In what could well be a wire-to-wire race in the A.L. West, every game matters. A year ago, multiple losses to the Rockies and White Sox cost the Astros a post season berth, sealing their fate in hindsight.
Jack Corrigan is in his 41st year calling games in the majors, his 24th with Colorado. He sits down for a preview for Houston’s next stop on their current road trip, facing the Rockies.
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Q: What type of series are you envisioning?
A: It should be an interesting matchup for the Rockies with the Astros. They tend to play them more competitively in Denver than in Houston, so that will be something to watch this year. The Rockies have struggled throughout their history to score on the road. The game plays differently at elevation in Denver than it does at sea level, and the team has tried multiple plans to be better away from Coors Field.
This year the philosophy is aggression and athleticism rather than a team of sluggers that just hits homers at Coors Field. Teams will see the Rockies attempt more stolen bases and be more active on the basepaths overall. The athleticism will help in that regard and just as importantly, if not more so, on defense, both on the road and at home. Coors Field has the largest outfield in terms of square footage in Major League Baseball. The need to keep singles from becoming doubles and doubles becoming triples is paramount to help the pitching staff.
Likewise, they hope to get to more of the balls hit more softly that drop in safely beyond the infield and in front of the outfielders that have to play deeper to cut off the alleys. Those soft hits prolong innings at home and eventually take their toll on pitchers.
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Q: It’s been a slow process to rebuild, what is the leadership plan to improve and who are some of the players they have acquired or promoted that fit that vision?
A: The Rockies, under the new leadership of Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes, added versatile players with the ability to run the bases and play multiple positions on defense. Willi Castro, Jake McCarthy, Troy Johnston, and Edouard Julien were all acquired with that in mind.
Adding them to returning players Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle, and Tyler Freeman gives the Rockies their most athletic team in recent years.
Kyle Karros has also surprised with his aggressiveness on the bases, and he and T.J. Rumfield give the Rockies two outstanding young defenders on the corners of the infield.
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A return to form offensively for Tovar and Doyle, and the continued growth with the bat for All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman and OF/DH Mickey Moniak will make this a better team in 2026.
Q: The Astros will play them a total of six times in the days ahead at Coors and Daikin Park. How different will the starting pitching for the Rockies look this year? Do they have a closer?
A: The worst of many problems for the Rockies last season was the starting pitching. The rotation was historically bad. Large deficits in early innings made it difficult for a young lineup trying to find its way in the big leagues to mount many comebacks.
The additions of Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Jose Quintana will provide support for returning starters Kyle Freeland and Ryan Feltner. The team won’t be forced to pitch prospects that were not ready in terms of their development. That veteran trio is not an overwhelming group, but their experience and consistency will make things better.
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The bullpen, while young, has a lot of talent. Veterans Jimmy Herget and Brennan Bernardino will also help. Don’t expect a chosen closer, at least not right now. Matchups will determine who gets the ball in the late innings.