Rockies News: Roster moves, Spring Breakout, offensive surprises and familiar faces

The offense could surprise this year

Coming into spring training, we knew there was going to be a battle for some pitching jobs, both in the rotation and the bullpen. The pitching staff was expected to struggle, and this team was most likely going to be carried by the offense; we may be surprised by how much this offense could carry this pitching staff.

The mainstays in this lineup will be fun to watch; guys like Nolan Jones, Ryan McMahon, Ezequiel Tovar and Brendan Rodgers should be solid contributors. After that group, there were some questions about who would step up, especially with the highest paid player, Kris Bryant, being injured for a majority of the last two years.

This spring has been a very surprising one for the team and a number of players individually. The team as a whole is slashing .282/.365/.454 (all rank inside the top four in MLB in 2024 spring training). A team that has been plagued by strikeouts, sits right in the middle (14th) in total strikeouts this spring). They could really surprise people on the base paths as well (24 stolen bases), as they are tied for the second most steals during spring training.

A few names this spring have popped and will look to build upon that in 2024. Brenton Doyle is ready to break out, hitting .375/.444/.375 stealing two bases, while looking way more comfortable at the plate. Michael Toglia and Elehuris Montero are both poised for breakout years, as they both are tied for the second most home runs this spring with three. Toglia struggled early but has gotten his strikeout rate below 30% on the spring (something that could really contribute to a successful 2024 season), along with an impressive 14.7% walk rate. Montero has gotten his strikeout rate below 27% and looks poised to launch some home runs in Colorado.