Rockies Starting Rotation’s ERA Headed for Potential Modern Era MLB Record

The Colorado Rockies may not be saved from setting a record that has been held by an AL Central team for nearly 30 years.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies remain one game away from tying the Chicago White Sox and two games away from passing them to avoid having the worst record in baseball history. Turns out there’s another record the Rockies are in line to catch, and this one may be more unavoidable.

The Rockies (40-105) entered Wednesday’s game with the Los Angeles Dodgers prepared to start Kyle Freeland, who was coming off his best start of the season last Friday. He had a 5.10 ERA entering the game, and he’s not the only one with an inflated ERA going into the remainder of the season.

That’s the issue. Per the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders, the Rockies’ ERA for its starting rotation is on pace to set a new modern-era MLB record — and it’s not a good one.

Rockies Hope to Avoid ERA Record

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Saunders pointed out on X (formerly Twitter) before Tuesday’s action that the Rockies’ starting rotation had an ERA of 6.67. Had the season ended that day, Colorado would have had the worst starting rotation ERA in baseball’s modern era, supplanting the record set by the 1996 Detroit Tigers, who had an ERA of 6.64 in its rotation.

Those Tigers went 53-109 and were managed by Buddy Bell. Baseball-Reference listed just four starting pitchers from that season — Felipe Lira, Omar Olivares, Greg Gohr and Justin Thompson. Brian Williams also started 17 games for Detroit, but also did time in the bullpen. Ten other pitchers made starts for Detroit that season, notably former high school phenom and Athletics first-round pick Todd Van Poppel.

These Rockies will likely lose more games than those Tigers. Baseball-Reference listed six starters at the top of its standard pitching stats — Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, German Marquez, Chase Dollander, Tanner Gordon and Austin Gomber, who was designated for assignment and released last month. Six other pitchers have started for the Rockies this season, including rookie McCade Brown, who was promoted from Double-A last month to make his MLB debut.

After Tuesday’s game, the Rockies’ starter ERA dropped to 6.66. So, Colorado was able to trim it just a little bit. That’s where Freeland could help, as his last start could be a springboard to help the Rockies avoid that bit of history.

Freeland threw a masterpiece against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on Friday, pitching eight innings and giving a spent Rockies bullpen some rest in a 3-0 victory. That was Colorado’s last win entering Wednesday’s game. That start came three days after he was ejected from a Tuesday start when he and San Francisco slugger Rafael Devers sparked a benches-clearing brawl. He gave up two hits and struck out 10 on just 88 pitches.

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