We’re just over a week away from Opening Day. Exciting stuff. I seems safe to say that all RWO regulars (and everyone else for that matter) are inclined to believe the Rockies are on the upswing. Dare we make predictions for the 2017 season? Make your own categories. Be unique!
Here’s what I’m thinking:
Record: 81-81. A vast improvement over previous years. We have a good team. I think starting pitching inexperience will hold us back the 4-5 games needed to be a legitimate playoff contender, but I still see a very nice season ahead.
Biggest “Surprise:” The Bullpen figures to be League average or even slightly better, Park adjusted. I like the back 4 (Holland/Otto/Dunn/McGee). I think McGee has a big bounce back season. We still have to figure out the front 3-4 guys. But there seems to be a pool of 8-10 guys to draw from, so I think BB and company will get this figured out. Furthermore, I think Holland will stay with the Rockies beyond this season.
Biggest Surprise II: Like the bullpen, the catching duo of Wolters/Murphy will be in the top half of major league baseball (note that my beloved Fangraphs rated the Rockies duo 30th preseason).
Best Player: NoDo will not only be the Rockies best player, he’ll be the best player in the NL.
Best Player II: DJ LeMahieu will once and for all silence critics and have yet another outstanding season.
Attendance: The Rockies will top 3 million for the first time since 2001. LoDo will be the place to be for the summer of 2017.
Biggest Disappointment: The disastrous free agent group of 2016 (Parra/Motte/Qualls) will continue to be a disaster. I honestly don’t see Motte or Qualls with the franchise by mid-year. They could be gone sooner. Unfortunately, we’re probably stuck with Parra.
NL West: 1. Dodgers (92 wins), 2. Giants (85 wins), 3. Rockies (81 wins), 4. DBacks (72 wins), 5. Padres (65 wins).
NL Playoff teams: Nats, Cubs, Dodgers, Mets (big rebound year for Matt Harvey), Giants.
Prospect Predictions: Riley Pint becomes an elite, elite Prospect (top 3 in all of baseball). Brendan Rodgers solidifies a top 20 ranking.
Sort of sounds like Bud Black is predicting Senzatela will be the 5th SP:
http://www.denverpost.com/2017/03/28/antonio-senzatelas-final-spring-audition-rockies-rotation-bud-black/
Unlike all of us, Bud can actually control the outcome of his predictions!
I see where Joe Peta of ESPN (http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/18913708/joe-peta-projects-colorado-rockies-win-total-2017-season-mlb) has pegged the Rox at 76-86. No imagination there, just the same old elevated numbers at Coors and treating their road numbers as the norm. No discussion of how road games create a negative more than for other teams because of altitude adjustment issues and the fact we play in a division with three of the best pitchers’ parks in baseball. I am not a numbers guy, so I can’t quantify that… Read more »
DANG – all sorts of exciting stuff happening: 1. Rockies renew Coors lease for 30 years. I just think this is grand. Bravo! 2. The Rockies will open the Party Deck for the opener in Milwaukee. I know there are many (heck, probably most) that cringe at the mention of the Party Deck (and Dinger). But I think the Party Deck is brilliant. Another “Bravo!” from sdcarp. 2. Patterson optioned – so it looks as though Cardullo makes the team.… Read more »
Musgrave and Bemboom also optioned. Hanigan expected to be sent to Albuquerque. Freeland, Marquez and Senzatela expected to make team, two as starters and one to bullpen.
http://m.rockies.mlb.com/news/article/221582762/3-rox-sent-to-minors-as-rox-finalize-roster/
The Mr. Rock Solid Award: Charlie Blackmon. I said it years ago, I reiterate; and not without a bit of ego satisfaction to call it so early. “He’ll be a Rockies standout for years.” The Best Player No One Outside of Colorado Rockies Fandom Ever Heard of and Apparently Never Will: DJ Le Mahieu. Yes, you can win Gold Gloves and batting titles and remain unknown because you’re on the team in the forgotten time zone. The Put Fannies in… Read more »
These are good. REALLY GOOD. I’m holding you to the Jon Gray predictions!
Thanks Carp! I had fun visualizing all this. Let’s hope we haven’t jinxed (or CURSED) our Actual Ace.
RWOers dream come true! Motte DFAed and Cardullo makes team!
RMH – several thoughts here: First – I don’t think the end-of-career DOD would have made this move because of the contract. There’s a new sheriff in town, he seems to have growing autonomy. Second – (related to first) – almost simultaneously, I’m seeing Monfort sign a new 30 year lease for Coors and get the big, vacant lot west of Jacksons. He’s talking about some sort of baseball related structure for the vacant lot. Both of these items are… Read more »
The development of the lot south of the field pinches the parking a lot harder, though. Will Jackson’s already be $60 for opening day this year? (I pay Jackson’s rate sometimes because I hate spending 45 minutes to get out of Lot B, which is halfway back to the foothills of Boulder County anyway:) Maybe Dick M. can incorporate some affordable parking into the Fun Baseball Thing on that property.
It should be fun to see how far the Cardullo Cinderella thing goes. You gotta like him.
RMH…
when I read that Motte was DFA my very first thought was you and I enjoying ST @ SRF and hoping that Motte and Qualls would be “let go.” Good things come to those who wait.
Will/can we get to 81-81? I will not hold my breath but a real possibility exists of that record becoming a reality.
Come on Monday!!
Realistic prediction: 78-84. My personal Planet Alignment Theory comes this weekend. I’m thinking … 87-75. Random thoughts after watching the penultimate spring training game vs. the Mariners tonight. Good news and bad news, and as usual the bad comes first: -Ottavino and Holland. Both had decent results, both are showing kind of worrying inconsistency, particularly with velocity a few mph from their pre-surgery peaks. I’ve been reading Jeff Passan’s book “The Arm” which details experiences with TJ surgery, and let’s… Read more »
I like the Mariners for 2017. The kid you saw start for them last night – James Paxton, will be this year’s Kyle Hendricks, or 2015’s Dallas Kuechel. Also, lots of talk about the Jean Segura / Tajuian Walker trade. Remember the name Mitch Haniger. He was a “minor” piece that came to the Mariners in that deal. He can play.
Hartford Yard Goats announced their roster. Rotation looks good. Almonte, Howard, French, and my favorite Wynkoop. He walked 1.6% and struck out 24% of all batters despite mid 80s fastballs. Think about it – One walk every three games and 8 Ks every one game. I’m going to continue to beat the Wynkoop drums even if it falls on deaf ears. I bet Ag is going to do his best to rain as hard as possible on my Wynkoop dream.
Mariners: I agree. This is a very solid team. And I think the Dbacks will live to regret the Walker-Segura trade. Segura can just plain hit. I don’t think last year was a fluke. It would’ve made sense if the Dbacks were shooting to compete in say 2019, but from everything else they’ve done it looks like they believe a turnaround is possible in 2017, particularly since Greinke isn’t getting any younger. Weird trade from the Dbacks perspective. RMH: I’m… Read more »
I was surprised but glad that they DFAd Motte and kept Cardullo. Win jobs on merit not because somebody signed for a big contract and can’t live up to it. I think the Rockies should be vastly improved but some things worry me. How will the injuries to Desmond, Dahl and to a lesser extent Murphy hurt them. If they can get through the end of the month and not be out of the race by then and they come… Read more »
Food for thought and well as expectations.
The Rox have 26 games in April…check out opponents and sites and weigh in on April record. I am aghast that I come up with 11-15. Hope to hell I am dead wrong but fear that won’t be far off.
I waited until the Cactus League was over before making predictions. Not a prediction; the BobinWV injury bug was a great thing to happen as it tested the team’s depth. It passed with flying colors. Even though Bettis was set back practically a whole year causing an extra rookie in the rotation, the depth is awesome as we can use three or more guys to find #5 and see which one comes out well. The Rockies win 87 games and… Read more »
Well, that’s rmh, Ag, and me with an 87-75 prediction, albeit with Ag in PAT mode there. You have Rox longest losing streak at 5 games, happening only once. If there is one thing that has consistently killed the Rox over the last 24 years it’s been a sudden imploding month of baseball. Some years it’s an awful start in April, others it’s a terrible May or June. Most notable in my mind(with zero data checked to back this up)… Read more »
I’m still pissed that Rollins won the MVP and GG in 2007 over Holliday and Tulo when his offensive stats were inferior to Holliday and his defensive stats inferior to Tulo.
2017 Fantasy Draft Not prediction related, but some may enjoy. I’ve noted several times I own a team in a long time, deep, hyper competitive fantasy league, classic rotisserie format, 6×6, auction, $260 cap. 21 years. No names, but one owner is the brother of a current MLB GM, one is a retired scout, one is a retired attorney who currently acts as an Agent for a couple of active MLB players. It’s a Shark Tank! Highlights – Trout $60,… Read more »
Your biggest steal will be King Felix. I predict AL Cy Young for him this year. $51 for Chuck Nazty seems a bit high but if you get to keep him for three years then it’s a steal. Good to know that Mike Trout is #1 as I have his autographed jersey in a case displayed in my baseball fan cave. Future HOF and then I can sell this jersey for $20,000?
RMH – hope you’re correct regarding King Felix. As you can see, I’m high on the Mariners for 2K17. Also (from solely a fantasy perspective), the Padres young offense. Regarding Chuck Nazty and the exorbitant $51, typically players like that aren’t kept year-to-year because they can be repurchased in the following year’s auction for the same price, or even less. I look to save money. For example, Sonny Gray is injured and went unpicked. That means he’ll ultimately be a… Read more »
Regarding Holds – I was sort of happy (from a selfish standpoint) to see Holland win the Closers job and Otto moved to the 8th. I think Otto can really flourish in that role, and will still be equally important as Holland.
You gotta love Tony Wolters’ expression of confidence in the season’s starting rotation: “I can’t wait to show them off to the rest of the world.”
Holy. Cow. Ballsy move by Bridich – Miguel Castro DFAed.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/04/rockies-designate-miguel-castro-for-assignment.html
Regarding Castro (my favorite player from the Tulo trade):
Something isn’t right. Something is fishy. 1+1 isn’t equaling 2. Let’s allow this one to play and the facts be known.
There is a group from Phoenix, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, who play regularly in Colorado. I know the band and have seen them all over the country. Years ago they wrote a song called the “D-Backs Swing” and it is still played in the stadium after each win. In honor of their walk-off win over the Giants today I present to you the “D-Backs Swing”. I wish we had a song like this:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=d-backs+swing&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dd-backs%2520swing%26qs%3dn%26form%3dQBRE%26sp%3d-1%26pq%3dd-backs%2520swing%26sc%3d1-13%26sk%3d%26cvid%3dB147BE7FDABC47FA8D3A1948270915D4&mmscn=vwrc&view=detail&mid=32B727AF59954128962632B727AF599541289626&rvsmid=32B727AF59954128962632B727AF599541289626&fsscr=0&FORM=VDMCNL
Castro DFA’d really surprises me. As Carp suggests, no way they waive him unless there’s some arm trouble there. So far the Tulo trade haul isn’t exactly making a strong impression. Castro gone (and I also thought he was the most promising piece), Hoffman taking at least a bit longer than expected to establish himself (and I’m not certain that he ever will, although I do think it’s likely he’ll stick sooner or later as maybe a Bettis type?), and… Read more »
I posted this on Purple Row – regarding Castro:
I’m forecasting Castro to Twins for Byung Ho Park.