Rockies' Projected 2026 Starting Rotation Offers More Questions Than Answers

Colorado's projected starting rotation for 2026 has nowhere to go but up.

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When the Colorado Rockies hired Paul DePodesta as president of baseball operations, he knew the job he was getting himself into. A team that lost 119 games in 2025 has a major rebuild project in front of it.

There are a number of areas that DePodesta needs to address this offseason, including the starting rotation. All signs point towards Germán Márquez and Austin Gomber leaving in free agency, but he does have veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland at the top of the rotation.

Where things are after that is anyone's guess. It's not going to be easy getting a free agent pitcher to come to Colorado and pitch there. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicted each team's starting rotation for 2026, and his prediction for the Rockies signals it could be another long summer for a starting rotation that must improve.

Rockies Projected Starting 2026 Rotation Paints a Grim Outlook

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One thing is going to be clear when it comes to Colorado's rotation in 2026: they are going to need some of their younger pitchers to step up and carry some of the load.

"With Germán Márquez and Austin Gomber gone in free agency, an already terrible Rockies rotation could be even worse if some of their young arms are unable to take a step forward,'' Reuter wrote.

"A healthy Ryan Feltner offers some quality upside after he logged a 4.49 ERA in 162.1 innings during the 2024 season, though he was limited to 30.1 innings in 2025 while battling shoulder and back injuries."

Here is Reuter's projected Opening Day rotation for the Rockies and DePodesta's first as president of baseball operations,

• 1. LHP Kyle Freeland
• 2. RHP Chase Dollander
• 3. RHP Ryan Feltner
• 4. RHP Tanner Gordon
• 5. RHP Antonio Senzatela

Freeland at the top of the rotation is the veteran Colorado needs, with a major rebuild that is needed, and they need Dollander to come back healthy and take the next step near the top of the rotation. After that, there are a lot more questions than answers surrounding the Rockies.

In 2025, Freeland was 5-17 with a 4.98 ERA in 162.2 innings pitched with 124 strikeouts and 38 walks. Those numbers are not those of an ace, but the rest of the rotation also struggled. Colorado's team ERA was 6.65, with the next closest by the Washington Nationals at 5.18. The Rockies had only 22 wins from their rotation in their 43 total on the season.

Improving anyway they can on the mound as a rotation will be a step in the right direction for DePodesta and Colorado in 2026. They are going to likely go through more growing pains, but a step forward instead of a step back would be big.

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