The Colorado Rockies need an Ace

The Colorado Rockies need an Ace

Today on Locked on Rockies, it’s been too long. Or depending on who you ask, never have the Rockies had an ace in their starting pitching lineup. It’s going to be no easy task to just wave a magic wand. Hope you developed one or have one signed and come here. But the numbers show starting pitching matters. [Music] You are Locked on Rockies, your daily Colorado Rockies podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. Rock on Rockies fans. Welcome into the Locked On Rockies podcast for today, the 28th day of October in the year 2025. I am your host of the Lockdown Rockies podcast. Paul Holden bringing you your daily Colorado Rockies talk right here on the Lockdown Podcast Network where you can find your team every day. And if your team is the Colorado Rockies, well, guess what? You are in the right spot. You are here hanging out with your fellow Rockies fans, letting me know what’s on your mind on the Lockdown Rockies YouTube comment section, hanging out as we navigate a very big off season for the Colorado Rockies. So, let me know what’s on your mind. Let me know what you’re thinking. Keep firing off those Rocky’s hot takes in the locked on Rocky’s YouTube comment section. We love reading your comments on the show and hearing what is on the mind from Rocky’s fans. So like the video, subscribe, make sure you’re sharing here. The best way to support the show, liking those videos, subscribing on YouTube and leaving those comments here on the Locked on Rocky’s YouTube comment section and I’ll do a preview for a topic down the line here. Luis Arise two years 30 million that’s what the reports for possible salary for our eyes of out of the athletic here. Let me know what you think on that. Would you make that move? We’re going to dive into that topic later. But before we do that, I want to talk about pitching again. I we talked about the pitching coach. We talked about the importance here. We talked about how ugly the numbers for the pitching staff are. I just want to compare what how would 2025 performances factor into Rocky’s history? And and and again, this isn’t necessarily going to be a topic. These are not one for one. There’s park factors. There’s a million different things involved, but I think it’s important to to see how behind Rocky’s pitching is and how this is this this pitching part of this of this rebuild is is a huge huge thing that is probably going to require the most amount of effort, investment, and resources that the Rockies have. Let’s dive into that and more coming up next. But before we do, Game Time is bringing you today’s episode. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on MLB for $20 off your first purchase. So, I wanted I was just curious. I I I was looking here, and again, I I I think that that there is a you know, throw an asterisk or or I I understand if you might uh not agree with the, you know, the the straight comparison of these numbers, but I was just curious. I was like, what is the what are the best single season performances for Rocky’s pitchers? And and how would the best or the top performers in baseball top 10 cuz BA baseball referenced this as top 10. So they give you top 10 in a bunch of categories in a bunch of category. Uh and and so I have the Rockies best single season performances from baseball reference and I got this year’s pitch regular season pitching staff. Obviously just regular season because we don’t have enough data to go off in the postseason there. Um, grabbed the wrong drink. Anyway, uh, here’s here’s the deal. I I I don’t nec I I’m trying to like I’m trying to formulate if it’s just like, wow, how eyeopening this is. They they they have been so far off on pitching and all this or can we just say corores? Can we just do this? But in my art when I when I think about Coorsfield the park factors and everything else like that I I I just don’t think that’s enough when you kind of see the difference between the aces and the great pitchers in baseball versus the greatness that the Rockies have seen at the pitching position. I think that’s the best way to summarize kind of what I’m doing here is the best seasons in Rocky’s history would not even be the best season now or or in 2025. And and and again, weird way to look at it, but I I I just think it it highlights the history, the struggle of developing pitching at uh at 20th and Blake and with the Colorado Rockies. So, let’s just start here in in terms of war. So, wins above replacement, the top seasons here. We’re going to go through the top uh there’s a tie for uh eighth here with three people, but we’re we’re going to go through the top pitching year performances by war to start. Freeland at 7.8 in 2018. Ubalo Mennez in 2010 at 7.5. Pedro Estasio in 1999 with a 5.9 war. Julius Justine in 2013 5.8. Joe Kennedy 2004 5.6. Ubaldi Mennez in 2009 with a 5.5 war. Jason Jennings in 2006 with a 5.0 uh season. Marvin Freeman 4.5. Uh Kevin Ritz and Gabe White 4.5 4.5. And I believe what’s important here to to keep in context, I believe uh offense might pay uh you know you know play a factor in this. I’m not sure when calculating the war if it’s specifically just the pitching, but obviously now with with National League pitchers not doing offense that that but but those are your numbers. The wins above replacements for just pitchers this year. Eight out of actually, let’s see here. Yeah. So, okay. Every single one of these actually. So Sanchez, Skins, Scooble, Crochet, Brown, Abbott, Peralta, Rogers, Pavetta, and Wheeler. Those were the top uh uh top war for pitchers. Sanchez at 8, Ski 7.6, 6.6 for Scooble, Crochet 6.3, Brown 6.1, Abbott 56, uh 5.6 I should say, Peralta 5.5, Rogers 5.5, Pavetta 5.3, and Wheeler 5.0. If you factor in all of those, you knock out. Let me I lost my spot here. Hold on. Here we go. You you you you knock out basically everything. The bottom four are gone and then you basically get the the the half of the greatest seasons in Rocky’s history could have been had by, you know, these other pitchers. and and it it just kind of was like, wow, is it is it just these guys are obviously great, right? We’re talking about we’re talking about some of the greatest pitchers we’ve ever seen. So, I don’t know if War is I’m not I’m not saying I don’t I was I was doing this. I’m like War might not be the most fair comparison here because there’s a lot of factors. There’s a lot of variables here, but it is pretty amazing when you’re talking about these top guys here. Sanchez, Ski, Scooble, Crochet, Brown, the these guys would all be finishing in the top levels of of greatest seasons for for for Rocky’s history. The There’s only two Rockies that have had close to that level of season. And they’ve never had an eight wire pitcher, for example. So, it’s like these these aces, I mean, these guys, I mean, how important is Scubble? How important is skins? How important is Sanchez? I mean, these guys are are are when they’re on the bump, it changes everything. And when the Rockies had those guys pitching that way, Kyle Freeland in 18 and and Ubi Menz at his best, when when when the Rockies had those guys, it it just that changes everything. It I it just brings an energy. It brings a confidence. It it brings it brings a of such a benefit to this club, any club, because we’re seeing it in the postseason. I mean, Yamamoto, holy cow, you’re getting backto back complete games in the postseason when you can turn and and of course they still have like the offense is one thing, but when it’s Snell and it’s glass now and it’s all these guys that are so good and and why the Dodgers, you know, spent all these money on these great starters is because they said get these guys into the biggest moments and when we have these this opportunity, we know the our starters are going to take us to the future. And I’m recording this before the World Series game starts. The Blue Jays are turned into Sherzer again after and and Sherzer came in and shoved. So again, Sher not an ace in this point of his career, but but but these gamechanging pitchers are are are just such valuable pieces to these teams. the the there there is no there is no Tigers postseason run without Scooball there there is no success a lot of success for the Pirates in in in in 2025 if it wasn’t for Skins and they even back him up when it comes to wins skins again not had was was when you look at his win loss record that’s another cursed pitching situation there but my point is when You’re looking at all of these guys, basically the top 10 performances from the one from uh this season. If you took all 10 of those, they would be on the top season for Rocks. And again, that’s it’s no surprise. It’s great pitchers. It’s just kind of like a I was just like, huh? Okay, so that’s war. What about the other stats? How do how do the Rockies stack up, you know, their greatest single season performances against the best this year? Again, we’re talking we’re talking about the best, right? We’re talking about top tens comparing the top 10. So, I understand the the the difference level in talent here, but we’re trying to get the Rockies need to get to a point where they have people on these top 10 lists. And it’s not in the bad things. It’s not in the top 10 most, you know, you know, hits allowed. It’s not be having three of your main core starters be on the top list for most losses in the season with Freeland, Marquez, and Senzotella all having at least 15 losses this year. It’s not having your guys on the in the top of the earned runs list with Marquez and Senzatella in the middle of the pack or hits allowed, you know? I mean, there’s there’s there’s all of these things that that the Rockies need to start and they’re ne they probably will never get this level of production that we’ve been talking about in this first segment. But can they get closer in some of these statistical categories? And how do these statistical categories compare to the Rocky’s future? How far behind is Rocky’s greatness behind strong and good seasons from the best in the game right now? Let’s keep this conversation rolling and we’re going to talk about a Louis a little bit of Louis Arise at the end of the show as well. So stay tuned for that. It’s all coming up next. Before we do that though, got to tell you about the folks that helped make this show possible. That includes FanDuel. The NBA is back. Aaron Gordon, folks, hello. And there’s no better place to get in on the action other than FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you missed the start of the game or want to ride the hot hand, FanDuel has live bets on everything from who will score next to fourth quarter comebacks. Plus, you can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. It keeps every game exciting, especially when your team’s making that late push. Ride the hot hand of Aaron Gordon to the start of the season. Jamal Murray’s looking pretty good, too. We know our guy, the Joker, is going to get heated up and start rocking and rolling just any moment now. So, see with all the action, get in on the parlays. Get in on the live action during the game. see what they have to offer at FanDuel. Right now, FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. Yes, $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. Head to FanDuel.com, sign up, and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. All right, back at it here. Locked on Rockies. Segment number two of today’s episode of Locked on Rockies. Thank you again for making us your first listen. Thanks for checking us out on YouTube, liking the video, subscribing, leaving your comments, all that good stuff. Okay, so we’re looking at War and we’re getting kind of caught up in the in the weeds there. Let’s take a look at single season the the sing some single season records for the Rockies statistics and how they compare to the best in 2025. Big ask, I know, I understand. But here we go. All right, the high the the win loss total win. I’m gonna start with actually let’s start at erra here. Kyle Freeland best uh you know basically you know when you’re looking at some of this arguably the best uh you know season for Rocky’s pitching there 2.85 RA in 2018 Menz 2.88 Antonio Senzotella 3.44 you uh that was in 2020. Chassin’s 2013 erra of 3.7 47 tied with Ubaldi Menz’s 09 ERA. Jorge de LaRosa’s 2013 average of 3.49. Chassine in 2011 at 3.62. Joe Kennedy in 04 at 3.66. And then Herman Marquez has the ninth and tth spots in 2020 and 2018 3.75 and 3.77. Erra’s here. Only Kyle Freeland had a had a lower ERA. The the the high ranking Kyle Freeland season is the only one that would remain on the list if you were to if you if you compared that to the top 10 ERAs in baseball this season. And I I I it’s it’s it’s another one of those like is that the most fair park factors and everything, but like yes, it is. These these guys these guys can and will and and it’s in their MMO to to limit and prevent the damage. Here’s the and and they were successful at it on the road. They got a you got a Yankees pitcher in here in a in a in in a hitter friendly ballpark. You know, you you got you can factor in some stuff here, but every other for for every single member of this list outside of Abbott. No, no, every single person on this list. No, I’m sorry. I missed I was I was getting ahead of myself because I I was getting a little confused there. Kyle Freeland’s the the best erra season would be the eighth best erra this year in baseball. Skins 1.97, Scooble 2.21, Brown 2.43, Yamamoto 2.49, Sanchez 2.50, Crochet 2.59, Peralta 2.70. So this is just kind of a and actually before I get there, let’s just quickly go through wins. the most wins in a season. Ubalo Jimenez 19 wins tied the most. So So Ubaldo is is is up there, you know, tied for for for number one. Always good to see. But when you look at and and wins a different, you know, one of those like nin loss percentages here, the Rockies all time, all time, they got a couple good ones. Marvin Freeman 8.33, Jorge Dar Roa 7.27. 27 Kyle Freeland 7 point uh uh 708 Hermon uh in 2019.706 just to give you kind of uh uh some some numbers here in this in this season and this is this just also shows you how how crazy of a stat and and how weird hits or wins are too pristed 7.92 Crochet 7.83 83 Peralta 7.39 and Paveta 7.722 same with Sanchez Williams at 706 school at 684 isn’t that a little surprising someone that great and mai 700 so these ones kind of again the the these all of these you’d wipe out a lot of these performances but not not too many this is this is a category where the Rockies are are are a little bit closer but I go back but then it’s it’s it’s the it’s the uh it’s just it’s just and I’ve been just kind of throwing a lot of numbers here. Well, we we’ll we’ll we’ll go back to a couple, but it just is like when you really start looking at these things, it’s just can the Rockies ever get to this point when when you’re comparing and when you’re seeing these are all great pitch, top 10 pitchers in baseball across the league, but can the Rockies ever create something this good? Can Can the Rockies ever be on a level where they can get, you know, a a a batter here? We’re talking the Rockies basically averaging hits per nine here about seven and a half to eight range. Ubaldo Enez, the only Rockies pitcher to ever have six under seven hits per nine innings pitched. The top 10 had all of that was under that this year already. Hits per nine innings pitched. Can can I mean like strikeouts per 10 or per nine innings pitched here. You’re looking at every single person in the top 10 of baseball this year over 10. The barrier to be a top 10 pitcher when it comes to strikeouts this year over 10. The Rockies have had one pitcher all time have a season where they struck out more than 10 batters per nine innings. Hermon Marquez in 2018. John Gray pretty close there. 9.9 9.5 and 16 and 18 where you know so you’re talking about the most strikeouts in in Rocky’s history in a single season is 230 by Herman Marquez. That would have put him top three actually this year. Would have made him a top three strikeout uh pitcher of all time. The Rockies have only had three pitchers ever strike out 200 batters in a season. Ubaldo came close in uh in 2009 with 198 and Jorge Dear Rosa with 193. The other closest ones here. Every single pitcher in the top 10 this year had over 200 strikeouts. So again, it it it’s it’s it’s not it’s not to just sit here and say like, “Oh, the Rockies wave the magic wand to do this.” It’s just that question of can the Rockies even get this talent, this level of talent, because those guys, the ace matters so much. Those are game. I mean, again, we’re talking about single season performances entering them into the Rockies history. If they got these performances in their history, these would be the best performances of all time, some of the best pitching performances of all time, some of the best pitching numbers we’ve seen, and it’s not surprising with the names on that list. So, with the Rockies being a team that’s had high draft picks, had the, you know, all this stuff. God, I hate this freaking mic arm. Um the these these teams who don’t have to pitch a course field. I understand that they get this level of production. They get this level of talent. They get this level of performance from from from their pitchers and they’re great pitchers. How can the Rockies do the same? How can the Rockies recreate some of their great seasons? How can the Rockies find the talent that’s going to help them do the things? Because to just sit there and say that the Rockies, you know, course field and and and that is just not good enough for me in in this next stage of innovation. It has to be the ability to make the Rockies pitchers that you draft into the greatness. I want to see Chase Dolander on this list. I want to see Chase Dolander be the best pitcher he can be. I want to see the Rockies be able to have guys that raise the eyebrows and say, “Holy cow and do it on a consistent basis.” Cuz again, I know I’m comparing Rocky’s pitching to the top 10 to to the great names in baseball here right now, but that’s the competition. That’s the standard. That’s the level when you’re talking about if Are you an ace? Are you an ace? Certified bonafide ace. Not our not Kyle Freeland, not an ace for the Colorado Rockies. An ace in baseball. You have to be one of these names. You have to perform like this. And historically, the Rockies have not put up performances on these levels. Close, comparable in some categories certainly, but not enough. and and to just sit there and for for the only answer to or the only excuse to continue to be Coors Field is what what it feels like just ain’t enough for me. This team needs to get starting pitching that they can rely on and count on. It doesn’t need to be top 10. They don’t need to finish top 10 in the year. They don’t need to to to finish the, you know, you know, they don’t need to have the best seasons in Rocky’s history right away, but they need to they need to develop pitching and bring in pitching that is going to start changing that narrative. That is going to start breaking some of these Rockies records. That is going to shake things up and and and and make it so pitching can be a strength for this team. We have seen good pitching and when the Rockies have gotten good performances out of their starters, it has led to great things for them. the ace ace pitching that that that word I know it may be a little buzzword but to just have great pitching not only is it a blessing not only does it take a lot of work money effort development a million sorts of factors into it but it’s just one of those things the Dodgers will not will will not have a second of of of a lapse of confidence in any starting pitcher that takes the bump from them in this series every single starter they know can come up has done it, will do it, and they can be confident in that. If you have an ace, and if you’re lucky enough to have multiple aces, which is very rare, you’re in a great spot. All right, there was a contract, possible contract we’ve heard uh Rockies fans talk about on the show a little bit. Let’s talk about it coming up next on segment number three of today’s episode of Locked on Rockies. Before we do that though, I got to tell you about the folks that help make this show possible and that includes game time. The NFL season is back and honestly, there’s nothing better than being in this stadium surrounded by fans cheering on your team. But let’s be honest, getting tickets can be a hassle between cues, login screens, and price jumps at checkout. It’s frustrating. That’s why I use Game Time, the app that gives the advantage back to fans. Game time is fast, easy, and backed by the Game Time guarantee. You’ll always get 100% authentic tickets delivered on time and at the best price. Plus, all fees are included. So, the price you see is the price you pay. You can see uh great deals all for yourself on the app because it makes it super simple. You can find tickets in all sorts of areas around the stadium. And hey, maybe you’re like, I want to get a great deal, but I also want to sit in a pretty cool spot. Game time’s got you covered there. Or if you say, I just need to get in the building. I just am going to pick a little spot. You can take advantage of the zone deals. Pick the section. Game time picks the seat and you save big. It’s faster, cheaper, and less stressful than any way you’re going to buy tickets. Download the game time app. Create an account and use code locked on MLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms do apply. Again, that’s promo code Loc for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go download game time today. All right, let’s uh end this Tuesday edition of the show. And I I feel like I was maybe a little jumbled there. You know, listen to the show sometimes numbers flying around, I get jumbled up there. But but basically, just to put a bow on my thing on on on this is the best pitchers in baseball are putting on performances. And you can trickle down even further if you want to don’t want to just sit in top 10s. If you don’t want to just talk about the top 10 cream of the crop, if you go and you look in these categories and you look in these areas, the great starting pitching in this league, the aces, they are going to put up numbers that if you compare to the history of the Colorado Rockies will be better or comparable or close to the best seasons the Rockies have seen from from from pitchers. And I think that shows just I think that underscores how tough of a problem developing pitchers has been for the Colorado Rockies. All right, let me know your thoughts on that and let me know your thoughts on this. Lisa Rise, according to The Athletic, possibly getting a 2-year, $30 million contract, would you sign this deal? Would you take this deal? And I don’t necessarily think I would shy away from it. I don’t think that I I I think he’s not gonna he’s not interested in signing here. I think when when when he’s obviously the defense is a concern. He hasn’t been able to to hit the highest of highs that he’s wanted to in certain areas, but I think I think he is sitting there saying my ability to hit is good enough to get me a spot or or an argument to be in the lineup to be competing with folks on a on a club that’s that that’s got aspirations for a championship or playoffs. I I think if the Rockies were to to try to bring in our eyes, I think they’d have to pay a little bit more. And do you want to do that instead of if if if con if Charlie Condan has a really great, you know, he’s been he he had a good strong finish, good Arizona fall league so far, and then he has a good spring into a good start in the season at the Miners. Things are already going downhill for the Rockies. They’re doing god knows what at first base. Would you would you would you be more you know okay with at that would you be ra would you be more okay with Conan getting called up playing getting consistent playing time there becoming the everyday starting first baseman if he performs or would you rather bring in her eyes have him play first base maybe DH him when you know if you if you did want to have Conan come up and play some first base or and I don’t know if they’re going to go what they’re going to figure out with Michael Tolia or what that’s going to look like or you know Bernabel or you know who who knows who’s going to be playing first base uh for the Rockies come come uh next year. But what I I think that’s the question. If you’re only going to get two years and you’re talking about paying a guy $15 million a year for to to play first base for a team that is not going to be all that competitive next year and then in the second year probably building up a little bit more ideally if the rebuild is actually coming together. You know, maybe a strong but does a course season, you know, does that impact his trade value at all by chance? you know, people saying, “Oh, it’s just now he’s just a Coors Field Merchant hitting doubles in the gap instead of just singles or whatever.” I I just wonder is is that a is that is that a commitment to make for the Rockies? Does that does does this deal make sense? While it’s not a long thing, a long time, and it’s not necessarily the the most game-changing player, it does do what we’ve talked about before and what Sully talked about, it does bring in a major leaguer to the team. It brings in a major league presence and a and a guy that has been successful on the field, especially when you’re talking about the the the main attraction for him. I know there’s the worry about the the the defense and such, but it’s because the guy bats 292, you know, it’s a guy that that that is able to to hit well and hit on base and could benefit greatly from from the uh from being on the Rockies. And it’s a guy that struck out 21 times in 675 plate appearances. I mean that that that’s that’s pretty pretty impressive at least and and something that could really help the Rockies by just getting a guy that constantly puts the ball in play and you we know good things can happen from that. So, I don’t I I I don’t I wouldn’t be if it’s not too much money. It’s not too big of a commitment. It’s not over over bidding. I would if this is the type of deal that he would get, sure, great. And if he was on the Rockies, I think it’d be fine. But I don’t think it’s going to really need, you know, move the needle much for him. And I think, you know, the Rockies and him would probably be looking at a how do we flip and turn this into an opportunity type of thing. uh because he’s just not a guy I don’t think you can overcommit to right now. Especially if you’re going to try to make if you’re if you’re worried about your development at first base outside of Con and if you’re if you’re if you’re trying to make a you know address that in free agency, the best thing to do would figure out if you got a chance at Alonzo even though that one is a total long shot and we know that ain’t happening anytime soon. All right, would you sign that deal? Let me know in the locked on Rocky’s YouTube comment section. And we’ll be back in action tomorrow because there was an interesting news that broke about the Rockies, not the Rockies, the Mets moving on from a coach that was very successful at getting his team to steal bases despite them being slow. And I think the Rockies could really benefit from getting themselves moving on the base pass and becoming a team that can be more aggressive there. Let’s talk about that and more tomorrow. I want to hear your thoughts on the number crunch there and more all in the locked on Rocky’s YouTube comment section. For your second listen of the day, go check out Locked on MLB. And if you need more Colorado sports coverage, locked on Broncos, Avalanche Nuggets, and Buffs free streaming on your favorite streaming services. Until next time, I’m Paul Holden saying so long from the Lockown Rockies podcast.

As the Rockies continue to rebuild the front office of the organization, one thing remains the same, this team needs an Ace. Great starting pitching is a powerful weapon in MLB and one the Rockies desperately need.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-rockies/

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
PrizePicks
Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONMLB to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.
PrizePicks — Run Your Game.
Click Link Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONMLB

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA and NFL seasons are here, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

#Rockies #ColoradoRockies #MLB