Colorado Rockies: Ashton Goudeau benefits from change in offseason home

A change in location for offseason training might have been just what the doctor ordered for Ashton Goudeau of the Colorado Rockies.

In the past, Goudeau–who handled middle relief as well as spot starting roles last year with the Rox–spent his winters in preparation for the upcoming baseball season in Louisiana where his family resides.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Ashton Goudeau decided to change his plans this winter and remain in Denver to train.

One of the things that Colorado Rockies pitcher Ashton Goudeau decided to change was where he trained. He decided that he wanted to stay in Denver instead of Louisiana.

“In the offseason, I wanted to stay here to get used to training at altitude,” Goudeau told Rox Pile in an exclusive conversation earlier this week. He is in what’s now his third go-around with the Rockies after ending the 2021 season with the organization.

“I wanted to get used to recovering at altitude and just getting used to throwing here, getting the shape of my pitches here, and learning how to be more effective here. My body feels good at altitude now.

“I think it paid off,” added Goudeau, who earned his first career save with a scoreless inning of relief April 11 in the team’s game at Texas.

“Learning my release point of my pitches, learning how to be more effective here. I took that into spring training and I was able to have a good spring, too.”

Goudeau’s stats through his first 10 games with the Colorado Rockies this season indicate that the move to relocate for the winter was a good one. After scoreless relief appearances to open the season, the right-hander allowed his first earned run Sunday when he gave up a solo home run to Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs.

Entering action on Wednesday, his 7 2/3 innings of relief are tied for eighth-most in the majors among relievers and stand fifth-most in the National League. In four relief appearances, he has permitted four hits while posting five strikeouts. His ERA is an excellent 1.17.

In addition, of the eight baserunners Goudeau has inherited—tied for the most in the Majors—he has stranded all but one.

All these numbers this season have come after Goudeau finally had a chance to settle in with the Rox after the organization acquired him via a trade with Cincinnati in July 2021.

Prior to the trade, Goudeau had spent time with five different Major League organizations since the end of 2020. During that time, he was designated for assignment and acquired off waivers four separate times.

“It’s a relief coming from last year with as much movement as I had,” he said. “It was good to just come into camp and actually get a chance to perform. At the end of last year, my thinking was that it would be nice just to be able to be left alone. Let me pitch and let me fill into whatever role it would be and just let me get used to that. I have been able to do that this year.

“Once we got into camp, I saw that I would be lining up for that long-guy role again, kind of that middle relief option,” he added. “That’s just what I have been focusing on and just trying to make sure every day I am prepared to do that the best that I can.”

Now that he has established himself on Colorado’s roster, Goudeau plans to keep doing what has proven to be successful for him in what can be the topsy-turvy world of Major League Baseball.

“Just continue to stay focused on what has helped me so far,” he said. “Being aggressive in the zone. When that happens, you will give up home runs here and there. Be aggressive with the curveball and the changeup Just keep mixing it in and hopefully keep the team in the game.”