2012 MLB Season Preview: Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies 2012 Season Outlook
The Rockies are a team in transition. They have made a plethora of offseason moves to change the culture on the field and in the clubhouse. The team is rebuilding, and rebuilding big. That, however, doesn’t mean they can’t be competitive. They have a nice mix of veteran leaders and young talent. They’ve got Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, and Carlos Gonzalez anchoring the offense, and they’ve made some adjustments to their pitching.
The 2011 Rockies were under-performing and had intense expectations levied on them coming out spring training. This year’s team will have nothing of the sort. Most people are predicting the 2012 Rockies to finish toward the bottom of the division once again. Their new team (and it really is a new team with the number of additions/subtractions they had) will have to gel, some of the club’s prospects will have to develop, and the veterans will have to step up in order for this club to outperform expectations.
Carlos Gonzalez should continue the tear he’s been on since joining the Rockies in 2009. The 26-year old should make his first All-Star Game this season, and he is always a threat for a Gold Glove. While Todd Helton may be reaching the end of his career, his production level has not dipped all that much. He can still hit and get on base. And Troy Tulowitzki has a chance to win an MVP in his career if he continues the incredible performances he’s had since making his debut in 2006. The pitching staff has changed a bit, but they are still the wild card. It’s not clear that the rotation has actually improved much with the moves the Rockies front office have made, but the results of the 2012 season largely rest on this rotation.
The Rockies saw a lot of familiar faces leave the organization during this past offseason. Ty Wigginton, Chris Iannetta, and Ian Stewart were all staples of the Colorado Rockies, and their departures had many fans caught off guard. However, the fact that the front office was willing to make those moves shows they are looking to build a winning ball club. They were not happy with last season’s results and made moves that will help the club get better going forward. And they should get better starting this year.
While the 2011 Rockies finished with a 73-89 record, their Pythagorean record was 77-85 indicating luck was against them in some games. This season, with the transactions the team has made and a little bit of luck, should go slightly better. The Rockies are not likely to compete for the division, but they should finish much closer to .500. Expect the Rockies to pick up seven wins over last season and finish 80-82. But this season is just the beginning. Their future is looking bright, and they may return to the days of excitement and surprise while challenging for the National League West year in and year out. For now, the Rockies will have to settle for a last place finish in the division because that’s where it looks like they’re heading on this road to recovery.
Find your team’s 2012 season preview or when it will be published here.
You can follow Call to the Pen on Twitter at @FSCalltothePen or like us here on Facebook.