MLB: Ranking the Teams That Will Improve the Most in 2017
By Jason Reed
2. Colorado Rockies
- 2016 Record: 75-87
- Projected 2017 Record: 86-76 (Difference: 11)
It seems like every year the Rockies start out hot and eventually fizzle into the background. This in large part is likely due to their pitching. Name the last Rockies pitcher that was considered great – the only one I can think of is Ubaldo Jimenez during his short dominant stretch. This is due in part to the lack of pitching, but likely has more to do with the ball park they play in. However, it goes both ways as the Rockies’ offense seems to be one of the best in the league and may be enough to carry them into Wild Card contention.
Just like with the pitching, we can attribute some of the offense’s success to the altitude in which they play. However, the fact is the Rockies are still one of the best offensive teams in baseball. Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez, David Dahl, Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, DJ LeMahieu and Ian Desmond are all formidable hitters. Heck, in left field the Rockies have both Dahl and Gerardo Parra to from a great platoon. With so much hitting talent, the Rockies could even make trades for pitching that won’t significantly hurt them. The Rockies could easily deal Carlos Gonzalez and a utility player or two for a decent arm such as Jake Odorizzi.
Not to mention that the Rockies have one of the best prospects in baseball, Brendan Rodgers, being blocked by both Story and LeMahieu. The Rockies could deal Rodgers for a significant arm, or deal Story or LeMahieu. Heck, they can even hold on to all the pieces and try to find a way to fit them all into one lineup. They also have pitching prospects Jeff Hoffman and Riley Pint who both rank in MLB’s top 50 prospects. Hoffman is potentially big league ready, and Pint needs perhaps two more seasons. The bottom line is, the Rockies have pieces to make deals or to be an explosive offensive unit, and either way it looks promising.