Is It Time To Give Jimmy Herget a Chance in the Rockies Starting Rotation?

The Colorado Rockies have a solid pitcher sitting in their bullpen.

Apr 27, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jimmy Herget (44) delivers a pitch in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies have struggled with their pitching staff this season to say the very least and as they try to avoid the worst record in MLB history maybe it is time to give someone in their bullpen a chance to take on a heavier work load for the organization.

31-year-old Jimmy Hergert has been one of the top relievers for the ballclub this season, which is his first with the Rockies. Almost all of his career has been as a reliever, but at this point, what does Colorado have to lose?

Hergert Amongst Other Rockies

There is one lone player on the Rockies posting an ERA under 4.00 (minimum 10 innings pitched) and that is Jimmy Hergert. After 62 full innings of work as a reliever Hergert is posting an ERA of 2.90.

The four starters utilized the most this season who each have at least 15 starts: Chase Dollander, Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland, and Germán Márquez have an average ERA of 6.31. The organization has tried to mix it up some this season, but has yet to look at Hergert.

Freeland was the starting pitcher in the Rockies recent 20-1 blowout against the Toronto Blue Jays. Even though eight of them came in the ninth against a position pitcher, but it was an extremely poor showcase for Freeland to start the game.

He lasted 4.2 innings before he was pulled back into the dugout. In that time he allowed a three run homer, six total RBI, and two walks.

Aug 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starring pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Hergert, in his last 15 games, has thrown from the mound for 23.2 innings and posted a 2.28 ERA with 24 strikeouts with a 1.23 WHIP. The veteran is on track to have possibly one of the best of his career and with how the Rockies pitching staff has done this season he has earned the right to see what happens if he takes on more innings per game.

Rockies Pitching this Year

Colorado sits last in nearly every major pitching category this season. Their hitting has been in the top half of baseball, while they continue to fail to keep runs off the board. Most recently they were on the wrong side of earned runs while the Blue Jays made franchise history of their own when they scored 45 runs in a three-game span.

The Rockies have the fewest amount of strikeouts this year, nearly 100 less than the Saint Louis Cardinals. There is one lone team with an ERA over 6.00, the Rockies. Most home runs? Rockies. Worst WHIP? Rockies. Highest batting average, most hits, most earned runs, all Colorado.

So, at the end of the day what does the organization have to lose by giving Hergert a shot as a starter?

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