PHOENIX — Back in spring training, when optimism bloomed for every team not named Orioles, Tigers, Royals or Marlins, Rockies general manager made a bold statement.
“Now itap really about what it actually feels like for this group to be a playoff team, be a playoff contender, have a legitimate chance to win the N.L. West and be a real World Series threat,” Bridich said. “Those are real things for this team.”
Intrigued by Bridich’s words, and by my own optimism, I came up with 10 things the Rockies had to do in order to win their first National League West title. We now know, of course, that the Rockies aren’t going to overtake the Dodgers, who are on pace to win 109 games and claim their seventh consecutive NL West crown.
As the Rockies enter the final weekend prior to the all-star break, they are 44-42 and trail the Dodgers by 14 ½ games. Given that reality, I’ve taken my original list and downsized it to “what must happen in order for the Rockies to make the playoffs:”
1. Stay healthy. This still holds true, of course, but the key characters have changed. The Rockies simply can’t afford to lose any one of the following five players in the second half: , , starters and , and reliever .
2. I originally believed that the 2019 rotation could be the best in franchise history. I was way off base. Now, lefty , originally counted on to join Marquez to form a wicked one-two punch, must return from Triple-A and be a force in the second half. If Freeland, Marquez and Gray can pitch well, the Rockies can be a legitimate playoff threat.
3. My original list read, “hit more consistently.” For the most part, that has happened, despite stretches with far too many strikeouts. Overall, the Rockies’ offense is in good shape, so I’m substituting hitting with fielding. Center fielder and first baseman , in particular, must improve.
5. The original list read: “Replace at second base.” Nobody is replacing the newly-minted Yankees all-star, and rookie Brendan Rodgers, currently on the injured list with a sore shoulder, has a long way to go before he’s a high-impact player. That means (hitting .257) must be more productive.
6. Bolster the bullpen. That statement remains a vital point. I think that the Rockies need to trade for a lefty reliever. Currently, is the only southpaw on the staff. Plus, the Rockies need a better performance from closer , especially at home.
7. Dominate at . This still holds true. The Rockies have performed relatively well at Coors, despite some ugly meltdowns last month. After an 0-for-5 start to the season, the Rockies have since gone 24-14 in LoDo. That’s solid, but their just-completed 2-4 homestand vs. the Dodgers and Astros was a big letdown.
8. I originally wrote that the Rockies needed a career year out of Desmond. After a slow start, he’s come on strong, batting .388 since June 6 to raise his average to .282. He’s hit 11 home runs and is driving the ball with more authority. Career year? No, but definitely an improvement.
9. Beat the Dodgers. Oops! Colorado was 7-13 vs. the Dodgers last season and is 2-8 this season. Over the last 6½ years, the Rockies are 50-75 vs. Los Angeles.
10. I originally wrote that the Rockies needed to find a productive, quality fourth outfielder. They’ve found that with the emergence of Ramel Tapia. With Tapia and Desmond sharing time, and all-stars and Blackmon hitting for power, the outfield is a team strength — at least offensively.
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