Rockies’ historically bad rotation needs ‘next wave of young starters’ to succeed

The facts present a forlorn and foreboding portrait of the Rockies’ starting pitching. A 6.62 ERA, anyone?

The Rockies’ brass, however, doesn’t believe the future is futile. Leaning on the talent of its largely untested prospects, the Rockies cling to the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel.” The nearest rays of hope come from young pitchers such as right-handers Chase Dollander, Gabriel Hughes and Tanner Gordon, as well as lefty Sean Sullivan.

Asked if there is real promise in those pitchers, pitching coach Darryl Scott replied, “Absolutely.”

“We had a wave of solid starting pitchers with Kyle Freeland, German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela, those guys, going back to our playoff teams (in 2017-18),” Scott continued. “Now we have a young wave that’s ready to come through. There is a nice young wave of arms that we haven’t seen in quite some time.”

General manager Bill Schmidt, whose future with the team is uncertain as the Rockies careen toward a third consecutive 100-loss season, agreed. “But I think any time you are going with young kids, some growth (is needed).”

Fact, however, must take precedence over hopeful words and optimistic projections. And the facts aren’t pretty.

A combination of poor performance, injuries and inexperience has put Colorado’s rotation in a bad place. The Rockies entered Saturday’s game with the Cubs with that starters ERA of 6.62 — on pace for the highest in franchise history and the second-highest in baseball’s modern era. The 1999 Rockies rotation had a 6.19 ERA during the pre-humidor days at Coors Field. The 1996 Tigers’ rotation had a 6.64 ERA, which contributed to their 109-loss season.

Current Rockies starters have a .317 batting average against, a 1.683 WHIP, and a 7.93 ERA in the first inning — all the worst marks in the majors, by a considerable margin.

“The veteran guys we had, we didn’t get the production we needed,” Schmidt said, adding that Marquez and Senzatela were still rusty coming back from time missed after undergoing Tommy John surgeries in 2023 and complications in 2024.

To think, Colorado entered the season with hope that it was turning the corner. Former manager Bud Black projected that the veteran core of the rotation — right-handers German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela and Ryan Feltner, and lefties Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber — would provide stability.

Gomber is no longer with the team, Feltner hasn’t pitched since late April, Senzatela was demoted to the bullpen this week, and Black was fired on May 11 after the Rockies opened the season 7-33.

The club also anticipated a strong, if inconsistent, first season from Dollander.

The 2023 first-round draft choice has flashed talent, but after his first 19 major league starts, he’s 2-11 with a 6.55 ERA, including a 9.88 ERA and 10 homers allowed in 10 starts at Coors Field. Overall, he has lacked efficiency and has struggled to put hitters away when he gets ahead in the count.

“We’ve talked a lot about that, and Chase is aware,” Scott said. “He’s working every time out on that. … I believe Chase has the stuff to be a No. 1 starter on any team at any time. And I truly believe he will be that guy here.”

Asked if Coors Field has gotten into the rookie’s head, Scott said, “Absolutely not.”

Dollander says the same thing: “I’m going to throw half my starts in Denver. I’ve just got to figure it out, and I’m on the way to figuring it out. I’m excited to get back there and show what I got in Denver.”

None of Colorado’s core starters has met expectations. Gomber, who missed the first two months of the season with shoulder soreness, was released on Aug. 22, carrying the baggage of a 0-7 record and a 7.49 ERA over 12 starts.

Senzatela (4-15, 7.15 ERA) was recently demoted because of poor performance and the club’s need to give rookie right-handers McCade Brown and Gordon big-league experience during the final weeks of the season. Whether or not Senzatela can be a part of the rotation next season is a major question mark, even though he’s due $12 million in 2026. The club holds an option for the 2027 season when he’s scheduled to make $14 million.

Feltner emerged as Colorado’s best starter in the second half last season, posting a 2.98 ERA and a .227 batting average against for his final 15 starts. But injuries limited him to six starts (0-2, 4.75 ERA) this season, and he remains sidelined by a sore shoulder. His problems began with a back injury that put him on the injured list at the end of April.

“I thought, 100%, that he had a chance to be our No. 1 starter, based on what he did last year,” Scott said. “I thought he was in a position to be a No. 1 or No. 2 starter for us and take off. He had a chance to be our opening-day starter and the foundation of our rotation moving forward. So this has been a frustrating season for him and for us.”

Freeland has had some solid outings and produced 11 quality starts, but his 5.28 ERA and 20 home runs surrendered in 25 starts are below his own expectations.

Marquez, 30, rejoined the rotation on Friday after being on the injured list since July 21 with right biceps tendinitis. He got blown up by the Cubs, giving up eight runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. For the first time in his career, he failed to strike out a batter. He’d made 21 starts this season, going 3-12 with a 6.14 ERA. Subpar numbers, for sure, but before his injury, Marquez was pitching well, posting a 3.55 ERA over his last 11 starts.

Outside of Dollander, Marquez might be Colorado’s most talented starter, or at least he used to be before Tommy John surgery. But he’s scheduled to become a free agent and will almost certainly sign with another team during the offseason.

That leaves Colorado’s cupboard nearly bare of experienced starters for the 2026 season. Given the vagaries of pitching at altitude at Coors Field, signing an accomplished veteran pitcher via free agency is unlikely. Obtaining a starter via trades is possible. However, the Rockies must rely on youth and the promise of their prospects to forge a turnaround.

“I think it’s exciting,” said Chris Forbes, director of player development. “Sure, we still have to develop these young guys, but they have talent.”

Forbes points to Hughes as a possible candidate for next year’s rotation. He is 2-5 with a 4.55 ERA at three minor league levels this season.

The 10th overall pick out of Gonzaga in 2022 missed the entire 2024 minor league season recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. But he’s made encouraging strides in the second half of the season at Triple-A Albuquerque. On Tuesday, he made the best of his 10 Triple-A starts this season, pitching a season-high six innings, with five strikeouts and one run on three hits. He missed starts for five weeks in July and August because of shoulder inflammation and some mechanical issues that needed to be addressed after his surgery.

“We have to remember that this is a rehab year for Gabe after Tommy John, and he’s had a couple of little setbacks,” Forbes said. “But now he’s getting in-game innings, and his innings will be up to where he can have a full offseason. And we love the idea of starting his offseason a little bit earlier.”

Whether Hughes is actually ready for the big leagues next season remains to be seen. Still, the Rockies seem sold on Gordon, acquired by the Rockies from the Braves at the trade deadline in 2023, along with closer Victor Vodnik, in a deal that sent reliever Pierce Johnson to Atlanta.

“I think Tanner Gordon, even though he might just be a bottom-of-the-rotation starter, knows he can be effective,” Schmidt said. “He’s beaten some good teams.”

On Tuesday night in Houston, Gordon became the first Rockies pitcher this season to win three consecutive starts. Those wins came over the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Astros, leaving him 5-5 with a 6.44 ERA over 10 big-league stars. His three-game stretch came after the D-backs blasted him for 10 runs on 12 hits at Chase Field on Aug. 10.

The win over the Astros was viewed as a big step forward.

“I’m trying to keep it really simple out there,” Gordon said after pitching six innings of one-run ball in Colorado’s 6-1 win at Daikin Park. “Just going out and executing pitches and being in attack mode from pitch No. 1 to the very end.”

Scott likes that Gordon is an intense competitor and a quick, eager learner. Gordon, Scott said, reminds him of a young, right-handed version of Freeland. That is, a pitcher who’s a technician who wins with precision pitching.

“That’s pretty high praise,” Gordon said. “Kyle Freeland is a hell of a pitcher and a great teammate. I think that comparison kind of rings true. He has more pitches than I do, and they move a little bit more. But when he’s on, he’s on. If I can execute pitches like that, I can put pressure on the other team and give us the chance to win.”

The Rockies’ job is to take the talents of Dollander, Gordon, Hughes, and others and shape them into big-league pitchers. Otherwise, the franchise could be out of answers.

“There is a lot to learn for a lot of these guys,” Scott said. “This is not a ‘stuff’ game. That’s really hard to get through to guys because stuff is what got them drafted. Ultimately, if you have stuff, plus command, that’s what makes a really good pitcher at the big-league level. That’s what we’re aiming for.”

Soaring ERAs

This season, Rockies starters have posted one of the highest ERAs in the modern era of baseball (since 1901). They trail only the 1996 Tigers for the worst ERA. Here are the five highest ERAs (not counting the 2020 COVID season):

#Through 105 games on Aug. 29. | Source: Stats, Inc.

Note: Not all starters’ ERAs are available since 1901.

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