Grading The Colorado Rockies Potential Starting Rotation For 2026

The Colorado Rockies conducted a massive rotation overhaul during this past offseason. Lets grade it.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) delivering a pitch / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Pitching in Coors Field is already an inherent challenge for any baseball player no matter the skill or repertoire. High altitude and thin air decreases pitch movement leading to more baseballs hit in the air, traveling farther than any other stadium.

The Colorado Rockies are privy to this challenge on half of the regular season games. As a result, pitching has not been a strong suit throughout their franchise history.

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Nevertheless, the Rockies, in never ending regular season purgatory for nearly a decade and a 43-119 record last year, were surprisingly active in the pitching department this offseason. Adding newcomers and veteran starting arms to their rotation such as Jose Quintana, Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano could have a surprisingly decent boost to their struggling rotation and team as a whole.

But that stops now. A, new, more promising feeling circles the thin altitude this season. A new pitching coach and overhaul of the front office will reflect those types of moves. Let's grade the entire rotation as a whole with these new additions:

Kyle Freeland

Among the Rockies longest current tenured players dating back to nearly a decade is lefthander Kyle Freeland. He will begin his ninth season in the big leagues and in a Rockies uniform. While there is no official opening day starter for the Rockies rotation yet, Freeland's had the most opening day starts (4) in franchise history dating back to 2019.

His 2025 season logged a 6-17 record with a 4.98 ERA in 31 starts across 162.2 innings. According to ERA+, the 32-year-old has been slightly below the average pitcher over the last four years, and almost eight years removed from his best season, going 17-7 with a sub 3 ERA in 202 innings.

Statistically, Freeland is as slightly below average as it gets, but that's what happens when you pitch in Coors Field. Yet, this is where he's resided throughout his entire baseball career. Why not make it deserving for him to become the opening day starter for the fifth time in his career?

Freeland's fellow rotation starters in recent memory performed far worse than he has. With the newest addition of pitching coach Alon Leichman and three veteran arms, there's possible competition of determining the best starting pitcher in the Mile High City.

Jose Quintana

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jose Quintana (62) pitching on the mound. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Speaking of those new arms, let's examine Jose Quintana. The 37-year-old veteran has been around the MLB block since the departure from his first team in the Chicago White Sox nine years ago. Up until then, he switched in-city rivals, heading northside to play for the Chicago Cubs in the following four years up until the pandemic 2020 season. Since then, he's been a reliable journeyman, moving out west a bit for a few years, then ended up with the New York Mets after having pit stops with teams in the Midwest.

Quintana last played on the Milwaukee Brewers pitching 24 starts with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in 131.2 innings. Heading into his 15th season, the Colombian native has been nothing short of reliably consistent, with a career ERA of 3.76 nearing a 33 total WAR. Another lefty to anchor alongside Freeland, Quintana is expected to be a significant asset to the starting rotation. He's a prime example of the Rockies seeking veteran and postseason leadership in guiding the team out of the ruins of mediocrity,

Michael Lorenzen

Colorado Rockies pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) poses for Photo Day / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Another veteran who's experienced limited success is right-hander Michael Lorenzen. The 34-year-old is entering in what would be his 12th season. Across a little over a season with the Kansas City Royals, Lorenzen pitched to a 4.12 ERA in 34 games (32 starts) across 170.1 innings. Like Quintana, Lorenzen is another journeyman after spending seven seasons with his first team in the Cincinatti Reds.. The Rockies added him as a possible piece to the rotation for additional veteran leadership and postseason experience.

While Lorenzen prefers to start, he's prone to losing rotation spots due to inconsistency, accumulating just a 10.6 WAR in 11 seasons. This gives the Rockies more options to use him, whether it be a rotation slot or long relief.

There seems to be a direct pattern to both these new signings; both Lorenzen and Quintana came from teams that made the postseason at least once over the last two seasons, giving the Rockies more veteran presence in the rotation

Tomoyuki Sugano

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (19) pitches in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

A long-time baseball pitcher from the Nippon Professional Baseball league (NPB) in Japan, Tomoyuki Sugano made his MLB debut at the veteran age of 35 with the Baltimore Orioles last season. A three-time MVP in Japan, the right-hander dominated on the mound in the NPB across 12 seasons with a 2.43 ERA with a 136-74 record, a 1.03 WHIP in 1,857 innings. Last season was especially stellar, going 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA in 156.2 innings.

This didn't commonly translate well to the MLB level, as he struggled during his first season in the states. On an injury-hampered Orioles team expected to be in the playoffs, Sugano put up rather pedestrian numbers with a 4.64 ERA in 30 starts across 157 innings. While he displayed hints of strong command walking only 36 batters, frequently pitched deep into ballgames and secured 10 quality starts, the 36-year-old succumbed to the long ball. In 2025, Sugano surrendered 33 homers, the highest in the American League.

The Rockies hope that Sugano can brush off the learning curve that is pitching in the MLB for the first time and bring over a decade's worth of dominance he executed in Japan. From the team's standpoint, it's a great signing, adding more variety of options to strengthen the rotation.

Ryan Feltner

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner (18) pitches against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Likely rounding out the back end of the rotation is Ryan Feltner. With honorable mentions in Tanner Gordon, Antonio Senzatela, and Chase Dollander, Feltner appears to have a slight edge, based on past season stats. Gordon, Senzatela, and Dollander each performed last season with ERAs north of six, hence why Feltner is the likely clear-cut choice for the fifth slot.

After a rather promising 2024 campaign sporting a 4.49 ERA in 162 innings across 30 starts, the 29-year-old spent last season mostly on the IL with back spasms. He logged just six starts early in the season with an 0-2 record and a 4.75 ERA. Now likely the fifth starter due to the Rockies recent bulk of starting pitcher signings, Feltner has less pressure to perform well on the mound. The primary objective would be to stay healthy throughout 2026 so he can receive ample opportunities to start.

Grading the Rockies Predicted Starting Rotation: B-

The Rockies significantly bolstering the middle of the rotation filling in viable starters in the 2-4 hole is nothing short of incredible. Compared to seasons past, especially last year, they're actively making efforts to improve this year in order to set the tone for their future in the ever loaded NL West. Still, they've got a long way to go.

With the back-to-back defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers alongside heavy postseason mainstays in the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, the Rockies have quite the mountain to climb. Don't forget the Giants as well, who have a punchers chance of making the playoffs.