The Rockies have made plenty of transactions that should bolster their lineup. The question becomes, can the Colorado Rockies separate themselves from the bottom of the pack in the NL West? Considering the division is controlled by the 2020 World Series Champion, the LA Dodgers, how can the Rockies be better? Another critical question is how reliable they’ll be at the sportsbook? If you are new to sports betting, please check out our MLB betting hub page to get started.
2020 Results
The shortened 2020 season didn’t meet the Colorado Rockies with kindness. They finished 26-34, second to last in the NL West. Their record at home ended up worse than their road record, and they finished their season with an 11-3 loss. There weren’t a lot of good times. Some would say it was a much different season due to COVID-19 protocols, but the performance was abysmal. The silver lining is that they had five players qualify for the batting title. With the Rockies looking to improve in 2021, a strong batting presence is a great start.
Key Additions
The most important part of team-building, especially after an awful season, is notable acquisitions. A signing that adds more depth to their batting lineup was the addition of C.J. Cron. In 2020, Cron’s season with the Detroit Tigers was cut short due to season-ending knee surgery. Up until that point, however, he already had four home runs and eight RBI in 13 games. They also added more depth to their bullpen with the signing of SP Austin Gomber. Gomber previously played for the St. Louis Cardinals, wherein the shortened 2020 season; he appeared in 10 games with an ERA of 1.86.
Significant Losses
Luckily, the Rockies haven’t lost much in the offseason. The most notable would likely be the retirement of 1B Daniel Murphy. CF David Dahl and C Tony Wolters have also made their exit from Colorado after not being offered a contract.The Rockies have remedied the loss of these players by adding more depth. Compared to all the acquisitions the Colorado Rockies have made, they’ve done well over the offseason keeping their core group.
Rockies Pitching
On the mound is where the Colorado Rockies struggled the most, and you can tell just by their offseason acquisitions that they’re looking to fix it. Gomber is a great addition and should make his way into a starting spot quickly. They also added RP Robert Stephenson and RP Jairo Diaz. These additions tell us that the Rockies are taking their pitching woes from the 2020 season seriously. Although Stephenson and Diaz will likely only see the mound in a limited capacity, the Rockies are excited to bring depth to the bullpen.
Rockies Offense
Offensively the Rockies did quite well in 2020; they ranked 16th in average score. Where they came up short was finishing games with solid pitching. Unless you’re ahead by quite a few runs, offense won’t matter much if your pitchers and fielders are giving them back. First baseman Cron will be a huge help now that he’s healthy after knee surgery. In a limited taste of Cron’s abilities, we’ve seen how he can bolster the lineup.
3 Key Players
The Colorado Rockies didn’t have many “blockbuster” signings. They did, however, make additions to the bullpen and the batting lineup that will pay off in the future. Most notably, Cron will provide runs and RBI. Another key addition is Gomber.In 29 innings pitched, he struck out 27 and walked 15. Gomber is a huge addition to a struggling bullpen. RP Robert Stephenson could also prove to be a good depth addition to the bullpen after more time developing behind Gomber.
Schedule Breakdown
The Colorado Rockies got handed the short end of the stick by facing the World Series Champions on Opening Day. They start their season with a four-game series versus the LA Dodgers. This schedule won’t be any easier than the 2020 season, but the Rockies will be more equipped. Even their World Series odds have improved to +12000. BetUS has their win total odds at 63.5, and although it’s not great, they have the potential to improve.
