{"id":575635,"date":"2026-02-16T14:24:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:24:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/575635\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T14:24:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:24:32","slug":"colorado-rockies-news-chase-dollander-is-in-learning-mode","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/575635\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado Rockies news: Chase Dollander is in \u201clearning mode\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scottsdale, Ariz. \u2013 Chase Dollander was drafted ninth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft<\/a> and skyrocketed through the Colorado Rockies\u2019 minor league system, finally making his MLB debut on April 6 last year against the Athletics.<\/p>\n

Dollander had an up-and-down season<\/a>, but he ended on a strong note when he went head-to-head against Tyler Glasnow in September before ultimately straining his patellar tendon during the game and finishing the year on the IL.<\/p>\n

But Dollander is ready to take on 2026 with a new approach and a coaching staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to throw strikes,\u201d Dollander said of his biggest 2025 takeaway.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to get in the zone early, which is something we\u2019ve really honed in on. Especially with this new staff, they\u2019ve been really big about just throwing strike one. You put a hitter in a defensive mode, and it\u2019s not good for them. So that\u2019s been a huge focus of mine this offseason \u2013 command, making sure I\u2019m getting strike one, and going from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was something that Warren Schaeffer echoed, as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the main thing is getting in the strike zone early in the count,\u201d Schaeffer said. \u201cThat\u2019s something he did not do very well last year with any of his pitches, specifically at Coors Field.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dollander spent his offseason making adjustments to ensure he could command the ball, both physically and philosophically.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I\u2019ve made] a couple of mechanical adjustments,\u201d he said, \u201cbeing more direct to the plate, making sure my energy and everything like that goes towards the plate rather than away from it, which I think just in its own right has helped a lot of other things as well. So it\u2019s been cool to kind of see the changes and stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

And now that he\u2019s gotten to work with the new coaching staff, he\u2019s impressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like a lot of them so far,\u201d he said, grinning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a big change from what we had last year, and I think all of us are very excited. Some are more outspoken than others, but it\u2019s definitely a change. It\u2019s just exciting!\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to a new coaching staff, the Rockies rotation is also shaping up to be dramatically different from 2025. Just in the last week, they added veterans Jos\u00e9 Quintana<\/a> and Tomoyuki Sugano<\/a> after bringing on Michael Lorenzen in January<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And Dollander is taking full advantage of the new brainpower.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been talking to Lorenzen a lot, picking his brain and getting to know him as a person rather than the player, as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t gotten to talk to Sugano all that much, and Quintana the same thing, but I\u2019m looking forward to getting to know those guys and really talking to them and picking their brains. Obviously, all three of them have a lot of experience \u2013 along with [Kyle] Freeland \u2013 so I feel like there\u2019s a lot to learn, and I have the right guys around me to do it, so I\u2019m going to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dollander said his head is hurting a little bit from all of the information being thrown at him, but \u201cin a great way!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather have too much information than not enough,\u201d he said. \u201cI think they\u2019re really good at just making sure that we\u2019re all understanding and making sure we\u2019re all on the same page. I think it\u2019s going to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SCOTTSDALE,<\/a><\/p>\n

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 10: Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies shakes hands with catcher Braxton Fulford #37 at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 10, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper\/Colorado Rockies\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n

Schaeffer also praised the new veterans and what they can bring to a young pitcher like Dollander.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just that attitude and being around new people and being around a lot more veterans \u2013 not just Kyle Freeland and [Antonio] Senzatela, but now it\u2019s Michael Lorenzen and Sugano and Quintana. These are all guys that can help him with getting in the zone. His stuff is nasty \u2013 if he gets the ball over the plate, he\u2019s going to be really good for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

And, of course, Dollander is working on a new pitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other day, we were playing around with a sweeper,\u201d he said. \u201cObviously, the sinker got added last year. That has taken off in its own right. And then it\u2019s just refining everything else, making sure that the slider stays hard with more of a downward action rather than side-to-side.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like my stuff is good enough,\u201d he continued. \u201cIf I throw strikes, it\u2019ll be a tough time for hitters. So that\u2019s been my focus: Just command the zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead to 2026, Dollander is looking the most forward to working with the staff and veteran pitchers.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I\u2019m most looking forward to] picking their brains more, especially as games go on, like, \u2018Hey man, what did you see here? What would you throw in this situation?\u2019 That kind of stuff,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s when I\u2019ll start to really learn a lot. It\u2019s hard now just because we\u2019re all doing different things \u2013 we\u2019re all throwing live (batting practices) at these different times and stuff like that \u2013 but once games start, I\u2019m in learning mode.\u201d<\/p>\n

After difficult \u201825 on and off field, Doyle eyes bounce-back \u201826 | MLB.com<\/a><\/p>\n

To say Brenton Doyle had a difficult 2025 is underscoring things. Between personal tragedy and professional challenges, it was a rough one. But Doyle is looking to bounce back in 2026, hopefully to reclaim himself at the plate and in the field (and perhaps at the MLB Honors once again).<\/p>\n

The Rockies try something new: Signing pitchers who want to come to Coors Field | The Athletic ($)<\/a><\/p>\n

The Rockies have always struggled to attract free agent pitchers, but something changed this year and they\u2019ve had an influx of pitchers eager to sign with them. Sam Blum spoke with them, as well as the new pitching coaches and PBO Paul DePodesta, to see what the difference is in 2026 compared to years past.<\/p>\n

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines<\/a> when you\u2019re commenting. Thanks!
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