Maybe it’s the shortened season or the LoDo magic. Whatever it is, the start to the 60 game 2020 MLB season has been nothing more than magical for the Colorado Rockies. After a hot 11-4 start through 15 games, the Rockies started to make waves throughout the MLB as well as gaining national attention. There are three key factors that have helped with the Rockies success, which in the long run may move the Rockies to the ranking of being considered legitimate playoff contenders. Two which are no surprise to baseball fans around the world and one, which is much bigger than the game of baseball itself.
The first key to the Rockies being playoff contenders is the shortened MLB season. The past three seasons for reference, the Rockies won an average of 33 games through 60 games. This statistic proves that the Rockies are no team to mess with in the first 1/3 of a season, let alone this year with a shortened 60 game season. With the short season, the new playoff expansion includes features never seen before in the MLB playoffs.
The 2020 playoff format features a best-of-three wild-card series in the first round instead of a sudden-death wild-card game. The top two teams in each division will qualify for the postseason, with the two other best teams in each league filling out the 16-team pool. The key word, well number in this instance is 16. After expanding the number of teams that advance to the playoffs from 10 to 16, the top two teams from each division will more than likely advance to the playoffs which doubles the Rockies chances of playing for a pennant.
Fire Power. As of yesterday’s August 18th games, the Rockies team batting average is .265 which is the third best average among all teams in the MLB. The Rockies also lead the league in the hits category with 9.1. Leading the way in the batter’s box for Colorado is Charlie Blackmon. Batting a scorching .429 through 23 games, Blackmon has made a case early on for himself to be thrown in the hat for NL MVP. I may be a little biased, but being a pitcher facing this Colorado lineup has got to be a scary feeling. Starting with Garrett Hampson most days who is hitting a healthy .300 on the year, the next three Rockies behind him in Blackmon, Story, and Arenado have a combined 11 All-Star game appearances and 8 Silver Slugger awards. All around, the offensive fire power that this Colorado lineup can produce is nothing to sleep on, stay aware because I believe you could be watching one of the best lineups in all of baseball this year.
Photo by: Andy Cross, Denver Post
I really believe that pitching is going to make or break this Rockies season. With a strong starting rotation of German Marquez, Kyle Freeland, and Antonio Senzatela, this pitching staff has a Win-Loss record of 7-4 all with an ERA under 3. Yes, they have been performing great, but that’s not the pitching I am talking about here. The pitching I am referring to is the bullpen. Time and time again, the Rockies bullpen has been proven to be a bust, but this year I have a different feeling. With relievers Yency Almonte, Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman, they have proven to be closers the Rockies can count on in the later innings of baseball games. But let’s not forget about Daniel Bard, a great comeback story one in which has been proven to be bigger than the game of baseball itself. Bard pitched this year for the first time since April 27th, 2013. Putting up amazing numbers such as his 3.75 ERA, this story is too great to not mention, and one that could give the Rockies an extra push to make an appearance in the postseason.
I am no professional by all means, and I may be a little biased at times because I am a Rockies fan, but with a shortened MLB season, that Rocky Mountain fire power of a lineup, and a revamped bullpen with possibly one of the greatest comeback stories of the 2020 season, I have the Colorado Rockies playing for the NL West title, and hitting their way into the playoffs with a version of play we haven’t seen since 2007.
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