Colorado Rockies: Why they will win more games than you think in 2021

The Colorado Rockies are not going to be a good team this year. Yes, I know, they haven’t played a game yet and won’t until Thursday when they face the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Rockies will have to face the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres 38 times in 2021 and they, at least on paper, are the two best teams on paper and the reigning World Champion Dodgers are, far and away, the best team on paper in all of baseball.

But the Colorado Rockies will still be a better team than you likely expect. Now, that’s not a high bar, considering that seeing some of your predictions on Twitter, but I think that they will be a better team.

That doesn’t mean that they will be a good team, though.

For the record, BetOnline.ag has the Rockies over/under number at 62.5. So, essentially, do you think the Rockies are a 100-loss team or not? My answer: No, they are not.

While I would personally take the over on that, I would not go much higher than that. As of Tuesday, I would project the Rockies as being a 66-96 team.

Why would I take the over on the Colorado Rockies over/under number?

If German Marquez, Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, and Jon Gray give the Rockies 115 (give or take 10 starts), the Rockies should not be a 100 loss team. The bullpen probably won’t be great or even good but if Daniel Bard and Yency Almonte repeat their 2020 success and if one or two other relievers prove to be semi-reliable, the bullpen will not be as atrocious as they were last year.

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Offensively, I expect some guys to play well, like Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon, C.J. Cron, and Ryan McMahon.

But the offense will still be the problem and, as we’ve already seen, injuries will be a problem for the Rockies.

The Rockies will also likely trade Trevor Story some time this season as well as Jon Gray, Mychal Givens, C.J. Cron, and perhaps, others too. If all of them are traded, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rockies get closer to or even lose 100 or more games.

However, as they are currently constructed, I think that the Rockies are a 66-96 team. Here’s what I’d have for the NL West, in general, along with the over under next to it in parentheses.

• Los Angeles Dodgers 108-54 (O/U 103.5)
• San Diego Padres 98-64 (O/U 95.5)
• Arizona Diamondbacks 71-91 (O/U 75.5)
• San Francisco Giants 70-92 (O/U 75.5)
• Colorado Rockies 66-96 (O/U 62.5)

Still not a pretty season for the Rockies but it likely won’t be an unbearable season that the Rockies will have well over 100 losses … at least as they are currently constructed.