The Colorado Rockies bullpen has been thriving in the first two months of 2023. They have been reliable, consistent, and overall fun to watch.
Colorado’s bullpen has quietly been one of the best in baseball, surprising many. This has been a nice change since the bullpen is always a struggle for Colorado. They have been surprisingly solid with a below .400 ERA top five in baseball along with plenty of late-game heroics. Here is how the Rockies bullpen has been successful the first couple of months.
Rockies Thriving Bullpen
Last season the Rockies had one of the worst bullpens in MLB. In 2023 the bullpen has been sturdy with Jake Bird, Justin Lawrence, and Daniel Bard leading the way. They have been holding down leads and keeping the team in games. Bird anchors the Rockies bullpen leading the league in innings pitched but still has not allowed many runs. He struggled last year but has found his niche this year with some good pitches.
Lawrence’s lower slot pitching gives hitters a tough look especially when he uses that sweeper pitch. He is striking out around twenty-seven percent of opponents and generates ground balls on over half of the batted balls he allows. The Rockies have been trusting him in high-leverage situations because he has nasty stuff that he has finally learned to control.
Bird is currently sitting at around a 3.05 ERA which is pretty good compared to where he was last season. He is keeping the ball on the ground at a high level using his solid defense. Though he is only striking out a quarter of the hitters he faces he is finding ways to get outs. Also, another pitcher is trusted in stressful situations. Bard is finding his back after dealing with some personal things, but he has done a good job.
Improved Bullpen
They addressed their woes and improved some areas of need. Colorado spent the winter acquiring pitchers with experience that they could rely on. Those moves are paying off as they have seen early success. The Rockies claimed Brent Suter and Nick Mears off waivers. They signed Brad Hand and Pierce Johnson to one-year deals. Suter is ranked top five in MLB with a below .200 ERA in over 40 innings, He has a big arm and holds down leads late in games.
Mears and Hand have been used sparingly but have had some big moments. The Rockies have been using Peter Lambert and Matt Carasati as long-inning relievers which has worked out nicely. They are giving them multiple innings at a time while keeping the team in the game. It has been fun to watch some of these pitchers come into their own.
Hopefully, the bullpen can continue to be a strength even with the heavy workload they have right now. The Rockies are winning games despite significant injuries to the rotation and taking most of their series. Their bullpen is a treat to watch which is something fans are not accustomed to. Therefore, stay tuned for more MLB news and stories.
Follow me on Twitter and check out Belly Up Sports.
