Here are the starting staffs with the worst four-seam fastballs in baseball last year:<\/p>\n
These numbers mean that, over the course of a full 162-game season, Rockies starters gave up almost a full run more than average every game from just their four-seam fastballs alone.<\/p>\n This is especially wild when you consider the rotation pitched the second fewest innings in baseball, averaging a just over 4.2 innings per start.<\/p>\n Fastballs from Rockies\u2019 starters gave up more than three times more runs above average than the next worse teams.<\/p>\n The league-wide numbers from 2025<\/a> show that the average MLB starter threw a four-seam fastball 47.5% of the time. Colorado starters snuck into the top 10 for usage, hurling four-seamers just over half the time (50.1%).<\/p>\n Not only did Rockies starters have truly gag-inducing results with their four-seam fastballs, they threw them more than league average!<\/p>\n Opposing batters could simply hunt for a heater, and they\u2019d get it more than half of the time. Given the continued reliance on traditional fastball usage in the face of such poor results, it makes sense that league executives described the Rockies\u2019 analytical approach<\/a> as \u201cin the Stone Ages\u201d and \u201cliterally 20 years behind the rest of the league in terms of analytics, infrastructure, everything.\u201d<\/p>\n While much can be said for the difficulties of pitching at elevation<\/a> and how pitchers can adjust their fastballs at altitude to find better success<\/a>, there\u2019s a relatively easy and quick fix for the 2026 starting staff to embrace: Stop throwing the damn four-seamers (as much).<\/p>\n Luckily, new pitching coach Alon Leichman, coming over from the Miami Marlins, has some experience with diversifying pitch mixes. Marlins starters, with their relatively scant 40.1% four-seam usage, threw the second fewest four-seamers in the league. Additionally in 2025 the Marlins organization began tinkering with using analytics to call pitches from the dugout<\/a> in both the minor leagues and the majors. If Leichman were willing to embrace analytics to such an extent that he\u2019d break with over a century of tradition and call pitches from the dugout, surely he\u2019d use data to better optimize the Rockies\u2019 pitch mix in 2026.<\/p>\n Additionally, neither wFB or wFB\/C are predictive stats: They describe what happened, but they don\u2019t project how effective a fastball might be in the coming season. The Rockies are not necessarily fated to have the worst fastball in the league for the second year in a row, especially if they throw more offspeed pitches to keep opposing batters honest.<\/p>\n With the hiring of Alon Leichman specifically (and the new, Paul DePodesta-led front office hires more generally), the Rockies finally seem to be joining the analytics revolution. We don\u2019t know if Leichman will bring the dugout pitch-calling to the Rockies (he hinted it was possible at Rockies Fest last month), nor if they\u2019ll embrace the so-called \u201cYear of the Pitch Mix<\/a>\u201d (although the signing of Michael Lorenzen<\/a> seems promising in this regard), nor if they can help Chase Dollander limit the longball (72% of his homers were off of his flaming four-seamer).<\/p>\n What we do know is that Leichman and the Rockies new front office will use and embrace pitching analytics in ways we\u2019ve never seen with the club. We can only hope that means fewer four-seamers.<\/p>\n What do you think? Will the new direction for the staff allow Rockies starters to right the ship, or will the pain of a 6.00+ ERA continue for another season?<\/p>\n Let us know in the comments below!<\/p>\n Rockies Sign Conner Capel To Minor League Contract | MLB Trade Rumors<\/a><\/p>\n The Rockies\u2019 outfield depth just got deeper with the signing of Conner Capel. Given his .234\/.314\/.360 line last year with the Atlanta Braves\u2019 AAA affiliate and the apparent lack of a Spring Training invite, Capel seems to be minor league depth for the organization, which already has a glut of outfielders vying for playing time at the big league level.<\/p>\n Rockies\u2019 \u2018funky, wacky\u2019 starting pitching experiment begins at spring training | The Denver Post ($)<\/a><\/p>\n Patrick Saunders talked with Rockies\u2019 pitchers and pitching coaches about the new ideas floating around this year\u2019s Spring Training. While there\u2019s a big emphasis on expanding pitch arsenals and pounding the strike zone, the general philosophy seems to be experimenting and seeing what sticks. The titular quote comes from team veteran and Denver native Kyle Freeland, who says it\u2019s \u201cextremely refreshing\u201d to see these sorts of \u201cfunky, wacky ideas\u2026 thrown around in these conversations from the pitching side.\u201d<\/p>\n Rockies Free Agent Options Dwindling as Spring Training Approaches | Sports Illustrated<\/a><\/p>\n With the departures of both Michael Toglia and Warming Bernabel earlier in the offseason, it seemed like the team might be in the market for a veteran first baseman. Scott Roche over at Sports Illustrated makes a case for signing Nathaniel Lowe, who split time with Boston and Washington last year. I myself think the club would be better served letting Blaine Crim, Troy Johnston, T.J. Rumfield, and Edouard Julien battle it out in camp.<\/p>\n Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines<\/a> when you\u2019re commenting. Thanks!![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-08-at-2.42.50\u202fPM.png\"\/)
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