Too often, he’d throw his 95-mph fastball over the heart of the plate. “Thwack!” Baseballs sizzled off the bat. Full Charlie Brown mode. Duck and cover. It was hard to watch.

Opponents had a .352 batting average against Senzatela’s fastball. It was one of the most hittable pitches in the majors. He posted a 6.65 ERA and served up a career-high 22 home runs. In 108 innings as a starter, Senzatela posted a 7.48 ERA and 1.91 WHIP. Manager Warren Schaeffer was forced to demote him to the bullpen as a cleanup reliever.

“Senza,” as everyone calls the Rockies’ veteran right-hander, has never come close to being a star, but he was a serviceable back-of-the-rotation pitcher. But, in retrospect, it seemed like a mistake to sign him to a five-year, $50.5 million contract extension in October 2021.

He’s been through a lot. He sustained a torn ACL in August 2021, worked his way back, blew out his elbow, and underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2023. Through it all, Senzatela has been a complete pro. He’s beloved by his teammates and is always friendly with the media. Most of all, he put in the work.

But Senza looked done. The $12 million he’s making this season looked like dead money.

But now, he’s one of baseball’s best stories in the early going. How many pitchers reinvent themselves at 31?

Entering the weekend, he had yet to give up a run over five games (12 1/3) innings as a long reliever. His 0.568 WHIP is ridiculously low. He’s struck out 15 and walked just three.

Schaeffer never gave up on Senzatela, but knew the right-hander had to change if he wanted to thrive as a long reliever under the Rockies’ new game plan, in which long relievers play a critical role.

“One hundred percent, he could have gone one of two ways — the other way or the way he’s going now — which is a credit to the way he went about it,” Schaeffer told MLB.com in San Diego last weekend. “None of us doubted that this was going to be the case. I’m extremely proud of the way he goes about his business, attacking it every single day.”

During the offseason, Senzatela trained at Push Performance, a Phoenix-area training facility. Under the tutelage of new Rockies pitching coach Alon Leichman and new assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas, Senzatela honed his craft during spring training. He experimented with different grips, adjusted his position on the pitching rubber, and changed his mentality on the mound.

Now, Senza looks like a different pitcher. His average four-seam fastball velocity has increased from 95 mph to 97.2 mph. More importantly, he’s become a less predictable pitcher. Last season, he threw his four-seam fastball 59.6% of the time. This season, he’s using it 39.6% of the time,

Last season, he threw his cutter 1.8% of the time. This season it’s up to 26.6%. Senzatela’s slider, a pitch he’s never commanded particularly well, has been put in the back pocket (18% in 2025, 3% in ’26). He threw a sinking fastball hardly at all last season (0.5%), but he’s throwing it at 95.9 mph this season (12.4%) and getting groundball outs with it.

Senza said that once he made adjustments to his pitcher repertoire and his daily routine, he’s come to like coming out of the bullpen.

“I feel really good,” he said Friday before the Rockies hosted the Dodgers. “I can feel my adrenaline when I come into a game. So it feels really good (coming out) of the bullpen and having that experience.

“It’s different knowing you have to be ready almost every day. It����ap different for me now, but it����ap going good.”

Actually, better than good. In April, he’s been praise-worthy, not cringe-worthy. Good for him.

The Rockies wasted an early 3-0 lead and a two-homer performance by Hunter Goodman in a 7-6 loss to the Astros. Colorado, swept in four games in San Diego, has lost five consecutive games.

Credit Colorado for battling back. Down 7-3 at one point, Troy Johnston’s pinch-hit, RBI single scored a run in the eighth, cutting Houston’s lead to 7-6.

The Astros, swept in Colorado last week, snapped an eight-game losing streak.

Key moments: The Rockies had a chance to win the game in the ninth when TJ Rumfield and Ezequiel Tovar hit back-to-back, two-out, two-strike singles. However, Houston reliever Enyel De Los Santos struck out Jordan Beck looking to end the game.

The killer blow for the Rockies was the third, when Houston scored six runs on four hits, two errors by second baseman Willi Castro, and a balk by starter Michael Lorenezen.

Who’s hot: Goodman blasted two solo home runs, a solo blast in the first and another solo shot in the fifth. The catcher, Colorado’s lone All-Star last season, has four home runs this season. Dating back to last season, 21 of his 35 home runs have been hit on the road.

Starter-turn-reliever Antonio Senzatela pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings and has not been scored upon in five outings. He allowed two hits, walked none, and struck out three.

Who’s not: Lorenzen’s struggles continued. He pitched just 2 2/3 innings, and although he was only charged with two earned runs, the Astros plated seven runs against him, including a solo home run by Christian Walker in the second. Lorenzen, who has an 8.10 ERA, was called for a balk in the Astros’ six-run third inning.

Castro not only committed two costly errors in Houston’s big inning and also went 0 for 4 at the plate with three strikeouts. Castro’s strikeout rate is 41.4%.

Worth noting: Left-hander Kyle Freeland, who was a late scratch on Sunday because of a sore shoulder, continues to be evaluated. Manager Warren Scheaffer told reporters in Houston that the club hopes to have an update on Freeland on Wednesday.

Pitching probables

Wednesday: Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-0, 4.15 ERA) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.

Thursday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 2.16) at Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 5.87), 6:10 p.m.

Friday: Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.00) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7:30), 6:40 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA NewsRadio 850 AM & 94.1 FM;

For that, the Denver native deserves to be knighted. Or at least have a medal pinned to his No. 21 jersey.

So says former Rockies starter Aaron Cook, who toiled at Coors from 2002-11 and is second on the Coors Field list with 104 career starts.

“Hell yeah, he deserves a badge of honor,” Cook said while driving through Texas cattle country south of San Antonio. “I was there for the better part of 10 years, so for Kyle to do what he’s done? For that long? Hell yeah, he deserves a medal.”

Freeland, who turns 33 on May 14, is off to a strong start this season. Heading into his scheduled start on Sunday in San Diego, he’s 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA after three outings. Last Tuesday night, pitching on the ninth anniversary of his major league debut, Freeland allowed just one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Freeland carries battle scars from the toil and trouble of pitching in LoDo, but that’s not what he likes to talk about.

“I’m very proud of being with one organization for my entire career,” Freeland said. “One, that’s a feat in and of itself. Two, to do it in the hardest park in the majors is its own thing.”

Jason Jennings is the only Rockies player to win National League Rookie of the Year, doing so in 2002 at age 22. In that rookie season, the right-hander made 32 starts and finished 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA.

Jennings had his ups and downs in Colorado before he was traded to Houston after the 2006 season. But even in that final season with the Rockies, Jennings was an effective pitcher, making 32 starts, pitching a career-high 212 innings, and posting a 3.78 ERA.

Today, however, Jennings marvels at Freeland’s toughness and staying power.

“I don’t even think about the pitching aspect of Colorado,” he said. “You have to be so mentally and physically tough. It’s so hard on the mind, so hard to recover. And he has done it for so long.

“It’s a whole different animal. The grind of taking the ball every fifth day, surviving some really tough seasons, surviving Coors Field, it is really impressive. You don’t see many guys last 10 years in the league, let alone at Coors Field. Most guys, after four or five years, it is like, ‘Get me the heck out of here.’ ”

Cook, who spent a week at spring training this year working with Colorado’s minor league pitchers, said that baseball at altitude presents a plethora of problems for pitchers, including:

• Adjusting pitching sights at Coors Field after returning from a road trip. That is, adjusting their mental focus on a specific, small target, like a catcher’s mitt or shoulder, to guide their pitch movement and improve command.

• Realizing that there are going to be games at Coors when you’re going to get shelled, but also realizing that as long as you were one run better than the other guy, you’d done your job — inflated ERA be damned.

• Understanding that the huge outfield can turn a small-scoring inning into a blowout inning in a hurry.

However, Cook said it was the wear and tear, both physically and mentally, that was the hardest thing for him to deal with.

“Listen, I never said anything about Coors Field when I was playing there because I would never give merit to anything outside of my control,” he said. “But now that I’m 15 years removed from it, I can say, Coors Field is not an easy place to pitch. Period.

“But, for me, the hardest part, really, was the recovery. If I had to make two starts on the same homestand, I felt like I had made two starts in three days. It wasn’t just my arm or my legs; it was my whole body. Full fatigue. The mental part fatigues you, too. It just drains you, drains you, drains you.”

Former Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd struggled every year trying to figure out how to make starting pitchers effective — and keep them healthy.

“We have found that every starter who has pitched here for 185 to 200 innings for three consecutive years over the lifetime of this franchise has broken down with a significant injury,” O’Dowd told The Post in 2012. “That inability to keep pitchers healthy has been one of our biggest struggles. We have to find a way to change that.”

The current Rockies regime is giving it a go. Paul DePodesta (the new president of baseball operations), a slew of new pitching coaches and coordinators, and manager Warren Schaeffer, are trying to solve the issue by using several long relievers and employing occasional “openers” to start games. The club also plans to limit the number of times a starter takes the mound during a homestand.

“It’s not a hard plan, but if we can avoid (starting a pitcher) twice, we would like to,” Schaeffer said. “It all depends on our schedule and if the availability of the bullpen allows it.  All the numbers show a huge spike in ERA the second time. It just makes sense to try and avoid it.”

Freeland is in the final year of his contract, with a vesting player option. Veteran right-hander Antonio Senzatela, who is now a reliever after struggling as a starter last season, is also in the final year of his contract. Like Freeland, Senzatela made his major league debut in 2017, but injuries (a torn ACL, Tommy John surgery) have limited Senzatela to 145 career starts.

“Speaking for myself and ‘Senza,’ this place isn’t easy, and it can break you down,” Freeland said. “But it shows the kind of people and pitchers that we are, that we are willing to take on that brute force and try to win games here in Colorado.”

Freeland is making $16 million this season and can activate his $17 million option with Colorado for 2027 if he pitches 170 innings. He’s pitched at least 170 innings twice, in 2018 (202 1/3) and in 2022 (174 2/3), but he came close in 2025 (162 2/3).

Though Freeland’s best season was in ’18, when he went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA for Colorado’s last playoff team, he says he’s better equipped now to endure the rigors of Coors Field.

“One thing I learned when I was younger, from veterans like Tyler Chatwood, is that you have to take care of your body,” Freeland said. “You have to listen to your body. Get in the training room. If something is bugging you, take care of it right away. Because in Colorado, things are going to spiral a lot faster with injuries than they would at sea level. Injuries are worse here, too.”

Now, it’s the young guns like right-hander Chase Dollander who come to Freeland for survival tips.

“Guys ask me all the time, ‘What are the secrets to pitching in Colorado?’ ” Freeland said. “I say, ‘Sleep and drink as much water as you possibly can.’ Those are the two things that you have to take care of.”

Freeland wears his 117 Coors Field starts like a badge of honor, but that’s not what he celebrates most.

“Being here — for 10 years — is the thing I’m most proud of,” he said. “Being able to do it with my hometown team, and to stay with one team — something very rare in this age — that makes me so proud.

“I mean, looking back, 10-year-old Kyle would say that there is no chance. It’s the coolest thing for me to say that I spent 10 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, the team that I grew up with. This team was born in 1993, the same year that I was born.

“I got to know two Rockies Hall of Famers — Larry Walker and Todd Helton. I would say that’s all pretty cool.”

Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

Where did T.J. feltner Rumfield come from? This guy seemed like he came out of nowhere.

— Mark, Arvada

Mark, let me start by saying that Rumfield has been Colorado’s best offensive player in the early going. As I write this, he’s slashing .364/.417/.636 (1.053 OPS), with two homers and seven RBIs. Plus, he’s played superb defense at first base.

But he didn’t come out of nowhere. He came from the Bronx. This is what I wrote early in spring training:

“T.J. Rumfield was a big-league first baseman trapped in Triple-A limbo. At least, that����ap how he saw things. So did the Rockies.

“Which is why they acquired the Yankees’ minor leaguer in exchange for talented but mercurial right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli in a trade in late January. Now it����ap Rumfield’s job to bust open the door of opportunity.”

He’s done exactly that, winning the job in spring training and coming out of the gate hot.

Interesting fact: T.J.’s father, Toby, was the Reds’ 1991 second-round pick and spent 14 years in the minor leagues as a catcher, playing for the Braves, White Sox, Marlins, and Cardinals systems. Toby made it as high as Triple-A but never made the majors.

The steals have been fun, but besides that, the Rockies’ approach has been miserable: heavy on strikeouts, low on walks, and non-existent in the clutch. They seem like a young team trying too hard, but is it an overall lack of talent, or can this group improve? And why is Warren Schaeffer only starting Jordan Beck (a supposed cornerstone) half the time when Jake McCarthy starts every day and has been even worse?

— Isaac Bowen, Fort Collins

Isaac, not to make excuses for the Rockies (who are 4-6 as I write this), but it’s very early. Still, outside of two games, the offense has been awful.

Colorado’s 6.0 walk percentage is the lowest in the majors, while its 29.5% strikeout rate is the second highest. The Rockies’ .241 average with runners in scoring position ranks 19th.

The Rockies’ 10 steals are tied for third-most.

So, while I’m on board with Schaeffer’s plan to turn his team into the “Go Go Rox,” the Rockies can’t put pressure on the opposition if they don’t get on base more.

Is it a lack of talent? That’s part of the problem. Let’s face it, the Rockies aren’t fielding very many All-Star Game candidates. Plus, some of the players Colorado is counting on to be cornerstones are off to terrible starts. Brenton Doyle is hitting .129 with a 35.3% K rate, and Beck is hitting .091 with a 25.0% K rate.

Are they trying too hard? Are they pressing? Perhaps, but they have been in the league long enough to have gotten over that and produce.

As for McCarthy getting playing time over Beck, I don’t have the answer for that right now, other than to say that Schaeffer has been mixing and matching his lineup a lot in the early going. I think he’s searching for combinations. Let’s face it, this is an experimental season for the Rockies.

The St. Louis Browns are widely considered the worst franchise over a sustained period of 50-plus years. In their 52 years of existence, they recorded 3,414 wins and 4,465 losses for a winning percentage of .433. The Rockies currently have a winning percentage of .456. To drop from .456 to below .433 by their 52nd year, the Rockies would need to average roughly 68 wins per season (a .420 winning percentage) for the next 18 years. What do you think the odds are that the Rockies get to the .433 mark? Maybe when the Baltimore Orioles play at Coors Field someday, they can wear Browns throwback jerseys and we can wear Denver Bears strikezone jerseys.

— Ned Ryerson, Greeley

OK, “Ned Ryerson,” are you going to try to sell me some insurance? “Whoa-ho-ho! Watch out for that first step! It’s a doozy!”

Anyway, I don’t think the Rockies are ever going to experience a St. Louis Browns’ Groundhog Day.

By the way, The St. Louis Browns are perhaps history’s worst Major League franchise. The Browns played in the American League from 1902 to 1953 and managed just 11 winning seasons over that span.

They lost more than 100 games eight times, finishing dead last in the AL 10 times. They finished as high as second in the AL standings just three times. The Browns won just one pennant, in 1944, when the majors were not at full strength due to World War II. In 1954, following eight straight losing seasons, the Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Orioles.

Are you a fan of the ABS system? And might the Rockies fanbase turn its back on the team with another lousy year?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Ed, first of all, thanks for your continued participation in my Rockies Mailbag. You picked two hot topics this week.

Regarding ABS (Automated Ball-Strike system), I do like it. It’s much more seamless than I anticipated. Fans seem to love it, and it keeps them engaged. Some umpires love it (those who get the calls right), but I’m sure some don’t. We are just 10 games into the season, so let’s see how this all plays out.

As for the fans, when the weather warms up, and the Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers come to town, Coors Field is going to be pretty full. But I do sense that the Rockies fan base is worn out from all the losing. The people I talk to are definitely in “prove-it-to-me” mode, even with the front-office changes in place.

Monday night, the announced crowd at Coors was 16,301, marking the lowest home attendance in franchise history, excluding pandemic-affected seasons. It’s something to keep an eye on if the Rockies keep losing.

Is this just normal springtime when the starters can only pick 70 or so pitches per game? It seems like the Rox are overtaxing the bullpen already. When can we expect the rotation to go later into ball games? Thanks!

— Murphy, Akron

Murphy, part of the low pitch count from Rockies starters has to do with it being early in the season, but part of it has to do with ineffectiveness.

And part of it has to do with the Rockies’ game plan, which is still a work in progress. The team has a few pitchers in the bullpen — Antonio Senzatela, Chase Dollander, and Jimmy Herget — who are capable of throwing multiple innings. I think Warren Schaeffer is going to use long relievers a lot this season.

But if a pitcher is going well, Schaeffer will give them a reasonably long leash. In Colorado’s win over the Phillies, new right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano pitched six innings and threw 78 pitches (51 strikes). It was a strong, efficient start. In the Rockies’ win over the Astros on Monday night, Ryan Feltner pitched 5 1/3 innings, throwing 70 pitches (43 strikes). I’m sure the Rockies wanted him to go deeper into the game.

Patrick, as a Rockies fan from the beginning, I’ve been wanting to ask what all these acronyms are that are being used these days, such as WAR, and others that I can’t think of at this moment. Thanks for all of your reporting and suffering during the last years of mismanagement of the team.

— Phil Donahue, Chico, Calif.

Phil, it’s easy to drown in baseball’s alphabet soup. Some fans — and reporters — are heavy into stats and analytics. I’m more of a storyteller, so perhaps a dinosaur.

However, many statistics can be useful and illuminating. If you watch Rockies games on TV, analysts Ryan Spilborghs, Cory Sullivan and Jeff Huson do a nice job of using more advanced stats.

You ask specifically about WAR. Here is the definition from Major League Baseball: WAR measures a player’s value across all facets of the game by quantifying how many more wins he’s worth than a replacement-level player at his position (e.g., a Minor League replacement or a readily available fill-in free agent).

If you want a deeper dive into the stats, I suggest you visit .

Looking at the starting rotation, I struggle to find a reason for Ryan Feltner to be there. What is Warren Schaeffer and Company’s rationale for Feltner as the fifth starter rather than Chase Dollander or Tanner Gordon, both of whom seem to be better options? Happy Opening Day, Patrick!

— Jack, Centennial

Jack, you’re preaching to the wrong choir here. I’ve been a big proponent of Feltner’s, as you can tell from my Rockies Journal from last Sunday. I think he has really good stuff, though not as dynamic as Dollander’s. Feltner just needs to harness his talent and attack the strike zone.

I’m predicting that both Feltner and Dollander will be in the rotation before the All-Star break. Gordon could be in the rotation, too, in the second half of the season if the Rockies trade any of their veteran starters who are on one-year deals.

It’s a very small sample size, but I’ve been impressed by Tomoyuki Sugano so far. Do you think he’ll re-sign after this season or is this just a one-off?

— Ryan, Wheat Ridge

Ryan, I’ve also been impressed with Sugano. He’s a crafty pitcher. He signed a one-year deal for $5.1 million, and I think he’ll be one-and-done in Colorado. He’s 36, and I don’t see the rebuilding Rockies re-signing him at age 37. If he continues to impress, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Rockies move him at the trade deadline. That’s what they should do.

Owen Caissie hit a changeup from Victor Vodnik, sending it 394 feet and over the right-center field wall for a two-run dagger to the Rockies’ heart.

Actually, would’ve, could’ve, should’ve was the theme of the Rockies’ failures throughout the season’s opening series at Miami’s loanDepot Park. Colorado lost every game by one run (2-1, 4-3, 4-3) en route to being swept in the opening series of the season for just the second time in franchise history. The last time? That would be 1994, when the Phillies came into Denver and won the first three games of the season at the old Mile High Stadium.

But manager Warren Schaeffer, as is his wont, refused to go down a gloomy path, choosing a positive spin instead.

Rockies predictions: 103 losses, joining Washington Senators in MLB infamy | Journal

"Listen, I think the boys are playing good," Schaeffer told reporters in Miami. "We were right in these ballgames. We could have won all three of these ballgames. We have, what, 159 left to go? If we keep playing like that, we are going to win a lot of ballgames this year."

However, until the Rockies start winning these types of games, the specter of last season's 119-loss debacle will remain.

Here are the details of Sunday's loss.

• The Rockies took a 3-0 lead in the first on Jordan Beck's three-run double off right-hander Max Meyer. The Marlins blanked the Rockies after that.

• Colorado's Miami vice? It hit 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and 3 for 20 (.150) for the series. The Rockies also struck out 11 times on Sunday.

• The Rockies entered the ninth leading 3-2. When Miami's Liam Hicks lined out to first baseman Troy Johnson for a double play, Colorado's victory looked secure, and Vodnik was eyeing his first save.

Not so fast. Javier Sanoja lined a double over the head of left fielder Jake McCarthy, who missed making the grab by inches. Up stepped Caissie, who clobbered Vodnik's 0-1 pitch for the walk-off.

"'Vic' throws a swing-and-miss changeup, so you live and die by that," Schaeffer said. "The guy just hit one out of the park."

The biggest takeaway from the opening series is that the rebuilt Rockies need to hit better in the clutch. Going 3 for 20 with runners in scoring position is not going to cut it, especially on the road, where Schaeffer pledges that the Rockies are going to be a running team. Last season, the Rockies hit .211 with RISP on the road en route to an 18-63 record.

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On the plus side, the Rockies stole five bases and were caught only once during the three-game set.

And, despite the sweep and despite Vodnik serving up the game-winner in the ninth on Sunday, the Rockies' pitching was, overall, solid. The starters posted a 4.85 ERA, just so-so in pitcher-friendly loanDepot Park. The bullpen, however, was excellent, posting a 2.31 ERA and a .233 average against over 11 2/3 innings.

On Sunday, deposed starter Antonio Senzatela looked reborn as a long reliever. With his fastball humming at 98 mph and his new sweeper confounding hitters, he pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three.

"That was fantastic," Schaeffer said. "To have him show up in his first outing this year and give us almost three innings of pitching like that? That was exceptional. I'm extremely happy for him. But we are definitely going to need our starting pitching to go (deeper) in the game."

The road only gets steeper and deeper for the Rockies, who open a three-game series in Toronto on Monday night against the Blue Jays, who came tantalizingly close to beating the Dodgers in last year's World Series.

Pitching probables

• Monday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (10-10, 4.64 with Orioles in 2025) at Blue Jays RHP Cody Ponce (0-6, 7.04 ERA with Pirates in 2021), 5:07 p.m.
• Tuesday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (0-2, 4.75 in 2025) at RHP Max Scherzer (5-5, 5.19 in 2025), 5:07 p.m.
• Wednesday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-1, 4.15) at Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman Kevin Gausman (0-0, 1.50), 11 a.m.
• Thursday: Off day

TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM

The Rockies added three veteran starters — Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Jose Quintana — to stabilize a rotation that posted an all-time worst 6.65 ERA last season. A new front office, led by the president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta, also added outfielder Jake McCarthy, second baseman Willi Castro, and first baseman TJ Rumfield, all of whom will likely start on Opening Day.

Here is the Rockies’ 26-man roster for Friday’s game vs. the Marlins in Miami:

Starting Rotation

LHP Kyle Freeland

Freeland, the longest-tenured Rockie on the roster and a clubhouse leader, faces a critical season. The Denver native is entering what could be the final year of his contract, so he needs a solid season, not only for the team’s rebuild but for his own future. The lefty was 5-17 with a 4.98 ERA last season.

Key 2025 number: 14. Number of quality starts, most on the team. Freeland was 5-4 with a 2.65 ERA in those starts.

Worth noting: Freeland must pitch 170 innings this season to trigger his $17 million vesting option with Colorado.

RHP Tomoyuki Sugano

The Rockies signed the 36-year-old veteran to bring a veteran presence to the rotation. During his legendary career in Japan, he was known for his durability. He made 30 starts for Baltimore last season, his first in the majors, while posting a 4.64 ERA.

Key 2025 number: 33. Home runs he gave up last season with the Orioles, the most in the American League. How is that going to play at Coors Field?

Worth noting: Sugano pitched 12 seasons for the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball, where he won two Sawamura Awards (Japan’s equivalent of the Cy Young Award) in 2017 and 2018, and three MVP Awards in 2014, 2020 and 2024.

LHP Jose Quintana

He’s 37, but he’s crafty and considered a clubhouse leader. That’s why the Rockies signed him to a one-year $6 million contract in hopes he can improve a shaky rotation.

Key 2025 number: 3.96. His ERA across 24 starts for Milwaukee, which helped the Brewers post the best regular-season record in the majors.

Worth noting: Since 2022, the lefty has a 3.53 ERA that ranks in the top 40 among any pitcher with at least 300 innings over the last four seasons.

RHP Michael Lorenzen

The 34-year-old journeyman was Colorado’s biggest offseason expenditure, signing a free-agent deal that pays him $8 million this season and includes a club option worth $9 million in 2027. He’s the poster boy for Colorado’s plan to have its pitchers expand their repertoires. According to Lorenzen, he throws eight different pitches: three different fastballs, two kinds of changeups, a slider, a sweeper, and a curve.

Key 2025 number: 8.1. Strikeouts per nine innings last season with Kansas City, a career high.

Worth noting: He threw a no-hitter for the Phillies against the Nationals on August 9, 2023, walking four and striking out five.

RHP Ryan Feltner

The Rockies have long believed that Feltner has the stuff to dominate hitters. New pitching coach Alon Leichman says the right-hander has All-Star potential. But Feltner must stay healthy and needs to command his pitches better than he did in spring training.

Key 2025 number: 30.1. Big-league innings pitched last season, when injuries limited Feltner to just six starts.

Worth noting: In 2024, Feltner posted a 2.98 ERA over his last 15 starts, the first Rockies starter with a sub-3.00 ERA in a 15-start span since German Marquez during his All-Star campaign in 2021.

Bullpen

RHP Victor Vodnik

The right-hander throws hard (98.7 mph fastball) and attacks hitters. The Rockies love that about him, even if they aren’t going to start the season with a designated closer. Vodnik had some ups and downs last season, but he posted a 1.07 ERA with eight saves in nine opportunities over his final 17 appearances.

Key 2025 number: 10. Saves last season in 15 opportunities.

Worth noting: Posted a 1.33 ERA in 26 games at Coors Field last season, the lowest home ERA in franchise history (minimum 25 innings pitched).

RHP Zach Agnos

The Rockies expect big things from the right-hander in his second season. He had a terrific spring training, posting a 0.82 WHIP as he pounded the strike zone.

Key 2025 number: 12.33. ERA over his final 16 appearances as he battled an elbow injury.

Worth noting: Was 4 for 4 in save opportunities last season, becoming the first player in franchise history to record a save in his first four career save opportunities.

RHP Jimmy Herget

The veteran with the unique delivery was Colorado’s best pitcher last season. His 2.48 ERA was the 10th-lowest by a reliever in franchise history, the lowest since Daniel Bard’s 1.79 ERA in 2022. Herget could play several roles this season, including opener or piggyback reliever if the Rockies use that strategy.

Key 2025 number: 1.67. Road ERA in 31 appearances was the fourth-lowest among all relievers (minimum 30 innings pitched).

Worth noting: Rob Friedman, an analyst who runs The Pitching Ninja website, nicknamed Herget “The Human Glitch.”

LHP Brennan Bernardino

Desperate for a left-hander in the bullpen, the Rockies acquired Bernardino from the Red Sox in exchange for outfield prospect Braiden Ward. Bernardino, 34, put up a solid 3.14 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 55 outings last year. Opponents hit just .205 against him.

Key 2025 number: 4.5. Walks per nine innings last season, a high number that would haunt him at Coors Field.

Worth noting: During his early years in the minors, Bernardino worked as a Lyft driver, warehouse stocker, and construction laborer to supplement his income.

RHP Jaden Hill

He made the team when hard-throwing right-hander Seth Halvorsen was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs late in spring training. Hill made his debut last season and fared well, posting a 3.38 ERA in 28 games.

Key 2025 number: 5.28. His ERA at Coors Field in 15 appearances vs. a 1.19 ERA in 13 appearances on the road.

Worth noting: Hill worked overtime on his slider during spring training, a pitch he needs to be more effective vs. left-handed hitters.

RHP Chase Dollander

The right-hander’s erratic spring training landed him in the bullpen to begin the season. Still, he has the biggest upside of any Rockies pitcher since Ubaldo Jimenez, despite major growing pains last season as a rookie when he was 2-12 with a 6.52 ERA.

Key 2025 number: 9.98. His ERA in 11 starts at Coors Field, including 12 home runs served up in 51 innings.

Worth noting: The right-hander’s four-seam fastball averaged 97.8 mph last season, ranking in the top 6% in the majors.

RHP Juan Mejia

Started last season with Triple-A Albuquerque and was promoted to the Rockies on April 24. He impressed Colorado’s staff, especially manager Warren Schaeffer, with his sharp fastball-slider combination.

Key 2025 number: 3.96. His ERA over 55 big-league appearances. Not bad for a rookie reliever.

Worth noting: Pitched 33 consecutive outings without allowing a home run (June 11-Aug. 31), the longest streak for a Rockies reliever since Justin Lawrence’s 37-game stretch in 2023.

RHP Antonio Senzatela

The veteran right-hander started last season as a starter but finished in the bullpen after hitters continually feasted on his fastball. The Rockies worked to expand his repertoire this spring.

Key 2025 number: .347. Opponents’ average against Senzatela, which was the highest in the majors last season.

Worth noting: Senzatela will make $12 million this season, and there is a $14 million club option for 2027.

Catcher

Hunter Goodman

Colorado’s lone All-Star last season wants to keep raking, but he also wants to improve his skills behind the plate. His 31 home runs, 150 hits, 64 extra-base hits, and 91 RBIs were all the most by a Rockies’ primary catcher in a single season in franchise history.

Key 2025 number: Seven. Home runs hit in the ninth inning last season, the second most in the majors behind Seattle star Cal Raleigh (eight).

Worth noting: Last season, Goodman was the first NL catcher to hit 30 home runs in a season since the Braves’ Javy Lopez hit 43 in 2003.

Brett Sullivan

The 32-year-old has played in just 43 big-league games, including three with Pittsburgh last season, with a slash line of .204/.250/.291. But the Rockies like his defense, so they picked him over Braxton Fulford as the backup catcher.

Key 2025 number: .167. His batting average in three games with the Pirates.

Worth noting: He’s out of options, so he’ll need to stick on the major league roster or be exposed to waivers.

First base

TJ Rumfield

Acquired from the Yankees in an offseason trade for reliever Angel Chivilli, Rumfield will likely make his major league debut on Friday. Rumfield posted above-average numbers at every stop in the minors, including his nearly two full seasons in Triple-A.

Key 2025 number: 16. Home runs hit last season for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Worth noting: The left-handed hitter went unselected in last December’s Rule 5 draft.

Troy Johnston

The Rockies claimed the 28-year-old left-hander off waivers from the Marlins in November after he hit .277 with four homers in 44 games. At Triple-A Jacksonville, he slashed 252/.333/.439, with 12 homers, over 84 games.

Key 2025 number: 108. Innings he played at first base last season — without making an error.

Worth noting: In 2023, he was the Marlins’ minor league player of the year.

Second base

Willi Castro

Signed to a two-year, $12.8 million deal in January, he provides Colorado with infield versatility because he can play second, third and shortstop, as well as all three outfield positions. He was an All-Star with the Twins in 2024.

Key 2025 number: .226. Batting average last season with the Cubs, a big step down from his .244 career average.

Worth noting: Castro, a switch-hitter, has good speed and the Rockies hope he can help spark their running game.

Edouard Julien

Acquired in a trade with Minnesota, Julien can play both first and second base. He’s hoping to regain the magic of this 2023 rookie season with the Twins when he posted a .263/.381/.459 slash line with 16 home runs. Since then, however, Julien has struggled, producing a .623 OPS over 509 plate appearances from 2024-25.

Key 2025 number: .220. His batting average with the Twins last season when he played in only 64 games.

Worth noting: Julien, who was born in Quebec, played for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.

Third base

Kyle Karros

Many, including Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, believe Castro can be a Gold Glove third baseman. However, he has work to do at the plate. In 43 games as a rookie last season, Karros slashed .226/.308/.277 with four doubles, just one home run, and nine RBIs.

Key 2025 number: .306. Average in 16 Triple-A games last season before his promotion to the Rockies.

Worth noting: He’s the son of Eric Karros, who played 14 seasons in the majors, most of them with the Dodgers. Eric had a career .268 batting average and slugged 284 homers.

Shortstop

Ezequiel Tovar

A Gold Glove winner in 2024, Tovar suffered from hip and oblique injuries during a disappointing 2025 season. He’s primed for a comeback season and is Colorado’s best position player.

Key 2025 number: 95. Number of games played last season, hitting .253 with nine home runs.

Worth noting: Tovar was outstanding for the Venezuelan team that won the WBC. In six games, he hit .471 (8 for 17) with three doubles and two steals.

Left field

Jake McCarthy

Seeking speed and versatility, Colorado acquired McCarthy from the Diamondbacks in January for minor league right-hander Josh Grosz. The left-handed-hitting McCarthy, 28, slashed .260/.324/.381 with 24 home runs and 83 steals across five seasons with Arizona.

Key 2025 number: .204. Big-league average last season that included just four home runs and 20 RBIs. He played 49 games at Triple-A Reno, where he batted .314.

Worth noting: According to Statcast, McCarthy ranks in the 99th percentile in sprint speed in the majors.

Center field

Brenton Doyle

In 2023-24, he became the first outfielder in National League history to win a Gold Glove in his first two major league seasons. But he had a difficult 2025 season offensively when he hit just .233 with 15 home runs.

Key 2025 number: .344. Batting average, including seven home runs and 22 RBIs in August.

Worth noting: Hit just .193 (53-for-274) over 71 games entering July last season.

Right field

Jordan Beck

Beck seems primed for a breakout season as he moves from left field to right field. Last season, he was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 7 after starting the season 3-for-20 (.150) over nine games, but was recalled on April 19 and put together a solid .258/.416/.732 slash line and 16 home runs.

Key 2025 number: 19. Stolen bases, most on the club.

Worth noting: He had 12 outfield assists last season, the second-most in the majors and tied for the third-most outfield assists in a single season by a Colorado outfielder since 2007.

Designated hitter/right fielder

Mickey Moniak

Signed by Colorado just a day before the 2025 season opener, Moniak had a breakout year, setting career highs in games (135), runs (62), hits (117), triples (eight), home runs (24), RBIs (68) and stolen bases (nine). He’ll be counted on to spark Colorado’s offense.

Key 2025 number: Four. Consecutive games in which he homered, from Sept. 14-18. He became the first Rockie to homer in four straight since Ryan McMahon from May 26-29, 2023.

Worth noting: Was selected first overall by the Phillies in the 2016 MLB draft.

Bench/Utility

Ryan Ritter

Last year, after mashing at Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque, Ritter got his big-league call-up on June 6 and batted .241/.296/.337 in 60 games with nine doubles, three triples, and one home run. He played mostly second base with occasional stints at shortstop.

Key 2025 number: .206. His batting average on the road in 24 games. Like most of his teammates, he was a much better hitter at Coors Field, where he hit .261 in 36 games.

Worth noting: Ritter got some playing time in left field during spring training, adding to his versatility.

Those factors, plus multiple intangibles, are running through the baseball brains of Rockies head honchos Paul DePodesta, Josh Byrnes, and Warren Schaeffer as they look toward the season opener on March 27 at Miami.

Who will be the fifth starter? Chase Dollander or Ryan Feltner? Or perhaps a retooled Antonio Senzatela. It’s doubtful, but perhaps righty Tanner Gordon works his way into the mix.

Is slick-fielding third baseman Kyle Karros ready for a full season against major league pitching? Or would a stint at Triple-A Albuquerque do him good? Schaffer and the front office are debating that.

Will the Rockies, who have a surplus of young outfielders, make a spring training trade? It’s very possible.

Will the Rockies stock their bullpen with long relievers, enabling them to “piggyback” some of their starters? And what other pitching experiments are in store for 2026? That’s a mystery that’s still unsolved.

So many questions in need of solid answers as the Rockies attempt to rise from the rubble of their 119-loss season in 2025. They have 13 exhibition games left to go before they decide on their 26-man roster.

Here is my — qualified — projected roster:

Starting rotation

Veteran left-handers Kyle Freeland and Jose Quintana, and veteran right-handers Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano form the core four. If the Rockies go with a traditional five-man rotation, that leaves that one spot open.

I’ll go with Dollander, who’s had a nice spring. He’s their top pitcher, in terms of talent, and I don’t think he’s going to learn much more pitching at Triple-A.

Feltner, who still has options, could begin the season with the Isotopes or even become a long reliever for Colorado. Senzatela likely pitches out of the bullpen, where he finished last season. Reports are that he’s become more than a predictable and highly hittable fastball pitcher. I’m not sold yet.

Bullpen

This is a tough call because there are so many moving parts right now. Schaeffer has said he’s not going to open the season with a specific closer, so that adds more intrigue as camp begins to wind down.

Plus, the Rockies could use options — and even the injured list — to shuttle multiple relievers between Triple-A and the big-league team, a la the Dodgers.

The locks: Right-handers Seth Halvorsen, Jimmy Herget, Zach Agnos, Victor Vodnik, Juan Mejia, and Senzatela, and lefty Brennan Bernardino.

In the mix: Right-handers Keegan Thompson, Jaden Hill, and 35-year-old John Brebbia.

Catcher

All-Star Hunter Goodman will get the bulk of the games, but speedy Braxton Fulford is not a lock as the No. 2 backstop. Left-handed-hitting Brett Sullivan has had a solid camp, plus, he’s got more experience as a game-caller than Fulford does. Tough call here, but I’ll go with Fulford and his athleticism.

Infield

This is tricky, and it could come down to the final week of camp.

Rookie TJ Rumsfield has the edge at first base right now, though veteran utility infielder Edouard Julien has much-needed experience. Still, I’m anointing Rumsfeld as the starter.

Blaine Crim has missed most of camp with an oblique strain, so he’s unlikely to make the team out of camp.

Willi Castro is Colorado’s best second baseman, but he could also man third if the Rockies decide to send Karros down. Ezequiel Tovar, of course, is a lock at shortstop. Ryan Ritter, Tyler Freeman, and Julien can all move around the infield, so they’ll battle for a utility role. Ritter, I believe, has made a huge impression on Schaeffer, and I can’t imagine that he doesn’t make the team.

Outfield

The Rockies will begin the season with newcomer Jake McCarthy in left, Brenton Doyle in center, and Jordan Beck in right. Mickey Moniak will be the primary designated hitter and will also fill a backup role in center and right.

The fifth outfield/utility spot could feature Freeman, Castro, Ritter, and possibly Troy Johnston.

This was no daydreaming. Vank, a promising right-hander who is the No. 1 starter for Northeastern Junior College, is playing for the Czech Republic in the He is one of only a handful of college players to make a 2026 WBC roster.

Japan is in pool for the tournament, setting up the possibility of Vank facing off against Dodgers superstar designated hitter Shohei Ohtani when the two teams play on March 10 at the Tokyo Dome.

“It’s every kid’s dream to face Ohtani,” said Vank, who will pitch out of the bullpen for the Czech Republic. “I’ve visualized facing Ohtani a couple times already. How I might start him off, and what I might throw in certain counts.

“I’ll take the showdown with respect, but I also don’t want to give him too much respect — I want to believe in myself that I can do the job and put him away.”

The appearance in the WBC for , the Region IX Pitcher of the Year last year for the Plainsmen, is a culmination of a lifetime of work in the game despite growing up in a soccer- and hockey-dominated country where baseball is very low on the list of sporting priorities.

Vank started playing for Czech Republic’s youth national team at 12, and by age 16, he was pitching in the country’s highest league, the Czech Baseball Extraliga. As a teenager competing against adult men, he won the award for the league’s top junior player.

His journey on the diamond took him all around Europe and the world, including to Taiwan, Italy, Nederland, Germany, Spain and Japan already. Vank also went to London for an MLB Development Camp, North Carolina where he played his junior season of high school, and Phoenix for a showcase before arriving on Colorado’s eastern plains.

The 6-foot-1 right-hander from Prague has a low-90s fastball, a slider and a curveball and also recently added a changeup. Before he got to Northeastern, he was primarily a fastball/slider pitcher. But the expansion of his arsenal, and a strong first season in Sterling, put him on the radar of Division I recruiters.

“In the last 18 months, him fully developing into a four-pitch repertoire type of guy is opening up opportunities for him, whether it’s Division I or professionally, to now have more options and be either a starter, a reliever or a closer,” Northeastern head coach said.

Kachel said Vank’s signature moment so far with the Plainsmen came in the regular season finale last season, when Vank baffled Western Nebraska Community College with eight innings of shutout ball, scattering three hits while racking up 10 strikeouts.

Vank’s catcher, Northeastern Junior College sophomore Brayden Stufft, says the sacrifices the pitcher is making to come play ball thousands of miles from home — leaving behind family and friends in the process — is apparent. So, too, is Vank’s “energy and aura.”

“At the beginning of last season, he was super quiet, and you could tell he was here for business,” said. “He was here to dominate and make his family back home proud. He has. Many of his starts have been electric.

“And for him to play in the WBC, it brings a lot of attention to us as a program. We’re striving as a team to win a (region) title and go to a district and eventually go to the JuCo World Series. That’s our goals, and seeing our ace on the world stage gives us confidence as a team that we belong.”

Vank’s mother, Marie Vanková, says that while growing up, her son earned the nickname “srdcař” from his teammates. The rough English translation of that is someone who does something with immense passion, because Vank was always determined to become one of the top baseball players in his country.

“He’s had times growing up when he was not as successful as he wanted, and he wasn’t on the path to (where he is now),” Vanková said. “So he stopped speaking about it and went to work really hard. Before school, he would wake up at 5 in the morning and go to the gym. He’s always given this game everything he has.”

As the WBC begins on Wednesday ahead of the Czech Republic’s first game on Thursday against Korea, back in Sterling, Vank’s Plainsmen will be pulling hard for “srdcař”.

“We’re going to be eyes-locked on the TV — we’ll put the game on in the clubby, or we’ll just put it on a projector somewhere,” Stufft said. “We will be watching and supporting him from afar, with probably tons of phones out (to record) when he gets on the mound.

“And no matter what happens (against Japan), we’ve all been joking with him to get an Ohtani signature to bring us back as a souvenir.”

Players with Colorado ties in the 2026 WBC

Local names to watch for in the that culminates with the championship on March 17 in Miami.

Rockies players/prospects

LHP Brennan Bernardino (Mexico)
INF Cole Carrigg (Israel)
UTL Willi Castro (Puerto Rico)
LHP Antoine Jean (Canada)
OF Troy Johnston (Israel)
2B Edouard Julien (Canada)
RHP Michael Lorenzen (Italy)
RHP Juan Mejia (Dominican Republic)
LHP Jose Quintana (Columbia)
RHP Antonio Senzatela (Venezuela)
RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (Japan)
SS Ezequiel Tovar (Venezuela)
RHP Victor Vodnik (Mexico)

Ex-Rockies, locals

Puerto Rico 3B Nolan Arenado (ex-Rockies)
Dominican Republic RHP Carlos Estévez (ex-Rockies)
Puerto Rico RHP Rico Garcia (ex-Rockies)
USA RHP Griffin Jax (Cherry Creek, Air Force)
USA RHP Paul Skenes (Air Force)
Venezuela RHP Anthony Molina (ex-Rockies)
Italy RHP Adam Ottavino (ex-Rockies)
Nederlands OF Jurickson Profar (ex Rockies)
Canada RHP Cal Quantrill (ex-Rockies)
Czech Republic RHP Ondrej Vank (Northeastern Junior College)
Czech Republic UTL Terrin Vavra (ex-Rockies prospect)

Coaches of note

Mexico bench coach Vinny Castilla (ex-Rockies, current special assistant)
USA hitting coach Matt Holliday (ex-Rockies)
Israel bullpen coach Jason Marquis (ex-Rockies)
Canada hitting coach Justin Morneau (ex-Rockies)
Venezuela first base coach Gerardo Parra (ex-Rockies)
Great Britain third base coach Jeff Salazar (ex-Rockies player/hitting coach)

“I looked and thought, ‘Wow, this is kind of weird,'” Arenado said. “But hey, the unis are nice.”

The former Rockies and Cardinals star might not rise to his former glory in the desert, but he’s confident he’ll make the D-backs a better team. He padded that confidence with a solo home run in his first Cactus League at-bat, punishing a hanging sweeper from Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela.

“My expectations are high, and they are high for this group,” Arenado said after taking batting practice at Salt River Fields. “I think this team is really good. This is a top-10 offense without me, but I think I can really help it. I think I’m making adjustments that will really help me.

“You know me, I like to keep goals to myself, but I do have hefty goals. I don’t think I am ever going to change that.”

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer predicts that Arenado will be a force upon his return to the National League West, where his career began with Colorado in 2013.

“I think he’ll be a force no matter where he’s at, absolutely,” Schaeffer said. “You never, ever count him out.”

Rockies’ manager remains an Arenado fan

Schaeffer and Arenado crossed paths with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers in 2012. Schaeffer’s playing career was dying a quiet death. At age 27, he hit .189 in 80 games in what was his final season. Arenado, just 21, was flashing stardom, hitting .285 with 12 homers in 134 games. Web gems were already part of his portfolio.

“I remember just really enjoying watching him play,” Schaeffer recalled. “He was the young kid coming up, and I was the old guy who sat on the bench. He played one of my positions. I just admired the way he played.”

And Schaeffer marveled at the gym-rat mentality Arenado brought to the baseball diamond.

“I always thought I was the best (at practice). Always,” Schaeffer said. “I loved it. I loved diving at ground balls and practicing. That was where my joy came from, in baseball. He was the first guy I ever saw who would show up and do even more than me. That’s why he was great.

“And, mix that with talent … and that’s why he’s a future Hall of Famer. He’s unbelievable. He’s probably my favorite baseball player that I have ever seen.”

Arenado, a 10-time Gold Glove winner, eight-time All-star and five-time Silver Slugger, turns 35 on April 16. He’s entering the autumn of his career. His season with St. Louis last year was the worst of his career. Hampered by injuries, he slashed just .237/.289/.377 in 401 at-bats with 12 home runs. The rebuilding Cardinals traded him to Arizona last month, with the Cardinals picking up $31 million of the remaining $42 million owed to Arenado over the next two seasons.

Arenado, a native of Orange County, Calif., where most of his family still resides, waived his no-trade clause to join the D-backs.

“That was a big part of it, being a little closer to home,” he said. “I have two kids now, so that makes it easier. And obviously, this is a good team, and they showed interest in me early. I talked it over with my family, and we felt like it could be a good place for me.

“Obviously, with the year I had, I didn’t have a whole lot of options, but when I saw that Arizona was one of the options, I was excited because of (outfielder) Corbin Carroll and (infielders) Ketel Marte and (Geraldo) Perdomo. It made me excited pretty early.”

Taking a lighter approach

During his eight seasons in Colorado, Arenado was the consummate grinder. If he wasn’t hitting in the cage — or practicing dry swings in front of the mirror — he was taking groundballs at third. Those days are gone, proving that Father Time casts a spell on even the most elite players.

“I have scaled it back; I think people would be proud,” he said with a laugh, tossing a bone to those who said he was too obsessed with baseball. “Today, I didn’t take groundballs or anything. I just did a workout in the gym, and then came out and hit. That����ap my workout for today.

“There is a lot more gym stuff now. A lot more workouts. That part has kind of been tough because I just want to hit and take groundballs all day, but I just can’t do that anymore.”

Arenado, who nursed a right shoulder injury in the offseason, slowly realized that relaxing can sometimes be the better part of valor.

“I think I learned that the hard way last year,” he said. “Now, I know I can still feel really good. Like yesterday, I played and felt really good, and today I felt great. Usually, after the first game of spring, I feel really sore, but today I feel great.”

Schaeffer sees Arenado’s transition as bittersweet.

“That’s wisdom on his part; he understands himself better now,” the manager said. “He knows how his body works.”

Schaeffer took a beat, then continued.

“But the biggest thing about wanting to practice hard? It’s here. And it’s here,” he said, pointing first to his head and then to his heart. “He still wants it, he still has that.”

The Diamondbacks are seeing that for themselves.

“Nolan’s just got a great heartbeat, he’s so even-keeled,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “He’s a hard worker, a very dedicated teammate.”

“Amazing, amazing, amazing,”   “This is going to be his breakout season this year, for sure. He’s going to look like he’s 28 years old again.”

Time and the box score will tell, but Arenado is thrilled to have a fresh start. And eager to show his stuff to Team Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Arenado’s mother, Millie, is of Puerto Rican and Cuban ancestry. His dad, Fernando, was born in Cuba.

Arenado played for Team USA in the 2017 and 2023 WBC. He batted .385 in the most recent WBC, going 10-for-26 with four extra-base hits and five RBIs as the U.S. finished as the runner-up to Team Japan. In 2017, he was on the USA team that defeated Puerto Rico, 8-0, in the championship.

“I didn’t get asked to play for Team USA (this time), and I didn’t deserve to get asked,” he explained.

It was former Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who’s managing Team Puerto Rico, who first prompted Arenado to play in the WBC. Arenado was hesitant at first because he was rehabbing his shoulder. Now, he’s excited.

“It’s not Team USA, but I do have Latin roots, so I said to myself, ‘I should do this,’ ” Arenado said.

After Arenado finished his batting practice, a long line of Diamondbacks fans waited patiently in line to get his autograph. If Arenado does end up in Cooperstown, those fans can say they own a bit of history.

Doug Barber, 43, a longtime D-backs fan who lives in Phoenix, was first in line. He attends a lot of games at Chase Field, and he thinks Arenado will shine there.

“I can’t wait,” Barber said. “He’s going to rake at Chase Field, I know it.”

Last season, the veteran right-hander threw his four-seam fastball 57.6% of the time and got clobbered doing it. He lost his job as a starting pitcher and finished the season with a 6.65 ERA. Opponents hit his fastball to the tune of a .356 average.

This season, Colorado’s new pitching coaches want their pitchers to be less reliant on fastballs, starting with Senzatela, who says he wants to be part of the starting rotation in 2026. But Senzatela’s not the only pitcher trying to develop a bigger arsenal. The Rockies want all of their starters to be more versatile and less predictable.

In Colorado’s 3-2 loss to the Diamondbacks in Friday’s Cactus League opener at Salt River Fields, Senzatela got the start, allowing one run on three hits in two innings. The run he allowed came on a second-inning home run to former teammate Nolan Arenado, who made his spring debut with Arizona. Arenado crushed Senzatela’s hanging, 82.9 mph sweeper onto the berm beyond left field.

Friday morning, manager Warren Schaeffer was asked to elaborate on Senzatela’s spring training game plan.

“He is working with brand new pitching coaches and they are collaborating very well together,” Schaeffer said. “They are giving him different things to use. So it’s the commitment to these new things that he’s being given. Also, a shrinking fastball percentage in terms of usage.”

After his start, Senzatela was upbeat.

“My arm feels really good and my body feels really good,” he said. “My sinker was working pretty good, too. My sweeper was a little high, and Nolan clipped it.”

As for utilizing an expanded pitch mix, he said, “It feels like I have a lot of weapons to throw. Just not so many fastballs.”

Overall, Schaeffer was pleased with the first live pitching experiment of spring.

“It didn’t matter that he gave one up to Nolan,” Schaeffer said. “He was working on all of his pitches and got ahead in the count early. He did exactly what we wanted him to do today.”

Arenado’s debut. The D-backs’ third baseman, who played eight years with the Rockies and five with the Cardinals before being traded to Arizona last month, was pleased with his first game of spring.

“It feels great to hit the ball hard,” he said. “I feel like I saw the fastball pretty good, too, which is nice. Good to get that first (homer) out of the way in the first game.”

Prospect watch. Switch-hitting infielder Cole Carrigg, the Rockies’ No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will soon depart to play for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. He made a nice impression on Friday, playing shortstop and delivering an RBI triple.

Schaeffer loves watching the 23-year-old play.

“It’s incredible — he plays like a wild horse with his hair on fire,” Schaeffer said. “I love the way he plays. We need more of that. But it’s just about him being here, refining some things. We talked in his player meeting this morning and said that exact word — it’s just all about refinement, without taking away his energy and what he brings to the table.”

Carrig, who played last season at Double-A Hartford, has the kind of speed that Schaeffer wants to see on the Rockies’ roster. Carrigg’s 14 triples led the minor leagues in 2024, and he’s hit 20 triples over his last two seasons. His 99 stolen bases over the last two seasons ranked 13th among minor leaguers.