Rockies Young Pitcher Primed for Breakout 2026 Season

One young Colorado pitcher could break out this season.

Colorado Rockies hats / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Taking over a franchise coming off a third straight 100-loss season is never easy. When the Colorado Rockies hired Paul DePodesta as the president of baseball operations, he was tasked with leading a club that was coming off a 119-loss 2025 season.

To his credit, DePodesta didn't rush into any quick trades of young players, but on the flip side, he signed a lot of veteran free agents and acquired some through trades. As far as the starting rotation goes, the Rockies are going to have some veteran faces in it for manager Warren Schaeffer, along with younger arms. One of those younger arms is Chase Dollander and if Colorado is going to move in the right direction in 2026, they will need the 24-year-old to break out.

Rockies Pitcher Chase Dollander Tabbed As Breakout Candidate for 2026

Chase Dollander / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Colorado is going to need several players to break out this season if it is going to slowly turn things around. One of those players who could break out is right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report listed him as a breakout candidate for this season.

"No one on the Rockies staff matches Dollander's pedigree as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft and the No. 8 prospect in baseball at the start of the 2025 season. He took his lumps as a rookie, but finished on a high note with strong road starts against the Astros (6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER) and Dodgers (5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER) among his final three appearances,'' wrote Reuter.

It is difficult to read too much into Dollander's stats from last season on a 119-loss team. However, the Georgia native had a 6.52 ERA in 98 innings pitched with 82 strikeouts. He ended up on the injured list with a left patella tendon strain. Now he's healthy, this is his chance to solidify his spot in the rotation.

DePodesta brought in veterans Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano for the rotation that will be headlined by Kyle Freeland. After those three, the final two spots are up for grabs and Dollander is a clear favorite to land one of those spots. Pitching for a season behind some veterans and being around them could do wonders for Dollander this season.

Colorado has a long way to go in their rebuild, but DePodesta is going about it the right way in his first season in the Mile High City. Mixing veterans with some young players can be a recipe for success if things workout they way he hopes.