Rockies news: How Alon Leichman is changing pitching strategy in Colorado

The Colorado Rockies are doing something no other team in baseball is attempting, and early results are forcing the league to pay attention.

In his first year with the Rockies, pitching coach Alon Leichman has introduced a system that moves pitch selection to the dugout. Heading into the club’s series finale of a four-game set vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night, the Rockies’ pitching staff owns a 4.14 ERA after posting a 5.97 mark in 2025, the worst by any team this century. That early improvement signals meaningful progress in one of baseball’s most difficult environments.

Leichman stands on the top step before nearly every pitch, signaling coded sequences to catcher Hunter Goodman, who relays the call through PitchCom. Pitchers can still shake off calls, reinforcing that this Rockies pitching approach prioritizes collaboration over command.

Manager Warren Schaeffer backed the concept after spring training, and pitchers such as Kyle Freeland and Chase Dollander have bought in. The system sharpens decision-making without removing instinct, a critical balance at altitude where mistakes rarely stay in the park.

In an article published by The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, he noted how Leichman said he frames each call as a suggestion rather than an order, emphasizing communication over control.

“It’s just a way for me to almost talk to them,” Leichman said. “It’s like, ‘I’m thinking slider here.’ Rather than ‘Throw a slider.’”

That distinction defines this evolving MLB pitch-calling system. Leichman delivers information in real time, allowing pitchers to commit fully to each pitch while staying connected to data.

At 9–13, with the first full month of the 2026 MLB season nearly in the books, the Rockies remain a work in progress but are no longer stuck. A 3.67 ERA at Coors Field reflects tangible progress, and if it holds, this shift could extend beyond Colorado—reshaping how teams approach pitching in the game’s most demanding environments.

The Colorado Rockies are doing something no other team in baseball is attempting, and early results are forcing the league to pay attention. In his first year with the Rockies, pitching coach Alon Leichman has introduced a system that moves pitch selection to the dugout. Heading into the club’s series finale of a four-game set vs.