Rockies Starters Remain Weak Link Despite Bullpen Success

If the Colorado Rockies are going to do any sort of winning in 2026, they’re going to need the starting rotation to pick up its end of the bargain.

Apr 8, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

It’s no secret that pitching for the Colorado Rockies is a difficult endeavor. Half of the team’s games are played in Coors Field’s unfavorable conditions, making consistently good performances hard to come by for even the best of hurlers.

Still, some semblance of decency is needed from the arms in order for the Rockies to be successful.

Through 26 games this season, one half of the pitching staff has been holding up its end of the bargain. The bullpen has surprisingly come out of the gate with fury, posting a 3.69 ERA throughout the early going of the year.

This development has been a welcome shock for the Rockies faithful, as it’s enabled the team to win some games it definitely wouldn’t have during the disaster that was the 2025 season.

But while the relievers have been great, the starters have been, well, not. By the time manager Warren Schaeffer comes and gets the ball from his starters, the game is usually already in a rough spot. The numbers bear that out: Over 100 innings of work, Rockies starters have a 5.31 ERA.

Only the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros and Washington Nationals are worse in that regard. That’s not a recipe for success, and it needs to be figured out as soon as possible. Is that even possible, though?

One Bad Inning Tells the Story

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

On April 14, the Rockies were in the midst of a four-game losing streak as they set off to begin a three-game series against the Houston Astros. Game 1 of the set started off strong, with a Hunter Goodman solo home run in the top of the first, which was then followed up by a two-RBI triple by Jake McCarthy in the second. Up 3-0 through one and a half frames, it appeared that Colorado was well on its way to claiming its first victory in several days.

And then the Michael Lorenzen experience went full throttle.

Lorenzen, who’s had a fine big league career with multiple different teams, arrived in Colorado as one of several key starting pitching additions. He was expected to be one of the front-line starters who led the Rockies toward a more successful 2026 season.

So far, he’s done anything but, and his performance against Houston on April 14 is indicative of that very fact.

Vázquez adds on! pic.twitter.com/9XhkLOd2cG

— Houston Astros (@astros) April 15, 2026

Christian Walker launched a solo shot in the bottom of the second to cut into the deficit, which was a precursor for what was to come just one inning later when the floodgates opened for the Astros.

Six runs came across to score for the opposition in the third inning, giving the Astros a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, despite the Rockies’ offense and bullpen putting up excellent performances the rest of the night.

The end-all be-all was that Lorenzen didn’t do his job. He couldn’t shut down the Astros long enough to hand it to the bullpen in time for it to shut the game down and deliver the Rockies a win. That story has been all too familiar in the early going of the season for Colorado, and it can’t continue if the team hopes to miraculously make the postseason.

Finding a Path Forward for Rockies Rotation

Apr 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) pitches in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

So, is there a fix to the rotation woes? Well, the first thing that needs to happen is for Lorenzen to finally break out and pitch like he has in the past. His rotation-worst 7.48 ERA, which could be much worse had it not been for some unearned runs in that game against the Astros, is frankly unacceptable for a pitcher of his caliber. Get him going again, and the rotation will be in a much better spot.

The same concept applies to pretty much everybody. Jose Quintana hasn’t looked great in limited action, and neither has Ryan Feltner, though he did exit his last start with an injury after pitching fairly well.

Tomoyuki Sugano has been a pleasant surprise through five starts, but is that sustainable? And then there’s Kyle Freeland, who looked great through three starts but is currently on the 15-day injured list. To say that the Rockies need him on the bump every five days would be an understatement.

All is not lost for the Rockies rotation — it’s not even May, after all — but the sample size is large enough that it’s clear that this season could be a battle.