Colorado Rockies: Can Antonio Senzatela repeat 2020 success?

It’s easy to forget with how poorly the 2020 season ended for the Colorado Rockies that their starting pitching was actually quite good, and Antonio Senzatela was a big factor.

One of the bright spots for the Colorado Rockies in 2020 was their starting pitching. Bounce-back seasons from Kyle Freeland and German Marquez were a big reason why, but the best season, surprisingly, came from projected end-of-the-rotation right-hander Antonio Senzatela.

After a few up and down seasons that showed flashes of talent mixed with inconsistency, Senzatela broke out in 2020 and led the team in ERA and wins. While his 3.44 ERA was impressive, he entered the final game of the season with a 3.13 ERA and could have finished with an even lower mark.

While not one of the biggest names in the game, Senzatela took a monumental step forward and posted results that landed among the better pitchers in the sport. It was enough to garner him some national attention.

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Recently, MLB.com named him the Colorado Rockies’ most untouchable player. That says a lot about where the Rockies are right now but it also speaks volumes of Senzatela’s growth and the respect others in the game have for his repertoire and talent.

It’s also worth noting that Senza is still only 25–although he already has four seasons under his belt and appears to be entering the prime of his career. The only question is whether he can keep his success going next season or if inconsistency keeps him from continuing to take that next step forward.

Pitching is a delicate process and prolonged success at altitude has seemed nearly impossible to accomplish. We need to look no farther than Freeland who finished fourth in Cy Young voting one year and was demoted to AAA the next summer. But Freeland bounced back to join Senzatela and Marquez to form one of the better young starting trios in the game last season, giving fans hope that perhaps this team could put together strong, reliable starting pitching for years to come.

With an improved repertoire and maturing talent, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Senzatela’s 2020 was no fluke. Now, if only this team could figure out how to hit consistently.