ESPN’s Gomez revises prediction, has Rockies headed to World Series

Mar 27, 2019, 5:57 PM Updated: Mar 28, 2019, 8:00 am

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Earlier this week, ESPN’s Pedro Gomez made the bold prediction that the Colorado Rockies will win its first National League West crown in 2019.

But on Wednesday, Gomez blew that prediction out of the water.

“I actually have the Rockies going to the World Series,” he said.

Chief among the reasons why Gomez has the Rockies contending for a title in 2019 is because last season, for the first time in the club’s history, Colorado took a “step forward” after making the postseason instead of the usual “two steps backward.”

Building off a playoff appearance in 2017, the Rockies made the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time in franchise history in 2018.

“This is a franchise that is primed, in my mind, to make that leap forward. And it’s because of what happened last year,” Gomez said. “Last year was not a step backward.”

Gomez also touted the club’s renewed focus on pitching, starting with the hiring of Bud Black, a former major league pitcher and pitching coach, down through the team’s pitching coach Steve Foster and bullpen coach Darren Holmes.

“… First time in franchise history you basically have three pitching coaches on the coaching staff,” Gomez said.

Everyone knows the Rockies organization for its ability to produce offense, Gomez said, but with Black, Foster, and Holmes guiding a solid young rotation, Colorado’s put an emphasis on winning from the mound.

“The pitching staff, now, is almost on par with the offense,” Gomez said.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.