With new GM Byrnes and coaching overhaul, Rox on path to 'reimagining' pitching philosophy

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Rockies have often found themselves pitching against two foes -- their opponent and their own hitter-friendly atmosphere. With the exception of a couple of notable cases, the strategy has been essentially to stay traditional.

The announcement Tuesday of new hires to the Major League staff reflects a new direction. The Rockies named Alon Leichman their new pitching coach, Gabe Ribas their new assistant pitching coach and Matt Buschmann their new bullpen coach. Additionally, they brought in Matt Daniels as director of pitching.

From new vice president Walker Monfort to president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta to general manager Josh Byrnes to new manager Warren Schaeffer, the subject of pitching well in -- and in spite of -- Coors Field is getting much brainpower.

“You talk to people who have been here, who have pitched here, me coming from the outside and others coming in, reimagining what might work and what might not work,” Byrnes said Tuesday during the MLB Winter Meetings. “Some of it is across any ballpark, but some of it is specific to Coors. Then there is the home-road aspect of touch-and-feel, recovery and all that. I think that’s a good word: Reimagining it is the road that we’re on.”

Last season’s 43-119 record and six losing seasons before that serve as the mother and father of this reimagination. Here's a look at the folks birthing the new project:

• Leichman turned heads late last season when the Marlins decided to call pitches from the dugout. Leichman began his pro coaching career in 2017 as coordinator of organizational learning in Seattle and was with the team in various pitching jobs for six years before becoming assistant pitching coach with the Reds (2023-24) and Marlins (2025).

• Ribas spent the last four years as the Tigers’ director of pitching, and previously worked for the Dodgers (under Byrnes) in player development in coaching, performance science, strength and conditioning and baseball analytics to develop individualized pitching programs. His coaching development includes altitude, as an assistant at the University of Northern Colorado (2010-11).

• Buschmann was the Cubs’ special advisor of player development the last two years, after serving as the Blue Jays’ bullpen coach from 2019-22. He also took on the Jays’ director of pitching development role in 2020 and worked with the Giants as an assistant in player development with a focus on run prevention. Buschmann's transition to the administration side came after he made three appearances with the Diamondbacks in 2016 out of the bullpen, following a lengthy journey through the Minor Leagues.

• Daniels served as pitching development and acquisition specialist for the Twins from 2023-25. Previous stints included a role as the Giants’ coordinator of physical sciences and working at the Driveline data-driven player development business near Seattle.

That’s a lot of imagination.

Leichman, Ribas and Buschmann will be in uniform during games. Daniels will be based in Denver but will work with pitchers in their preparation.

"In terms of Rockies history, this is one of the most exciting moments for us,” Schaeffer said. “Four guys that have been brought in that are game-changers, that get players better, have a good feel for the game, know the tech, know the analytics, know how to give guys new arsenals, know how to deal with pitch shapes -- the whole gamut.”

The hiring process this time around was also different.

"We actually put some of them in touch during this process, because this was going to be a team -- we didn’t want it to be an arranged marriage,” DePodesta said. “As we went through it, we had all good partnerships. There was a lot of overlap in terms of philosophy with each guy. Each one brought a little something different to the table.”

But it’s not as if the Rockies haven’t tried to do it differently in the past.

During the 2012 season, the Rockies under general manager Dan O’Dowd tried a paired pitching system -- four starters, each limited to 75 pitches, with the next reliever known as the “piggyback.” The team abandoned the experiment during the final two months and finished 64-98. The avant-garde pitching plan was believed to be a reason manager Jim Tracy stepped down at the end of that season.

In 2017, longtime Major League pitcher, pitching coach and manager Bud Black became the Rockies’ manager and instituted an older-school mentality by demanding more from starters. In '17, Rockies starters finished 44 innings behind the National League West-leading Giants, and in '18, the Rockies rotation led the division with 958 2/3 innings.

2017-18 marked the only time in Rockies history that they made the postseason in consecutive years. The Rockies eventually signed Germán Márquez, Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela to contract extensions, but long-term success was not to be.

Interestingly, the use of an opener, followed by a pitcher to work the bulk of the game, are remnants of the O’Dowd system.