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Needless to say, the 2021 Rockies season was not ideal. Of course, many did not expect a World events title, but the team weren’t as bad as many had predicted. Ultimately, the season turned into an assortment of mixed results that provided ups and downs. As the season draws to a close, let’s take a look at a few The good the bad and the ugly it was Rocky Mountain season.
Good
Brendan Rodgers is finally here
While the offense has mostly felt underwhelming this season, there were still a few offensive breakouts that stood out this season. CJ Cron returns quite often, as he should, as his production numbers are among the best for the Rockies and he provides stability at a position the Rockies have lacked for several years. Still, for this article I wanted to focus on Brendan Rodgers because we finally have a better idea of what he can do at the major league level.
After Rodgers found himself limp in spring training while stealing second base, many of us feared it was another lost season for Rodgers. Fortunately for the Rockies, this was not true at all. In 100 games this season, Rodgers is down 0.285 / .329 / .470 with 21 doubles, 15 homers and 50 RBIs. What was even more encouraging was that Rodgers has become the Road Warrior in the Rockies where he has an OPS of 0.864 away from Coors Field. Rodgers aims to play a pivotal role with the Rockies in the years to come and he’s made huge strides in 2021.
The bad
Elevator enclosure
The Rockies’ starting rotation had another solid year on the mound, but their brethren in the bullpen were not so lucky overall. For most of the year, the relievers struggled to find their place as a group and become a reliable piece in every game. They were able to clean things up over the past month, but it came too late in the season when the team was already out of action.
The bullpen has a 4.88 ERA over the season, allowing 325 points. They weren’t as inclined to give up the long ball, but it was the abundance of steps and lack of strikeouts that stung the box the most. The relievers have a K / BB ratio of 2.07 which ranks among the worst in the league. The inability to stop traffic and close the gate when there are runners in the lead at 26 puffs over the year. Once again, the reliever box has improved in the final month of the season, but if the Rockies are to improve, they need their relievers to fight early in the season.
The ugly one
Rocky Mountain Route
The Rockies won their first road game of the season at the end of April. They would win their thirteenth game at the end of July, and for a while, they risked becoming the worst road team in baseball history. The offense has become the biggest culprit in traffic struggles this season. As a team, they were down .217 / .291 / .351 with 78 homers and 279 runs scored, the worst in the league. It also didn’t help that the team were shut out 16 times on the road. They became a stark contrast to the dominant offensive team that graced Coors Field.
The launchers were also not immune to the dangers of the road. As a staff, they posted a 4.90 ERA on the road, 0.33 points higher than what they have posted at Coors Field this season. Opposing teams slash 0.26 / 2.337 / 0.441 against the Rockies, which are among the worst in all of baseball. In some bizarre sort of circumstance, the Rockies pitchers are more comfortable at home than on the road, and everyone’s failure on the road has helped rock the season.
At the end of the season, the Rockies have a 26-53 road record and it’s no exaggeration to think that if the Rockies hadn’t been so appalling on the road for most of the season, they would have been in a much better position as a team.
There is so much more we could spend time talking about regarding the Rockies this year. Like any type of sporting season, there will be highlights, hard times and unspeakable horrors. Yes, the Rockies weren’t as bad as many thought and there were some things to get excited about. Still, there were glaring weaknesses the Rockies will need to address if they are to find a way back into the race. This offseason will go a long way in telling what the Rockies’ intentions are for the future.
★ ★
Rockies Appoints Bill Schmidt Chief Executive Officer | MLB.com
In a move that was inevitable, the Rockies found their next GM in the form of Acting GM Bill Schmidt.
“The past five months have been an important one for our club,” said Schmidt, “and we want our fans to know that as a group, our baseball operations team brings a new perspective, approach and energy to these. roles. We will work hard to provide a consistent winning club for our fans. “
Schmidt has his work cut out for him if he wants to win over Rockies fans and transform his squad in the seasons to come.
Trevor Story, soon to be free agent, is the ultimate teammate | The Denver Post ($)
Another move that seems inevitable is for Trevor Story to leave the Rockies via free agency and get ready for a new team in 2022. Patrick Saunders sat down with some of Story’s teammates to get a better idea of what the shortstop brings. at the clubhouse. Ryan McMahon, Nolan Arenado, and Charlie Blackmon all agree that Story is one of the hardest working players in the game and that you really want to be a part of your team.
At the farm
Triple A: Sacramento River Cats 2, Albuquerque Isotopes 1
A pitching duel was the result of Sacramento tonight as the Isotopes lost their 71st game of the season. Sean Hjelle took the mound for the River Cats and pitched six solid innings allowing no runs on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks. He was opposed by Bernardo Flores Jr. of the Isotopes who also had a favorable exit allowing a run on four hits in 4 innings of work.
Sacramento took a 1-0 lead in the third inning after a Mauricio Dubón home run with two strikeouts. The Isotopes reliever box would keep the River Cats off the board until the bottom of the eighth when Mike Tauchman shot a single to give them a 2-0 lead.
That run turned out to be the difference when Taylor Snyder landed his 12th Triple-A home run and second hit of the night in the top of the ninth to make it a one-run game yet again. Unfortunately for Albuquerque, Yunior Marte rebounded to strike out the next two hitters to secure the win and save.
★ ★ ★
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