Colorado Rockies news: 2026 spring training storylines to watch for pitchers and catchers

Spring training is finally upon us as pitchers and catchers began reporting this week with the Colorado Rockies joining the party on Thursday. This means we’ll be getting our first look at the new-look Rockies after a busy offseason that saw them remake their entire front office and coaching staff. The next step is figuring out their roster for both 2026 and beyond, and that step starts tomorrow.

So, with action getting underway, let’s explore some storylines to follow for pitchers and catchers in Rockies camp.

New faces, new philosophies

Pitching has always been both an emphasis of the Rockies and the bane of their existence. They’ve tried to mitigate the issue as much as possible, including opening a dedicated pitching lab at their spring training complex in early 2024.

After a disastrous 2025 that featured one of the worst team pitching staffs in MLB history, overhauling the pitching department was priority number one, the revamped coaching staff features Alon Leichman as the pitching coach, Gabe Ribas as assistant pitching coach, Matt Buschmann as the bullpen coach and Matt Daniels as the director of pitching.

President of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta, along with Leichman, has talked at length about the need to become innovative and experimental in developing a winning pitching strategy for Colorado. What exactly will that look like? Well, that’s what to look for in spring training. The Rockies have kept their intentions close to the chest, but once games get underway, we’ll likely see some of their ideas come to fruition. We know they want to help pitchers, particularly starters, expand their arsenals while also encouraging pitchers to pound the zone and stop nibbling.

So, sequencing and perhaps new pitches will become more evident for the arms the team deploys. We could also see the team try out pitch calling from the dugout, utilize openers and bridge arms to figure out new roles that could play a part in 2026. The new pitching brain trust has a lot on its plate, and spring training will their first crucial chance to set the tone for the year.

Who fills out the rotation?

After a rough year in 2025, the rotation had plenty of questions heading into the new season. Kyle Freeland will surely lead the group, but it was a little less certain after that. The team solidified the rotation with the signing of Michael Lorenzen, who is eager to take on Coors Field, and also signed veteran Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano and veteran lefty Jose Quintana yesterday. With those four filling up the rotation, that leaves roughly one more spot up for grabs in camp.

It stands to reason that Ryan Feltner will be the one to win the spots. Injuries limited Feltner to just a handful of starts in April last season, preventing the Rockies from seeing if he could build up his excellent second half in 2024. Can he return healthy and be a significant boon for the rotation?

Chase Dollander made his MLB debut in April and had an up-and-down season. He performed well on the road but struggled at home, as is to be expected from a first-year pitcher at Coors Field. His storyline will be one to follow during the season with the revamped coaching staff. Can the 2023 ninth-overall pick take a big step forward in 2026?

Tanner Gordon will also be up for a rotation spot after figuring some things out near the end of 2025 and posting some big wins against notable teams in big spots. Will it have been enough to garner a spot over someone like Dollander?

The team has also brought in a varied number of arms capable of starting, like Pierson Ohl and Keegan Thompson, who could fit into the rotation if needed, while looking towards the bullpen. Prospects like Sean Sullivan and Gabriel Hughes will also have a chance to make a strong impression and position themselves for a promotion this season.

The rotation needs to take a massive step forward in 2026, and the additions of Lorenzen and Sugano give the Rockies a pair of arms that have a deep pitch-mix and will be interesting to watch in camp while the younger arms try to prove their mettle.

The bullpen bunch

While the rotation is a little more clear-cut, the bullpen has become increasingly crowded heading into spring training. The arm barn was certainly a strong suit for the Rockies in 2025, and its depth was expanded even more during the offseason. That means there will be plenty of opportunities to battle for spots for the Opening Day roster.

Perhaps the most intriguing player to watch is R.J. Petit, the Rockies’ first overall selection in the Rule-5 Draft back in December. Petit is a mountain of a man who was well-regarded in the Detroit Tigers system. He is viewed as a power reliever who could become a bulk reliever. He has to be carried on the 26-man roster or be offered back to the Tigers, so the pressure is on for him to earn his keep to start the season.

Beyond that, the swath of veterans on minor league deals will be interesting to watch, particularly the addition of John Brebbia, who would seem like a prime candidate to break camp. The youth of the bullpen was a strength, but the team is likely hoping to hedge its bets in protecting some of those that may need more development time in the minors if spring training doesn’t quite go their way.

All eyes will also be on pitchers like Seth Halvorsen, who missed the latter part of the season with injury. Can those who dealt with some injuries rebound and replicate some success after the heavy workload in 2025?

The role of a long reliever seems to be prevalent coming into camp. Thompson and Ohl can easily fit that role, but the team also has Antonio Senzatela earning $12 million in his final guaranteed year with the club. Having multiple long reliever/swingman-type players seems like a useful tool, but how will it shake out with who is available? Senzatela seems like it’s do-or-die time for the veteran righty after losing his starting spot last season.

Suffice it to say that the bullpen is primed for some interesting battles in camp.

Who backs up Goodman?

We know Hunter Goodman is going to be the catcher come Opening Day, pending any sort of injury or drastic move. However, the backup position is a little less certain, at least in the sense that there will be some competition.

Braxton Fulford seems the easy bet after his debut last season and brings the tool of speed to his game, something manager Warren Schaeffer likes. However, his bat struggled, and the defense was a little lacking, leaving the window open for an alternative option.

The team brought in Brett Sullivan and Kyle McCann on minor league deals, both of whom have good reputations with the glove behind the dish. Prospects Bryant Betancourt and Cole Messina will also audition in camp, but it’s not expected that either of them will crack the big league roster.

What does stand out is that three of the four non-roster invites are left-handed batters. The Rockies have made an effort to add more left-handed hitting options this offseason and catchers have been no different. If there was a player to watch, it would be McCann, who had a solid rookie campaign in 2024 but missed all of 2025. However, a .319/.450/.611 slash in the Mexican League could be what he needed to propel himself back in a big league role with the Rockies, providing a quality left-handed backup for Goodman.

Fulford has the inside track, but the team will have to figure out if he will be better suited playing every day in Albuquerque or playing every couple of days with the big league squad. It’s a small pool of players, but the catching battles will be interesting.

Conclusion

2026 is going to be an incredibly interesting year for Rockies pitching. The experimentations and new faces will help shape the pitching strategy for a team that plays half its games at an unforgiving ballpark. Spring training has a lot of questions surrounding a 119-loss team and that can only foster some innovation and problem-solving to make sure that never happens again.

Pitchers are ready to embrace the challenge and long-tenured players like Freeland are ready to try anything if it wins, winning more games as a team. And then, seeing how the catchers fit into the mold of not only improving their offensive and defensive games, but also how they handle this pitching staff is going to be huge.

Next week, we’ll look at some position player storylines once they report to camp. What other pitching and catching storylines are you looking for this year? What player do you think needs to have a great spring training? Continue the discussion below!

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Colorado Rockies news: 2026 spring training storylines to watch for pitchers and catchers

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