3 reasons this season will be different for the Colorado Rockies

In their 2023 Spring Training survey, The Athletic has the Colorado Rockies as the least improved and least recognizable team in Major League Baseball. One survey respondent wonders if the Rockies “are even trying.”

When you consider their stock of prospects, fans can understand why the club has a lack of trades to bring in top talent. The Rockies want to keep their homegrown talent and make something of their team this way. But, after seeing the Rockies give away players like Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, and Troy Tulowitzki in the past, it’s understandable why fans are disgruntled.

They want all of these moves to mean something for their team. Charlie Blackmon has been the cornerstone of this club for many seasons. After the departure of Arenado and Story, the team has brought in only one big name, Kris Bryant, and he’s dealt with injuries for most of his time in Denver.

So, what will make this season different for Bud Black and the Rockies after their 59-103 season in 2023?

3. The Rockies added three free agents

The Rockies added Cal Quantrill, Dakota Hudson, and Jacob Stallings; Hudson and Quantrill will compete for spots in the starting rotation.

Hudson spent most of last season with the AAA Memphis Redbirds before becoming a starter for the Cardinals late in the season. After the Cardinals non-tendered Hudson, the Rockies signed him to a one-year free-agent contract for $1.5 million.

Hudson started 12 games of the 18 he pitched in last season. He was 6-3 with 81.1 innings pitched. He had 45 strikeouts and a ground ball rate of 51.1 percent. Seeing how this translates to him pitching regularly at Coors Field will be interesting.

Quantrill came to the Rockies in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians for catching prospect Kody Huff. He struggled mightily in 2023 and needed a change in scenery. What more majestic a change in scenery can you get than Denver with the Coors Field backdrop?

Quantrill was a dismal 4-7 in 2023 over 19 games started. He did have 58 strikeouts on the season, but also a 5.24 ERA. Here’s hoping that Quantrill gets a fresh start with the Rockies and has a successful season to get his career back on track.

Stallings is set to be the backup for catcher Elias Diaz. He signed as a free agent for a one-year contract at $2 million. Stallings was an NL Gold Glove-winning catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021. That offseason, he was traded to the Miami Marlins, where he stayed through this offseason.

Diaz should benefit from having Stallings around from the standpoint of being a veteran and a Gold Glove winner. Diaz was an All-Star in 2023 and won the All-Star game MVP.

2. The Rockies have a good mix of prospects and proven starters, if healthy

Blackmon and Bryant are all-star caliber players when healthy. The pair are surrounded by lineup regulars Diaz, Nolan Jones, Brendan Rodgers, Ryan McMahon, and Ezequiel Tovar.

Several prospects are trying to make their way onto the Rockies roster. Elehuris Montero, Hunter Goodman, Alan Trejo, Adael Amador, Harold Castro, Drew Romo, and Yonathan Daza all look to make the roster and compete with the Rockies this season.

These are not huge names in the baseball world, but they are prospects who are hungry to make an impact with the Rockies.

1. The Rockies will bring the Dawn of Coors’ Chaos

Triple-A Albuquerque manager Pedro Lopez calls it Coors’ Chaos and has been passionate about teaching his squad to be more aggressive in their game. Lopez reflects on Rockies teams of the late 1990s that pressured defenses when they would get a hit, get aggressive on the base path, and try to steal a base or two.

Lopez explains in that MLB story that power and speed can “wreak havoc on opponents in a ballpark situated at altitude with a ton of space in the outfield.” This has been an area Lopez has keyed in on this focus in player development for the Rockies. Lopez noted Nolan Jones had 20 homers and 20 steals when he was promoted to the Rockies. Brenton Doyle had 22 steals. “They were a threat,” Lopez said. “That’s something I’m trying to instill in these guys, trying to make them be more aggressive.”

Seeing how well Lopez’s techniques resonate and translate to the Rockies will be interesting. Can the entire squad implement these tactics and make for an exciting summer? After years of being mediocre, seeing a young scrappy team do well at Coors’ Field would be fun.

This article was originally published on fansided.com as 3 reasons this season will be different for the Colorado Rockies.