Seven Bad Years
The Colorado Rockies have finished last in the NL West for four consecutive seasons. Despite having made it through just a couple of weeks, it appears incredibly likely that’s where they’re headed again.
All of these last place finishes follow three straight in fourth place. That means seven bad seasons. The Biggest problem may be there doesn’t seem to be a clear path out of this.
Things were looking okay in 2017-2018 as the Rocks made the post season in back to back seasons, winning eighty-seven and ninety-one games respectively. They haven’t won more than seventy-four since and they are on a path to a hundred losses in a third straight.
Wrong Division
The losses are easy to come by when your main competition, the Dodgers, Padres, Diamondbbacks and Giants all have the talent to make the post season. The National League West is not a place to bring mediocrity, everybody competes here.
Before this seven year stench, the Rocks made the post season in back to back years (2017-2018). That’s Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, DJ LeMahieu and Charlie Blackmon.
Twenty-five year old Kyle Freeland went 17-7, 2.85 ERA, one of the great Rockies’ pitching seasons. Freeland is still there, everyone else is gone, Blackmon retiring after last season.
Poor Drafts
Until recently there was not a single player on the roster that was selected in the first three rounds of the draft in the last five years . That changed with a pair of additions. First round picks, outfielder Zac Veen (2020 draft) and pitcher Chase Dollander (2023) added this week.
They have promising shortstop Ezequiel Tovar signed long term (7 years $63.5 million) as well as the oft injured and underperforming Kris Bryant (7 years $182 million).
They also have good fans as more than 2.5 million came through the gates again in 2024 despite one hundred and one losses. You wonder how many more of these they’ll put up with.
