5 biggest questions facing Rockies going into ‘19 | MLB.com
The Rockies advanced to the NLDS for the first time since 2009 this season, but if they hope to make it further and compete for a World Series title in the next year or two, they’ll have to address some lingering issues. Thomas Harding of MLB.com discusses the five biggest questions heading into next year and how the answers may affect the Rockies’ chances of improving their Postseason run for a third consecutive season.
The biggest question mark, of course, is the offense. How will Jeff Bridich and the front office address it? Free agency? Trades? From within their own farm system? Will they also offer a contract extension to Nolan Arenado prior to Spring Training? These questions and more are uncertainties that will shape the franchise for the foreseeable future, and this offseason may turn out to be one of the most important in recent memory.
Tracking the 2018 Draft: Colorado Rockies | SB Nation: Minor League Ball
Kris Dunn with SB Nation’s Minor League Ball takes a look at the Rockies’ three newest prospects from this year’s draft who find themselves in the top-30 ranking for the organization according to MLB Pipeline. The list includes Ryan Rolison (no. 6 overall), Grant Lavigne (no. 8 overall), and Terrin Vavra (no. 13 overall).
Ryan Rolison is the most notable to me, and despite the Rockies not having any new top-100 prospects this year (only Rodgers, Welker, and Lambert made the cut), I suspect Ryan will find himself in their company before too long. He had a very special rookie season with Grand Junction under a pitch limit this year, and I’m excited to see him unleashed in Boise (or maybe even Asheville) in 2019.
Rockies’ bats blinded by Postseason lights | BSN Rockies ($)
The Rockies have a core of talent based on youth led by names such as Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Kyle Freeland, German Márquez, and David Dahl, and it is very similar to the World Series champion Houston Astros, posits Rich Allen of BSN Denver in this article (free at the time of this publishing). However, where the Astros have thrived the Rockies have struggled, so what’s the big difference?
According to David Dahl, the Rockies are just pressing, and have to “get better at living in the moment and not letting it get too big for us.” He has a point—the Rockies hitters were often expanding the zone in search of “the big hit,” and the excitement of the playoffs may have gotten to them. Where the Astros learned to stay in the moment, the Rox got blinded, but David vows they’ll be better for it in the long term and return to the Postseason in 2019.
Colorado Rockies: Getting a catcher needs to be a focus this offseason | Rox Pile
Yes, the offense was particularly bad last season, and there are many areas that need improvement. Noah Yingling of Rox Pile suggests that one position in particular needs an offensive addition, and it’s catcher. Colorado ranked poorly in many offensive categories at backstop, including the slash line trio of batting average (27th), on-base percentage (12th), and slugging percentage (24th). Noah also looks at a handful of possible players the Rockies could pick up via both free agency and trade scenarios, including fan-favorite possible hot stove acquisition JT Realmuto.