The 2014 Campaign

I have to admit, I am just not ready for the 2014 season.  There's an order to things, and I am so used to the first day of the Baseball Season coinciding with the College Basketball Men's Championship Game.   This year it happened a week before that, or even a week before that when two games were played in Australia that nobody really saw.

But now we are nearly 10% into this season and the Rockies are 7-8.   Not a bad start as starts go.  If we go back a year the Rockies were headed to a 17-11 Start, before a 57-77 finish.

Encouraging signs:  The Rockies have scored an average of over 5 runs in the 15 games.   Only 6 games have been 3 runs or less and they have won 2 of those, including last nights 3-2 victory.  They have a 2-1 record against the American League (last year they were 5-15).  Jordan Lyles, the Rockies #3 starter is 2-0 and could have been 3-0.  The team batting average is .295.  The bullpen for the most part other than Wilton Lopez who was sent down to the minors last week have done an incredible job.  Charlie Blackmon has been on fire batting .468 so far.

Troubling Signs:  The Rockies have given up an average of 5.8 runs in 10 games, but 25 of those have been in two games.  #1 Starter Jorge De La Rosa doesn't seem ready to pitch yet having a 9.69 era in 3 starts and not yet seeing the 6th inning.  The bullpen has already been overworked, pitching over 50 innings so far. #2 Starter Brett Anderson is going to miss a month due to a finger injury he got while batting.

Plenty of season left, but the Rockies will need to improve on the road (3-6 so far) and solidify their rotation once they get Jhoulis Chacin back in a couple of weeks.   Right now they have De La Rosa, Morales, Chatwood, Lyles and Nicasio.   Most likely Morales will move to the bullpen when Chacin comes in.   When Anderson gets back there will be another choice to make on the rotation.