By Jordan Long
Major League Baseball is at the unofficial halfway point with the All-Star break. Teams will resume the regular season on Friday. The Colorado Rockies enter the break at 51-45, 2 games back of the Dodgers for 1st place in the National League West.
Colorado’s strength has always been hitting. To this point in the season, this year is no different. They are 7th in all of Major League Baseball with a .258 batting average as a team. The Rockies are not only hitting the baseball, but also the long ball with 124 home runs. Nolan Arenado is 2nd in the National League in home runs with 23. Jesus Aguilar is 1 ahead of Arenado at 24.
Colorado knows heading into the 2nd half of the season the hitting will be there. They are stacked with athletes who will continue to smack base hits and home runs. For them to become a playoff team and possibly win the National League West Division, the offense will need to be the driving force.
Colorado’s Achilles heal has always been pitching. The Rockies have average starting pitching with a combined ERA of 4.39. That must improve for the Rockies to have any chance at the postseason. Kyle Freeland leads the Rockies with an 8-6 record with a 3.11 ERA.
When starters have a decent outing, Colorado hasn’t been able to trust the bullpen. Colorado’s combined ERA in the 1st half is 5.20, 28th in all of baseball. Manager Bud Black seems to leave relievers in the game when they don’t have it. By the time Black takes a pitcher out of the game, Colorado is either tied or losing. The only arm he can seem to trust out of the pen is Adam Ottavino. He shuts the door on the opponents with a 1.62 ERA.
Colorado is in a decent position to make a run at the postseason. In the 2nd half the pitching is what will decide if they are in the playoffs or watching them on TV. It has to be better, especially the bullpen. The bullpen can’t afford to blow games like they have in the 1st half. Black must have a shorter leash when a pitcher doesn’t have it that day. The Rockies will continue the baseball season on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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