Prior to the start of the 2025 season, the Colorado Rockies rotation seemed to be a point of cautious optimism for fans. They weren’t going to be on the level of, say, the New York Mets, but with stalwarts Ryan Feltner and Kyle Freeland looking to improve and the triumphant return of Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela to look forward to, there was reason to believe the starting five could, at the very least, improve upon last year’s efforts.
Instead, it’s been quite the opposite.
Every member of Colorado’s rotation has struggled immensely and in their own ways, and even the promotion of promising youngsters Chase Dollander and Carson Palmquist hasn’t been able to provide the team with much-needed wins.
While each arm in the starting five could stand to make adjustments, Antonio Senzatela may need to undergo the biggest transformation.
Thus far in 2025, the Venezuelan right-hander is currently rocking a record of 1-8 and an ERA north of 6. Opponents are currently hitting a staggering .380 against him, and his WHIP is only barely below 2, both of which are handily last place among all qualified pitchers in the Majors. Those are video games numbers, but not in the way one would like.
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images
The initial excitement surrounding Senza’s homecoming has since soured amidst his brutal start to the season.
Where did it all go wrong?
Unfortunately, it seems that his stuff just doesn’t play, at least at this juncture. His fastball, the pitch that he has relied on more than any other, is being absolutely smashed by opposing hitters at an over .400 clip. That may be because of its stagnant nature — the heater has less horizontal drop and vertical break than most other four-seamers in MLB, and it’s not coming in fast enough to fool batters (sitting at around 95 miles per hour).
Essentially, the fastball that Senzatela has relied on (more so than all of his other pitches combined) is, at least at this point, not a competitive weapon when used against MLB hitters. That’s harsh, but it’s the reality of the current situation. Batters that have reached the uppermost echelon of baseball are simply not going to be beaten by subpar offerings.
Unfortunately, the rest of Senza’s arsenal offers little support.
His secondary pitches are being hit just as hard and just as often as his fastball and haven’t found much success as legitimate put-away pitches. The only weapon in his arsenal that’s found even a measure of positive results is a curveball that’s been hit for a .250 average. Used sparingly (about 10% of the time), hitters haven’t quite had the same opportunity to square up as they have against the heater and slider, so at least that’s something.
Still, this isn’t sustainable.
Senzatela is going to have to make some serious modifications to his arsenal, or he’s going to make dubious history in a season that’s already well on the path to doing so. Maybe working with new manager Warren Schaeffer will provide some sort of resolution to these issues, though it may be worth considering getting an outsider’s opinion as well.
Regardless, something must be done. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Senzatela’s contributions to the Rockies and his work thus far in his career, but it’s not fair to keep trotting him out there every five days in this state.
Could a move to the bullpen in a long-ish relief role help?
Maybe. If nothing else, it could give the ninth-year pitcher a chance to catch his breath and re-establish himself a bit.
With young pitchers such as Karl Kauffman, Ryan Rolison, and others within Colorado’s Minor League system waiting in the wings for their opportunity at the Bigs, Senzatela’s starting spot is far from locked in. He’s going to have to prove that he can still hang with the sport’s elite — and soon — lest he be forced to cede his position to another hurler.
I sincerely hope that Senza can figure out a way to recover the effectiveness that made him such an integral part of Colorado’s rotation in years past, especially if he’s planning to finish up the remaining years on his contract. It’s going to have to happen quickly, though, or Schaeffer’s hand may be forced to make a difficult — but necessary — decision about Senzatela’s future with the team.
On the farm
Triple-A: Reno Aces 5, Albuquerque Isotopes 4
The Isotopes lost a heartbreaker when the Aces stormed back from a one-run deficit in the ninth to collect a walk-off win and send their fans home happy.
Albuquerque held a 4-3 advantage as the bottom of the ninth began, but a leadoff error put the tying run on base and Antoine Kelly loaded the bases with one out, allowing former Tope Connor Kaiser to come through with a two-run game-winning double.
The loss erased Mason Albright’s excellent start, a one-run effort over 5 2⁄3 innings. Ryan Ritter recorded two hits and two runs, while Keston Hiura drove in a pair of runs.
Double-A: Erie SeaWolves 18, Hartford Yard Goats 3
Hartford’s pitching staff would surely like to put Wednesday’s game behind them as they allowed a total of 19 hits in a lopsided loss.
The Yard Goats actually held a 3-0 lead at one point in the third inning, but saw that advantage evaporate when the SeaWolves offense woke up in a big way with a six-run bottom of the frame.
Hartford’s offense was largely stymied, though Cole Carrigg, Braiden Ward, and Jose Torres eached recorded two-hit efforts. Torres also homered, his sixth time doing so this season.
High-A: Spokane Indians 6, Tri-City Dust Devils 3
A big eighth inning was the deciding factor for the Indians as they took home the dub over the Dust Devils.
Spokane scored four runs in the decisive frame as they batted around on pitcher A.J. Block. Four straight walks were enough to propel the Indians offense to victory, and Davison Palermo handled the top of the ninth with ease to shut the door on the Dust Devils.
Andy Perez led the way with three hits while Jared Thomas’ two RBI were tops on the day.
Single-A: San Jose Giants 4, Fresno Grizzlies 3
Another close contest saw the Grizzlies bullpen step up to silence the Giants bats, but the damage was already done as they dropped the day’s final game.
Early offense from both sides saw the teams score early, but San Jose held the lead after the top of the fourth. Neither team would cross the plate again as Charlie McDaniel tossed five shutout innings of relief to hand the win to the Giants.
Fresno’s relievers did their part as Luke Jewett, Bryson Hammer, and Fidel Ulloa combined for four scoreless innings. Everett Catlett took the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) in five frames.
For more on the Rockies farm system, check out this week’s Pebble Report.
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On the internet
Study: Rockies fans in Colorado, Wyoming still bleed purple | Yahoo! Sports
Even with all of the Rockies’ well-known issues this season, they still have a loyal fanbase that wants to see them win. Yahoo! Sports breaks down the numbers on which states still support their team, and to what degree.
Renck: Five ways to fix the Rockies as they pursue worst MLB record ever | Denver Post ($$)
It seems as though everyone has ideas on how they would go about fixing the Rockies. Hear Troy Renck’s thoughts on the matter as he discusses the moves he’d make to bring the club back to relevance.
Trying to break out of slump, Doyle heartened by 2 ‘pretty good’ nights | MLB.com
Brenton Doyle entered 2025 with a mountain of expectations after what was a very impressive 2024. While he’s struggled out of the gate somewhat, Doyle is still working hard to turn things around, and taking whatever positive results he can get.
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