Saunders: 2019 Rockies rotation could rank among best in club history
Mar 26, 2019, 1:37 PM | Updated: Mar 27, 2019, 9:34 am
Following Kyler Freeman’s 2018 campaign, wherein he had one of the best seasons by a starter in club history, the Colorado Rockies seem primed to have one of their best seasons on the mound in quite some time, if not ever.
On Monday, Denver Post Rockies reporter Patrick Saunders told “The Drive” he believes that, if a few things “go right,” Colorado could have one of the best rotations in team history in 2019.
“Obviously, (German) Marquez and Freeland have to do repeats and one of the other three has to have a monster season,” Saunders said, with the other three being Jon Gray, Chad Bettis, and Tyler Anderson.
Saunders said that of the three, and despite his recent past, Gray has the “stuff to do it,” echoing comments from Bud Black made to “Schlereth and Evans” late last month.
“With Gray, Freeland, Marquez, Bettis, Anderson, and Senzatela, we think we can match up. And Jon’s a big part of that,” Black said. “Every fifth day, Jon’s capable of out-dueling the good guys — deGrom, Scherzer, Kershaw, down the line of pitchers. Jon has that type of talent.”
While Anderson remains hit and miss, Saunders said better offers a “pretty salty No. 5” who will keep the Rockies in games.
“I think four of the five are giving you pretty consistent (outings),” Saunders said.
Colorado kicks off the 2019 season on Thursday on the road for a four-game set with the Miami Marlins followed by a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays before returning to Denver on Friday, April 5, for the home opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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