Arenado

I don’t need to say much about Arenado. He is one of the faces of the league, and his consistency on both offense and defense is remarkable. His fWAR was 5.7 the last two seasons and he’s hit at least 37 home runs since 2015. Four seasons in a row with a Gold Glove, All-Star selection and a Silver Slugger award will make you a household name.

Also, we would love to see Arenado in a Home Run Derby. You know the guy would take it very seriously.

In Contention

Jon Gray

Gray is the best pitcher in the Rockies rotation right now, and it ain’t close. Maybe there’s some magic in that atrocious haircut. He’s cracking the code of pitching in Coors – a 3.24 ERA and 3.59 FIP at home versus a 4.29 ERA and 4.27 FIP on the road.

If he can continue this pace and find more consistency on the road, will voters reward him for taming Coors? (Probably not, but they should.)

Long Shots

David Dahl

Obviously I was psyched for Dahl to be a 2019 All-Star, but I was skeptical he earned the spot over some other NL outfielders. The same will probably apply next season.

He will likely need more than a .308/.352/.530 slash line with 12 home runs in the first half of 2020 to book a ticket.

German Marquez

Let’s ignore this disastrous recent stretch for Marquez. When he is on, with command of his secondary pitches, he is almost impossible to crack.

Look at the last two months of 2018 – he posted a 2.24 ERA while striking out 110 batters and only walking 16 in 80.1 innings. Recapturing that form seems like a tall order right now, but no one can question the talent is there.

Daniel Murphy

Murphy just captured his first NL Player of the Week award in six years, and the Rockies are finally seeing the reliable bat they sought in acquiring Murphy. After a slow start and an injury marred his introduction to Colorado, Murphy’s slash line is .294/.346/.298 – a remarkable recovery.

Obviously, his defense is rough (-0.6 dWAR this season) and he has classic Coors home/road splits (.932 home OPS versus .749 on the road). But he certainly has name recognition on his side. If can start 2020 injury-free and raking, he could earn his first All-Star selection since 2017.

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Wishful Thinking

Kyle Freeland

Oh, Kyle, the hometown kid, the guy who dominated the Chicago Cubs in the last season’s NL Wild Card game and placed fourth in 2018 Cy Young voting. No one could have anticipated this season’s disastrous decline.

But Freeland is setting himself up to be the comeback story of 2020. Every hero must fall before he can rise again. Right? Right?!

Raimel Tapia

The All-Star Game needs more swagger, and Tapia would bring mucho. Tapia needs to address some glaring deficiencies, mainly the plate discipline that hurts his on-base percentage and makes him mincemeat against pitchers with above-average breaking balls. But if he fixes those issues, continues to increase his power and takes advantage of his speed to make some spectacular outfield plays, America could be lucky enough to be introduced to Tapia.

Oh, and more regular playing time would certainly help. That might be the biggest obstacle in his development.

Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers’ first cup of coffee in the big leagues was … not good. His slash line was .224/.272/.250 in 81 plate appearances. Yet it’s not a surprise – it’s what happens when you have to figure out MLB pitching while not getting consistent at-bats.

Perhaps in 2020 the Rockies’ number-one prospect will earn himself an everyday roster spot and capitalize on the promise he’s shown at every other level.