5 Rockies that need to step up in 2024

Finally, after a long and miserable summer, the Colorado Rockies 2023 season has come to an end.

The 2023 season will definitely go down in the history books but not for good reason. The Rockies accomplished a team milestone that has never happened in franchise history by losing 100 games in a season.

Over the course of the year, the Rockies were decimated by injuries and terrible pitching. The team ended the year with their entire opening-day rotation and key veteran hitters on the injured list, leaving them with almost no chance to compete. Followed by staying healthy, the Rockies will also need a boost of production out of veteran and young hitters next year.

Going forward, I decided to take a look at this year's roster and highlight five players that will be key in the team's success next year.

1. Kyle Freeland need to return to his 2018 self

Just a few weeks into the 2022 MLB season, the Rockies announced that they agreed on a five year contract extension with veteran starting pitcher Kyle Freeland.

While it's only been two years since that extension, this deal is starting to look like one that might actually haunt the Rockies instead of being a steal as he signed for a $64.5 million contract extension.

Over the last two years, Freeland has yet to win 10 games in a season and has not been able to keep his ERA below a 4.00 This past year, Freeland finished with a 6-14 record with a 5.03 ERA, 94 strikeouts, 42 walks giving him a 2.2 strikeout to walk ratio.

In 2018, Freeland showed promise as a future ace of the staff for Colorado as he finished the year with a 17-7 record and a 2.85 ERA while striking out a career-high, 173 batters. Since then, Freeland has yet to replicate that 2018 season and is starting to look like he might be a one-hit wonder.

While Freeland might be a fan favorite as he is a Denver native and attended high school just 11 miles away from Coors Field at Thomas Jefferson High School, if he cannot step it up in 2024, he might have to be a name the Rockies should consider to cut ties with next season.

2. Kris Bryant needs to stay healthy

Without a doubt, Kris Bryant has been a controversial topic since his arrival to Colorado. Bryant, 31, signed a seven-year $182 million contract with the Rockies just a year after the team traded Nolan Arrenado to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The decision to sign Bryant came as a surprise to many as the Rockies were entering the early stages of a rebuild which made no sense to sign Bryant as they were in no position to compete in 2022 and beyond.

While Bryant is a great player and makes a great addition to any clubhouse, his impact has been almost nonexistent in Colorado as he has continuously missed significant time due to injuries.

In his first year, Bryant dealt with both a back and foot injury throughout the course of the year. This past year, he missed a significant amount of time after a devastating fractured finger after being hit by a pitch days before he went on the injured list.

To give Bryant credit, going on the IL after a hit by pitch is out of every players control and is not something anyone wants to see. Bryant also wanted to play through the injury but unfortunately, the injury was too significant and was becoming too much of an issue for him to continue on.

When Bryant is in the lineup, he has been a productive piece. In 2022, Bryant played in 42 games and had a slash line of .306/.376/.475 with five home runs, 14 RBI's, and 12 doubles.

The goal for Bryant next year should be to play a full season without going on the IL. If he does manage to stay healthy, we could very well see the same type of productivity in 2022 replicate next year.

With the emergence of Brenton Doyle, Hunter Goodman, and Nolan Jones, it has forced Bryant to shift positions for the fourth time in his career as he is expected to become the team's everyday first baseman.

4. Elehuris Montero needs to step it up for a full year

Another name that was traded with Gomber from the Cardinals in the Arrenado deal was first baseman/outfielder Elehuris Montero.

As I mentioned earlier, Kris Bryant will likely become the Rockies' everyday first baseman next season, and with an outfield that is getting crowded with young talent across the board, Montero just might find himself in a make-or-break year for the Rockies next season.

Montero had a fairly similar season last year like Gomber as he was struggling early on but finished the year off hot. In the month of Sept. he had a slash line of .298/.368/.553 with six home runs, 13 RBI's, six doubles, and drawing eight walks. Unfortunately, Montero struck out 29 times during this stretch and this will be an area he needs to improve upon as a hitter.

Being able to prove that his second half of the year was not a fluke, Montero will need to provide that kind of production at the beginning of next year if he hopes to find a role on this team as a platoon player.

5. Brenton Doyle needs to find his bat

It's no doubt that Brenton Doyle has quickly emerged into one of the best defenders in all of baseball this past season.

The rookie center fielder ranked first in every statistical category imaginable last year and should find himself winning the first of what should be many gold gloves in a promising young career.

On the base paths, Doyle has proven to be just as effective as he won the Rockies their final game of the year in 2023 from a wild pitch that allowed him to steal home from third base.

Doyles speed in the outfield and on the base paths is nothing but in elite category and has made him the type of player every organization would dream of.

The one area in Doyle's game that does need to improve is one that could potentially limit his MLB career and that is hit bat.

This year, Doyle finished with a .203 batting average and an OPS of .593. While raking in 10 home runs, 48 RBI's, 16 doubles, and five triples. With Doyle's speed, he could turn into a prime doubles and triples hitter and could very well find himself having the type of career like his veteran teammate Charlie Blackmon.