Colorado Rockies: 4 good things that happened in 2020

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.

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