Colorado Rockies: 4 good things that happened in 2020

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 22: Larry Walker speak to the media after being elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2020 on January 22, 2020 at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. The National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Sunday, July 26, 2020 in Cooperstown, NY. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Let’s face it, 2020 wasn’t the best year for our world or for the Colorado Rockies. However, it wasn’t all bad. Let’s look back at four things that made 2020 somewhat tolerable for Rockies fans.

While 2020 ended up being a disappointment overall for the Colorado Rockies, finishing the year with a 26-34 mark after an 11-3 start, there were still some moments and players that gave us hope for 2021 and what could be to come for the franchise.

We start our look back at 2020 with something that happened even before the season began as Larry Walker became the first Rockies player to earn induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In his 10th and final season of eligibility, Walker appeared on 76.6 percent of the ballots cast by HOF voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

It was a close call, but Walker finished above the 75 percent mark needed for enshrinement. How close was it? Walker was preparing for the worst, but ended up with a call to join the immortals in Cooperstown.

Although I believe I’m going to come up a little short today I still wanna thank all you that have been pulling for me and showing your support. I’m grateful for all of you! It’s been fun leading up to today reading everyone’s thoughts. Cheers 🍻 LW
— Larry Walker (@Cdnmooselips33) January 21, 2020

While Walker’s ceremony was postponed to 2021 because of COVID-19, there is no doubt that it will be a moment embraced by Rockies fans. And, who knows, with the gains seen by Todd Helton in this year’s voting (his third year on the ballot), Walker has hopefully opened the door for players to be recognized for their on-the-field greatness, even if they called Coors Field home.

Aug 12, 2020; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Yency Almonte (62) pitches in the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

There has been a lot of discussion about the return of Daniel Bard and what it meant for the Rockies (and for all of us who needed a feel-good story in a very down year). So let’s look at another success story from the 2020 Rockies bullpen.

In a year when there was little to smile about with the Colorado bullpen (the 6.77 combined ERA was the highest for Colorado’s relievers in franchise history), Yency Almonte made great strides.

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The 26-year-old right-hander posted a 2.93 ERA, 3.44 FIP, and 1.120 WHIP in 27.2 innings across 24 games. His 0.7 bWAR put him in the top 10 for all Rockies in 2020, and has placed him in a good spot to be a key part of the bullpen in 2021.

Almonte’s 1.98 ERA away from Coors Field (along with a 0.951 WHIP and .191 opponents batting average) were good signs, but Almonte also was dealing at altitude with a respectable 3.86 ERA and a 13-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

There will be much talk in the coming days about what the back end of the Colorado bullpen might look like in 2021 if Scott Oberg is able to return after a lost season in 2020 due to blood clots. Oberg, Bard, and Mychal Givens give the Rockies options, but don’t forget about Almonte as well. A strong 2020 has put him in the hunt for an even larger role in 2021.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 18: Antonio Senzatela #49 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on August 18, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Remember back to the start of spring training in Scottsdale in 2020 and how much of the worry with Colorado’s rotation would be what happened with the fourth and fifth starters. After all, the Rockies were confident with German Marquez, Kyle Freeland, and Jon Gray … but what was to come after that?

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Well, Antonio Senzatela absolutely exceeded expectations, leading the Rockies in 2020 in bWAR at 2.8. He also paced the Rockies in wins with five and a 3.44 ERA (pitching 73.1 innings across his 12 starts). His complete game win over the Oakland A’s on September 15 saw him scatter six hits and need 109 pitches to notch Colorado’s first complete game at home since Gray in 2016.

Senzatela was durable and effective in 2020, becoming one of just three National League pitchers to record multiple outings of eight innings or more. He also recorded two scoreless outings (pitching eight innings on August 18 at Houston and seven innings at home on August 29 against San Diego).

How good was Senzatela in 2020? He made five starts (pitching at least six innings in each start) where he allowed one or fewer runs, and they were all against teams who would advance to the postseason.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 24: Raimel Tapia #15 of the Colorado Rockies at bat against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 24, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Much like Almonte and Senzatela, Raimel Tapia made great strides in his development in 2020. He also proved that he could provide a spark for the Colorado lineup as a leadoff batter.

After posting a -0.8 bWAR in 2019, Tapia turned things around in 2020, logging a 0.8 bWAR. Part of that was the .326 batting average he posted when batting leadoff for the Rockies in 34 games. That average from the leadoff position was the third-highest among qualified National League batters.

Tapia, who posted a career-best 96 OPS+, ranked seventh in the National League with a .321 batting average. He also continued a strong showing at the plate as the season progressed, posting a .339 average over his final 43 games of the campaign. Tapia’s numbers are especially impressive after noting he started the season 2-for-16 in his first eight games.

The 26-year-old outfielder hit safely in 15 of 16 games between August 11 and September 27, batting .354 during that streak. He also put together two separate nine-game hitting streaks during the season and recorded six games with at least three hits, tying him for fifth-most in the National League.

Here are the updated World Series odds for the Rockies in 2021. dark. Next

And, as honorable mention, let’s not forget Josh Fuentes and the stranglehold he put on the first base position in 2020. Here’s one opinion on why Fuentes should be considered the starter at the position heading into 2021.

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Let’s face it, 2020 wasn’t the best year for our world or for the Colorado Rockies. However, it wasn’t all bad. Let’s look back at four things that made 2020 somewhat tolerable for Rockies fans.

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