Way back in spring training, after Kris Bryant signed his seven-year, $182-million mega-deal, but before he got hurt, and before the starting rotation blew multiple gaskets, and before the team posted the worst road record in the majors, I predicted that the Rockies would finish with a 78-84 record.
I even mentioned to a colleague that if the Rockies played well and could get to around .500 by mid-season, and if they made a move or two at the trade deadline, they might be a surprise wild-card team.
My colleague laughed at me.
Turns out the joke was on me. Not only are the 2022 Rockies a bad, disappointing team, but they also lack an identity. Right now, they’re just treading water.
How did it all go so wrong? Let’s paint that picture by the numbers:
25: The number of road games the Rockies (18-41) are on pace to win, which would be the second-fewest in franchise history for a full season. The 2014 team finished 21-60.
36: Home runs hit on the road thus far, tied with Detroit for the fewest in the majors. The Rockies are on pace to finish with 49 road home runs, which would tie the 2000 club for the fewest in franchise history.
2: Home runs hit on the road by catcher Elias Diaz so far. He hit 18 home runs last season, nine at home and nine on the road.
.209: Team batting average with runners in scoring position on the road, and that number includes just six home runs. True, the Rockies have almost always struggled to hit in the clutch on the road, but not like this. Since Coors Field opened in 1995, the Rockies have hit .305 with RISP at home vs. hitting .242 away from home.
35: Stolen bases, the fewest in the National League and the second-fewest in the majors. Only the Twins (26) have swiped fewer bags.
5.38: Cumulative ERA for Colorado’s starters, the second highest in the majors, behind only the Nationals’ 5.95. Manager Bud Black touted the rotation as the strength of the team, but every single starter has failed to live up to expectations. It’s hard to believe that back in 2018, the Rockies’ rotation had a 4.17 ERA, the second-best in franchise history.
5.22: ERA for right-hander German Marquez, who was a first-time All-Star last summer. After his last start, Marquez said his performance was “frickin’ frustrating.” And the painful truth is that Marquez has a 5.51 ERA since last year’s All-Star Game.
4.80: ERA for the bullpen, the third-highest in baseball, with only Kansas City (4.86) and Cincinnati (4.86) worse.
3.44/7.10: The first number is walks issued by Rockies pitchers per nine innings, the sixth-highest in the majors. The second number is the strikeouts per nine innings, the fewest in the majors. That’s not a good combination.
.983: Team fielding percentage, the second worst in the majors behind Pittsburgh (.979). The Rockies are on pace for their worst fielding performance since the 2016 club had a .982 mark.
15: Errors at third base for Ryan McMahon, including a costly one in Friday night’s loss to the Mets. Last season, McMahon, a Gold Glove finalist, committed just five errors at third base.
42: The number of games Bryant has played this season. He’s missed time because of a back injury and plantar fasciitis. There is a strong possibility he won’t play again this season. The Rockies are 20-22 in the games in which Bryant played.
