What Do We Know About the 2024 Colorado Rockies So Far?

Granted, it’s early, and we’re clearly in small-sample size territory, which means little over the course of a season but can also provide a sense of how a team is getting started.

The Colorado Rockies are now 3-10, working on one of the worst starts in franchise history. Moreover, it’s clear that Kris Bryant, Nolan Jones, and Brendan Rodgers are off to miserable starts, a trend that seems unlikely to last. Still, here’s what we know from the early data.

• 12 – That’s the number of home runs the Rockies have hit in 2024, which ties them for seventh-most in MLB. (The Los Angeles Dodgers lead MLB with 20 home runs.) Michael Toglia’s three home runs lead all Rockies with Brenton Doyle, Ryan McMahon, and Ezequiel Tovar tied for second with two.

• 3 — That’s the number of bases the Rockies have stolen this season. Only the Miami Marlins have stolen fewer with just one lonely stolen base. Leading the league? The Washington Nationals with an eye-popping 25 followed by the Cincinnati Reds with 23. For the Rockies, Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Jones, and Ezequiel Tovar have each stolen one. Given the Rockies’ lack of consistent offense, a lack of stolen bases is a logical outcome, but this is a trend the team will need to reverse.

• 8.0% — That’s the Rockies’ BB%, or the number of walks they’re taking, and it is 23rd in MLB. The New York Yankees’ 13.1% leads all of baseball. (Turns out, having Juan Soto on your team matters.) Ryan McMahon’s 14.3% BB% in 56 PAs is remarkable given his free-swinging history. (You may read about his swing adjustments here.)

• 25.8% — That’s the Rockies’ K%, or their strikeout rate. It could be worse — the Seattle Mariners lead MLB at 29.2%. Striking out the most? Nolan Jones with a stunning 40.4% followed by Toglia at 38.5% — but he offsets that with those home runs. (Someone on Purple Row referred to Toglia at the Rockies’ own Joey Gallo, and they’re not wrong!)

• 82 — That’s the Rockies’ wRC+. (A 100 is average.) The number reflects the difficult start the Rockies have seen. Atlanta has the highest wRC+ at 139. The highest wRC+ on the Rockies? Ryan McMahon (164) followed by Charlie Blackmon (144) and Ezequiel Tovar (143).

• 1 — That’s the Rockies’ current DRS (Defensive Runs Saved), which ranks 12th among all MLB teams. (The Detroit Tigers lead MLB with 12.) Jake Cave has the most DRS on the Rockies’ roster with two. Look for this to improve over the course of the season. This defense is just too good.

• -3 – That’s the Rockies’ OAA (Outs Above Average). This part of the Rockies’ game will anlso improve, but they’ve gotten off to a slow defensive start.

• 6.61 — That’s the ERA of the Rockies starting rotation, and it’s the highest in baseball. The best ERA of the Rockies starters? That goes to Dakota Hudson (2.38). Highest K%? That goes to Ryan Feltner (31.8%), and it’s not close.

• 6.52 — That’s the ERA of the bullpen, and it, too, is the worst in MLB. Victor Vodnik has the lowest ERA (0.00) followed by Peter Lambert (2.57) and Nick Mears (2.84). The highest K%? That’s also Mears (26.7%), but it doesn’t approach Feltner’s.

It’s an early snapshot of a team struggling to get started and waiting for some of its stars, most notably Bryant and Jones, to get started. That’s going to happen, but the Rockies need it sooner rather than later.

Fun Things From the Internet

I was in Denver over the weekend, so I did not see much of the eclipse, but I enjoyed photos of the MLB players wearing their eclipse glasses and celebrating the day. This, from MLB.com’s Mike Petriello, was pretty epic.

What I’m Reading

• Former Colorado Rockie Jeff Hoffman does not hold back.

Jeff Hoffman: Aiming for First Place, Among Equals

“You see how our bullpen is built. It’s all just the nastiest guys you can possibly put together.”

FanGraphs BaseballMichael Baumann

• I wrote about the Rockies’ rally ski helmet. (And it was harder to track down than you might think!) Here’s hoping they have plenty of opportunities to use it.

Monday Rockpile: The story of the Colorado Rockies’ rally ski helmet

Colorado Rockies News and Notes for Monday, April 8, 2024

Purple RowRenee Dechert

• When the Arizona Diamondbacks were at Coors Field earlier this week, Kevin Henry spoke with pitching coach Brent Strom. This one is worth reading.

D-Backs’ Brent Strom Dishes on Arm Injuries, Pitching Philosophies

Arizona Diamondbacks pitching coach Brent Strom shares his insights on the injuries in the game and on his philosophy towards pitching.

Just BaseballKevin Henry

• Okay, this is cool.

Giants’ Alyssa Nakken coaches first regular season game as mom — ESPN

Alyssa Nakken stole a quick moment to make an important pregame stop ahead of San Francisco’s home opener: The assistant coach ducked into the family room not far from the Giants’ clubhouse to check on her new baby daughter and husband.

Closing Thoughts

And that’s it for this week.

I was in Denver for the Rays and D-backs series, so I’ll be writing about that in the coming days. Hopefully, we’re in for warmer weather than I experienced at Coors Field this week. Reader, I was cold!

As always, thanks for reading

Renee