The Rockies signed left-handed starter Jorge De La Rosa to a two-year contract extension worth $25 million in early September. (Denver Post file)
2014 Pitching StatisticsGPGSW-LERAIPHRERHRBBSOWHIPBAA323214-114.10184.1161908421671391.24.238
In early September, the Rockies signed left-handed starter Jorge De La Rosa to a .
They didn’t spend all of that money because De La Rosa went 14-11 with a 4.10 ERA in 2014. They did it because he is 45-14 with a 3.98 ERA in 81 career games (76 starts) at Coors Field.
When you find a pitcher who not only survives at Coors Field but actually thrives in that hitters’ paradise, you hold on to him for dear life.
That doesn’t make De La Rosa a great pitcher, it makes him a very good pitcher at Coors Field, which in the Rockies world makes him an ace. Like most of his teammates, De La Rosa was bad on the road this season: 4-9 with a 5.09 ERA, with opposing hitters batting .247 against him. At home, he was 10-2 with a 3.08 ERA and a .228 batting average against.
De La Rosa turns 34 in April, but he s throwing the ball with heat again. , his average fastball velocity was 93.3 MPH in 2010. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2011 and it took him two seasons to fully regain his arm strength, but his average fastball velocity was back up to 92.3 MPH in 2014.
De La Rosa, of course, had his flaws in 2014. The 21 home runs he gave up were a career-high and his slow, methodical pace on the mound makes him a human rain delay. It drives some of his teammates crazy, but at least he provides victories.
There was a time when De La Rosa let his emotions get the best of him and it affected his performance. But he’s learned to channel that emotion into his pitching. That’s evidenced by his 1.24 WHIP, the best of his career.
He still strikes out batters at a decent rate — his 139 Ks were his most since he struck out a career-high 193 in 2009. But more than ever, he’s using an effective slider and changeup to induce groundball outs. He had 295 groundball outs and his 1.15 groundball-to-flyball ratio ranked eighth in the National League.
When compared to Clayton Kershaw, Adam Wainwright or Johnny Cueto, De La Rosa hardly qualifies as a National League ace, but he’s the best starter the Rockies have and he’s their building block for the 2015 rotation.
2014 Salary: $11 million
2015 Salary: $12.5 million
Stat of Note: .763 Winning percentage when pitching at Coors Field where he is 45-14 in 81 career games (76 starts).
GRADE: B
Tags: Jorge De La Rosa, pitching, Rockies
