The MLB season is just a little more than a week old, but this much is true: It’s August and the Rockies are in first place.
So what do experts think of Colorado’s fast start? Here’s a look at how various national publications rate the Rockies entering Week 2 of the truncated 2020 season:
The Athletic (No. 17): “For now, the Rockies are doing well. Really well. Trevor Story is a star. The starting pitching has been sensational. I don’t want to tinkle on any parades. Just pointing out the pattern. This is why the last proper Opening Day hosted at Coors Field was 2011. They know this, too,” The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee writes.
Bleacher Report (No. 6): “The Rockies lead the majors with a 2.00 ERA from their starting rotation. A year ago, they were dead last in that category with an unsightly 5.87 ERA from the starting staff. Quite the turnaround. Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela and Jon Gray have made two starts each, and all four have an ERA under 2.70. If they keep pitching like this, they’re going to be awfully dangerous,” Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter writes.
CBS Sports (No. 6): “They are 6-2 (entering Monday) and Nolan Arenado has been pretty bad so far,” CBS’ Matt Snyder writes.
ESPN (No. 21): “The pitching staff has carried Colorado to a nice start — Kyle Freeland has looked more like the 2018 Freeland than the pitcher who posted a 6.73 ERA in 2019 — and you wonder if the Rockies are the team most primed to benefit from the short season. Playing at altitude is always a fatigue factor over 162 games, and the lack of organizational pitching depth might not be as much of a problem over 60 games. Remember, as bad as the Rockies were last year, they were 31-29 through 60 games (and were 40-34 before collapsing),” ESPN’s David Schoenfield writes.
Sports Illustrated (No. 15): “Colorado boasts the lowest ERA (1.84, as of Friday) in the bigs after recording the NL’s highest ERA (5.56) a year ago. They’ve also allowed just two homers, tied with the Rangers for the fewest in the Majors, a year after allowing the most in the league (270). What Coors Effect?” Will Laws and Nick Selbe write.
— Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post
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