Rockies: German Marquez “likes” speculation of Opening Day start

Will German Marquez be the Opening Day starter for the Colorado Rockies? The speculation is out there and Marquez has quickly embraced it on social media.

When Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post tweeted out on Wednesday that Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black had strongly hinted that Marquez would be the 2020 Opening Day starter, social media took the tidbit and ran with it.

Will Marquez really be the Opening Day starter when the Rockies take the field against the Texas Rangers on July 24 at Globe Life Field? We don’t know the official answer to that yet, but that hasn’t stopped Rockies fans from loving the thought of it … and Marquez from liking that Rockies fans are loving it.

An Instagram post featuring the words of Saunders picked up steam on Wednesday. It was liked by several followers of the RockiesClub account, including Marquez himself.

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Marquez has posted double-digit wins for the Rockies in each of the last three seasons and was signed to a five-year, $43 million contract extension at the start of the 2019 campaign. The 25-year-old right-hander posted his highest ERA (4.76) in his three years in the Rockies rotation last season. However, he showcased his talent in an April start in San Francisco where he needed just 105 pitches to throw a one-hit shutout in what has been argued as one of the best-pitched games in Rockies history.

Two of Marquez’s fellow starting pitchers have Opening Day experience and, without official word from Bud Black, are still in the running for the Opening Day nod in Arlington. Those would be Jon Gray (the Opening Day starter in 2017 and 2018) and Kyle Freeland (Colorado’s Opening Day starter last season).

Marquez, Freeland, and Gray are expected to lead the Colorado rotation in an abbreviated 2020 campaign. With Colorado having off days at the start of the 2020 season, it’s possible that the trio could get some extra work during the first week when the Rockies travel to Texas for a three-game series, have an off day before a two-game series in Oakland, and then have an off day before the home opener against the San Diego Padres on July 31.

Will Marquez be the Opening Day starter? The probability is high, but we’ll find out officially from Black as the Rockies continue their summer camp workouts at Coors Field over the next few days.