June may signify the halfway point of a year, but in baseball it is still awfully early in a regular season that stretches for 162 games.
Still, on Wednesday morning the Rockies had a record of 33 wins and 21 losses, and at one-third of the way through their season, were sitting just a few percentage points out of first place in the National League West.
Thanks to the best start in team history, including baseball’s best road record (18-8), first-year manager Bud Black’s squad is the surprise team of the year.
Baseball pundits expected the team to hit well; second baseman DJ LeMahieu won the National League batting title last year, and all-stars Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzales and Charlie Blackmon, along with slugger Mark Reynolds, form the core of a formidable offensive lineup.
But it is strong starting pitching, so often the Achilles heel of Rockies teams over the years, that is behind the record, and the Rockies are doing it with youngsters. Rookies Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland and German Marquez have been joined by Jeff Hofman, who started 2017 in the minor leagues but has been impressive in his first two appearances for Colorado.
An injured Jon Gray, the team’s opening day starter, is due back in the rotation at some point, and closer Greg Holland, in his first full season after reconstructive surgery on his elbow, has been lights-out perfect with 19 saves.
Those reluctant to jump on the Rockies bandwagon at this point may be wise. The team’s lone appearance in the World Series, in 2007, was the result of a late-season surge that saw the team win 14 of its last 15 games to earn a wild card berth in the playoffs. That hot streak lasted for seven more games in “Rocktober” before the team was swept in the Series by the Boston Red Sox.
If the baseball season is indeed a marathon, then the Rockies are just shy of the 9-mile mark. Still, we should all be cheering for a team that is providing, on a nearly daily basis, plenty of reasons to tune in on KIUP radio or ROOT Sports television.
Good reasons, too, to add tickets and a visit to the ballpark at 2001 Blake Street to your next visit to Denver.
