Jump Scare: Let's Talk 2026 Rockies

Wanted: Pitchers That Don’t Suck

So we’re down to the final two weeks of the season here, with the Rockies playing out the stretch just hoping they can secure two more wins and avoid any infamy, and it leads us to begin the discussion for the Rockies pitching in 2026. They have to have some guys that can throw. They quite literally need 13 guys, with injuries and general shittiness they probably need closer to 20-25 guys. This year, a year you wouldn’t want to build around, they used 27 actual pitchers. Next year offers another opportunity for us all to marvel at the ways the Rockies make their pitching staff look like complete shit. But why wait until then? Let’s talk through what a 2026 rotation would look like in Denver.

The Rotation

Currently, the Rockies “rotation” has four guys under contract for next year and German Marquez. Marquez may return, though it might be in his best interest to relocate and try to salvage a career in an organization that historically can help players do that. The four guys that they currently start that will be easy to bring back are Kyle Freeland, Chase Dollander, Tanner Gordon, and McCade Brown. Antonio Senzatela is also under contract but has been moved to the bullpen, it would behoove the Rockies to end the relationship with Senza in November, but that would not be how they operate. Let’s say Senza gets a shot in the spring to win his job back, for now, just because the Nu Rockies with Walker at the Wheel only understand sunk cost when it comes to buying El Chapultepec and tearing it down for some bullshit Pour Your Own Tavern.

Freeland and Dollander are probably your top two starters. Write them in with ink now. After that, Tanner Gordon? Maybe? The 27-year-old has looked good at times, limiting damage and eating innings, but he doesn’t get batters to swing and miss (16.5% whiff rate), he doesn’t limit contact well (43% Hard Hit Rate) and he generally hasn’t been any good at preventing runs (6.60 ERA). Gordon is the type of guy that the Rockies are stuck with more than the type of guy you choose to have. McCade Brown? The 25-year-old rookie has nine career innings so you wouldn’t want to declare anything sweeping but there isn’t anything to write home about in those nine innings. I’m glad the Rockies are seeing what they have in the minors but I wouldn’t say he’s earned a job.

I would be remiss to not mention Ryan Feltner. Possibly the Rockies best current pitcher who has been injured for basically the entire season. But that’s not exciting to mention in the above. Feltner will be part of the 2026 rotation as well.

So you have three starters. And maybe Senzatela gets one last try in the spot. Do you bring back Marquez? If you look down at Albuquerque where the next line of pitchers could exist, it’s not exactly thrilling. These are guys that haven’t knocked Tanner Gordon and Bradley Blalock off of a spot in 2025, after all. Plus, like I mentioned, you probably need nine or ten starters. As of now, this is how I see it:

So, you can squint and see a reality where German Marquez comes back and Senzatela gets another shot, right? This is a team that, despite doing their best to trade for fringe pitching depth, has yet to really hit on any of those guys. I think the 2027 team is in a bit of a better shape, with Prosecky, Eaton, Grosz, Herring, Lebarron Johnson, Brecht, and the next wave of college guys a step closer, but man. They probably need to poke around on minor league deals for veterans as well. There is a part of me that wonders if the Rockies have learned that you need nine or ten starters yet, I guess we will learn soon.

The Bullpen

Maybe a little more encouraging than the rotation? Despite some young, exciting arms falling flat on their face and looking like garbage there are plenty of actual fun guys to talk about here. Gone are Tyler Kinley, Jake Bird, and Scott Alexander. Here to stay are Juan Mejia, Victor Vodnik, Seth Halvorsen, Luis Peralta, and Jaden Hill.

It would probably be a smart move for the Rockies to cash in on Jimmy Herget in the winter, though he is quite clearly their best reliever. Whether the Rockies do that is, again, how much this is the Nu Rockies. Will they make smart decisions and earn top value? Or decide that having a 31-year-old reliever on a bad team somehow makes it worth it? I don’t know, but I can say that moving Herget also gives more young relievers a chance to actually show what they have in the big leagues (guys like Connor Van Scoyoc…).

Beyond the top line young guys, they have been pretty noisy about how much they like Carson Palmquist as a bullpen guy, and there have been legitimate wins in terms of grabbing guys off the scrap heap in this area of team building for the Rockies. Look at the guy above, Jimmy Herget, I remember seeing his name on the Spring Training invites and thinking “who is this guy?”. Add in Dugan Darnell to that as well. I don’t compliment the Rockies often, in fact it pains me to do so in some cases, but they actually may have a decent program in generating capable relievers. They need 8-15 of these guys so it will be really helpful to continue to do that. Here are who I see are 2026 relievers as of now:

I don’t know, folks. It’s probably going to be bad again next year. It might be bad forever. One day we’ll all look back at this and think about if it was just a waste of our time. But Walker is at The Wheel. This is the Nu Rockies. In Walker We Trust.

Connor’s Guys Update, An Update on Connor’s Minor League Guys of Note

Connor’s Guys will be an update on the Guys I want to follow through the Rockies minor league system. This won’t necessarily be the best prospects, don’t expect a top-100 guy here, but guys I find interesting. Every now and then we’ll add a new guy when I spot someone putting up an interesting line or having a unique profile to look into. Currently, Connor’s Guys are all pitchers. Sean Sullivan (AA), Welinton Herrera (AA), Brody Brecht (A), and Connor Van Scoyoc (AAA)

Brody Brecht was the hard luck loser in game one of Fresno’s Cal League playoff series against San Jose, his two earned in seven were the only two runs of the game as the Grizzlies lost to the Giants. It was Brecht’s career high in innings pitched as the Rockies have slow played stretching him out this year. He struck out seven of the first 13 Giants he faced though and was excellent into the fifth before giving up three straight hits and two runs. It may be his final start of the year, depending on the Grizzlies next playoff game tomorrow night in San Jose. But, I think it leaves a lot of excitement in it’s wake.

Peep those Van Scoyoc lines though. I won’t rest until he’s up on the big club. There’s something here! I know it!

Thing I read this week

Hat tip to Renee Dechert on this but I enjoyed this profile of McCade Brown by his local NPR group.

Always funny to see the town of Normal, Illinois. Brown nearly quit baseball in the 9th grade but a couple of lessons organized by his mom helped him lock in. A 6 foot 6 you have to wonder if the US Men’s National Team lost a good soccer goalie?

Anyway,

17 to go…