The Colorado Rockies have never seemed to be able to field a formidable pitching rotation. They routinely appear at the bottom of the league in most pitching statistics. They finished with a 4.84 team ERA in 2014, which was the highest in the Majors.
It is easy to blame the Rockies lack of pitching talent on their home ball park, Coors Field, being a notorious hitters park. Although they were worse at home (5.05 ERA), Rockies pitchers were also at the bottom of the league on the road last season, with a 4.62 ERA.
It is true that it is harder for the Rockies to attract free agent pitchers to Coors Field, especially fly ball pitchers. Therefore it becomes more important for the team to build through the draft.
The Rockies have really struggled to draft pitchers over the last decade, with top picks being wasted on the likes of Chaz Roe (#32 overall in 2005), Greg Reynolds (#2 overall in 2006), Casey Weathers (#8 overall in 2007), Christian Friedrich (#25 in 2008). The jury’s still out on Tyler Matzek, was taken 11th overall in 2009. Rex Brothers is the only quality first round pitcher that the Rockies were able to select over that stretch.
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The team has drafted a lot better in the first round over the last three years, providing hope that their pitching woes can be fixed. Draft picks Eddie Butler (#46th in 2012), Jonathan Gray
(#3 in 2013) and Kyle Freeland (#14 in 2014) have all pitched well in the minors, but they may not all be in Colorado together until 2017.
Eddie Butler was the first of the three to make it to the big leagues. Butler had an incredible 2013 season, posting a 1.80 ERA across three levels, with 143 strikeouts through 149 innings pitched. His 2014 season at AA Tulsa was less spectacular, as his ERA rose to 3.58 and his strikeout numbers were also down (63 K’s in 108 IP).
Butler has the potential to have four solid pitches. He throws his fastball in the mid to upper 90’s, with his best off speed pitch being his slider. His curveball and changeup still need some work, but they also have the potential to be above average offerings. The development of his off speed pitches will go a long way towards being a starting pitcher rather than a reliever. Although he throws hard, Butler will have to work more towards the bottom half of the strike zone in Colorado, or he is sure to give up more homeruns.
Jonathan Gray has more potential than any pitcher the Rockies have drafted in recent memory. The Rockies took him 3rd overall in 2013 out of Oklahoma, where he dominated college hitters en route to a 1.64 ERA, with 147 strikeouts in 126 innings. He is an overpowering righthander, being listed at 6’4″ and 235 lbs.
Upon being drafted, he had a sensational five-start debut with the Advanced A Modesto Nuts. His 0.75 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts in 24 innings showed that he was too advanced for single A ball. He spent the entire 2014 season with the Tulsa Drillers, alongside Butler. He made 24 starts, finishing with a 3.91 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 113 strikeouts through 124 innings.
Gray’s fastball is what scouts dream of. He has great command of the pitch, throwing it in the upper 90’s and touching 100. He has a very easy delivery, which allows him to throw the ball hard without stress. He also has a phenomenal slider that gets him a lot of swing and misses. These two pitches are often times all Gray needs to throw. He also has a changeup, although it needs some work before it becomes an effective pitch for him.
Kyle Freeland was a highly touted lefthander out of the University of Evansville in the 2014 draft. After sub par freshman and sophomore seasons, Freeland dominated in the Cape Cod League. He put it all together during his junior season, finishing with a 1.90 ERA, with 128 strikeouts through 99 innings.
After the Rockies took him with the 14th overall selection, Freeland pitched extremely well in 10 starts split between Rookie Ball’s Grand Junction Rockies and the Single-A Asheville Tourists. He compiled a 1.15 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, with 33 strikeouts in 39 innings. Like Gray, he proved that he was too advanced for A ball. He will most likely start the 2015 season with the Tulsa Drillers.
Freeland’s fastball sits in the low to mid 90’s. He also has a slider which he throws in the low 80’s, and a cutter he throws in the mid 80’s. His changeup needs development at this point before it can be considered a serious part of his arsenal. The only concern with Freeland is that his delivery requires a lot of effort. Time will tell if his throwing style can be effective in the long run.
Although Butler and Gray are probably closer to the big leagues than Freeman, all three should be in Colorado at some point during the 2016 season. 2017 may be the first season in which all three will be in the majors together. Time will tell if they represent the nucleus of a dominating rotation, or if they will struggle like many other Rockies draft picks have in the past decade.