Oddsmakers expect the Rockies to be NL’s worst team again

Pitchers and catchers have reported to Arizona, and hope springs eternal for all across Major League Baseball, except the Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies are coming off their worst season in franchise history, where they tallied just 59 wins. And if the bookmakers are right, 2024 is shaping up to be more of the same. Fangraphs dropped their projections last week, and they had Colorado with an MLB-worst 0.1% chance at making the postseason in 2024. Vegas is thinking the same, setting the Rockies World Series odds at an MLB-worst +100,000, only the Oakland A’s are as big of longshots. But not even the A’s have such bad odds to win their own division. The Rockies chances of winning the NL West are +50,000. A remarkable number considering there are only five teams in the division—the Dodgers are -625 to win the West for an 11th time in 12 seasons.

Meanwhile, Fangraphs does expect the Rockies to improve even if they project the team to have the worst record in baseball at 63-99. It’s widely expected Colorado will again fall under .500 in 2024 and struggle to stay out of last place in the NL West. That’s why the books have the Rockies win total set at 59.5, only the A’s have a lower number.

Oddsmakers have the A’s at +130 for the fewest wins in MLB this season, followed by the Rockies at +200, White Sox at +500, Nationals at +1200 and Angels at +1800.

It’s expected Nolan Jones will lead the Rockies in 2024 and be their best option for an All-Star choice. The soon-to-be sophomore is projected by many to take a small step back in contact and speed but keep up his power numbers. Ryan McMahon, Brendan Rodgers, Ezequiel Tovar are among the several expected to positively contribute in the lineup. While Ryan Feltner, Austin Gomber, Kyle Freeland, Cal Quantrill and Dakota Hudson make up a who’s who of rotation arms that most teams would push to the pen. Bud Black will be desperate to get German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela back from major injuries.

It’ll be rough at 20th and Blake in 2024, and help does not appear to be on the way anytime soon.