Rockies New Pitching Coach Hire Offers Big Implications for Young Arms in 2026

Colorado’s revamped coaching staff could be a turning point for emerging pitchers like Chase Dollander, Victor Vodnik, and more as the Rockies look to develop homegrown talent.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

After a historically difficult season in 2025 for the Colorado Rockies pitching staff, the organization has finally started to recognize some of the issues and institute changes. Hopefully, these decisions indicate a clear shift in philosophy heading in the spring training. It all starts with the coaching staff.

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The Rockies’ pitching in 2025 was among the worst in baseball. They finished the year with a 5.97 ERA, the highest in all of MLB, allowing 1,021 runs - again, one of the most in franchise history. Colorado also ranked at the bottom of the rock pile for strikeouts and runs allowed, coming in at No. 30 in each stat.

That context makes the Rockies’ offseason hire of a new lead pitching coach, Alon Leichman, who is a former Marlins assistant, much more than just a minor adjustment. This better be a significant change and shift in direction. Hopefully, it is a clear effort by the organization to overhaul how the club develops and utilizes its pitching.

Pitching Woes Signaling Need for Change

Colorado Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In 2025, Colorado’s rotation and bullpen suffered through a variety of struggles:

• Kyle Freeland led the staff with a 5.03 ERA while posting 124 strikeouts over 162.2 innings.
• Top young arms struggled as well. Chase Dollander struggled to translate potential into results. He finished with a 6.52 ERA and 82 strikeouts over 98 innings. He had flashes of promise but they were few and far betweeen.
• The veterans didn’t help carry the team either. Antonio Senzatela and Germán Márquez were overwhelmed by Coors Field woes and league competition. They both had ERAs north of 6.60.

These statistics illustrate a staff that not only allowed runs at a historic rate, but also failed in general to miss bats. The Rockies struck out just 1,093 hitters all season, once again ranking at the bottom of the MLB.

Why the New Pitching Coach Matters

Colorado’s newly assigned pitching coach will have a lot of work to do ahead of the season, and certainly during the season. Leichman has strong development credentials, specifically with younger arms and he tends to lean toward a more data-driven, individualized approach, something the Rockies organization has failed to do in the past.

Gabe Ribas will be the assistant pitching coach with Matt Buschmann serving as the bullpen leader. The organization brought in this new staff with an eye toward improving the core. Taking a quick look at the past statistics proves that they will have a mountain to climb, but they have some young talent that may be able to mold into effective players, given the right coaching.

Even though Dollander experienced a rough rookie campaign, his arsenal shows some strikeout upside. Refining his pitch sequencing could help him reduce hard contact and home runs allowed.

Closer Victor Vodnik is a high strike-out arm, but he needs better command and pitch mix support. The right-hander was drafted in the 14th round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves, and has since developed into one of the Rockies more reliable bullpen arms. In 2025, he had 52 relief appearances where he posted a 3.02 ERA over 50.2 innings. He struckout 49 batters and earned 10 saves.

Given Vodnik’s improvement in 2025 over his 2024 season, the trend is indicating he has the potential to be a core bullpen piece. With a fresh set of eyes and adjustments, it might be just what he needs to become a standout.

Leichman and his newly acquired staff could certainly refine these players who had already taken the mound for Colorado and turn some things around.

Other Moves Colorado Made to Advance Pitching

Michael Lorenzen / William Liang-Imagn Images

The signing of veteran starter Michael Lorenzen should help provide rotation experience and strikeout upside. The team agreed to a one-year deal with the 33-year-old, who has had success across a multitude of roles. This was a quiet signing, but it could prove to be very purposeful in the rebuilding of the roster.

Adding depth to the minor-league rosters, the Rockies inked multiple pitchers, including Valente Bellozo, Patrick Weigel, and Ryan Miller. Bellozo is intriguing because he will be reunited with Leichman, who coached him in Miami.

The organization also made a move to acquire Pierson Ohl from the Minnesota Twins to add a bit more MLB experience to the depth chart.

The Rockies' 2026 success certainly won’t hinge upon one coach, but in a division where pitching depth is everything, the moves the Colorado organization has made seem to be strategic. The addition of Leichman may prove to be the most overlooked decision of the Rockies’ offseason.

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