Kids ready to test themselves against Rockies' new pitching depth

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Each report of a Rockies veteran starting pitching addition has made the road that much tougher for Colorado’s 2025 rookies – who had many (maybe too many) starts last season – to make an early impact in ‘26.

Their challenge?

They had to look at the breaking news – with righties Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano and lefty Jose Quintana all signing since mid-January – as good news. If all are healthy, it’s good for a Rockies team that in recent years has been giving starts to prospects because they were available, ready or not.

“I talk to Kyle Freeland still. Lorenzen and I have been talking about stuff he has experienced and stuff he has done to help throughout his career, and I talked a little bit to Sugano and hope the opportunity to talk to Quintana will arise,” said righty Chase Dollander, 24, who went 2-12 with a 6.52 ERA last season – less than two years after the Rockies selected him ninth overall in the Draft out of the University of Tennessee.

“Competition is always good – it brings out the best in everybody,” Dollander said. “The more I can push myself, have them push me and feel like I can push them, too, it’s going to be really exciting."

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Dollander was called up after one Triple-A start and was optioned to Albuquerque briefly at midseason. He and fellow 2025 rookie right-handers Tanner Gordon (6-8, 6.33 ERA in 15 starts) and McCade Brown (0-5, 7.36 in seven starts after being plucked from Double-A Hartford) return for Spring Training with at least an idea of Major League challenges.

“I learned a lot – I think you learn more from the losses than the wins,” said the 28-year-old Gordon, whose six wins led a team that finished 43-119 and whose seven quality starts were second to Freeland’s 14. “It’s good to have a season like that under my belt, to go back into the memory vault and think of those games. That helps a ton.”

But the Rockies’ plan was to build enough of a rotation that, health permitting, less experienced pitchers can continue their educations in the Minors if they don’t blow folks away in camp. But Spring Training camp is just the beginning. The young pitchers will be part of much-needed rotation depth if they don’t start in the Major League rotation.

In addition to the signings, there are in-house veteran options – the left-handed Freeland and righties Ryan Feltner and Antonio Senzatela (being given a shot at returning to the rotation).

So younger pitchers are being asked to earn their innings and learn their craft – and see who’s best.

“So far, it seems everyone is in a good headspace,” Rockies pitching coach Alon Leichman said. “Competition is always good. If you’re a young guy and a veteran comes in, you have a few options – you can shy away from learning from him, or just go out and take his spot. Nothing is guaranteed here.

“It’s a good blend of the young and the old. Both sides need to take advantage of that. We’ll grow as a team like that.”

The Rockies targeted free agents who possess the trait that younger pitchers will need to succeed – they attack the strike zone. Sugano’s low walk rate (2.1 per nine innings) made him attractive to the Rockies, even though he yielded an American League-high 33 homers with the Orioles in his first MLB season after a successful career in Japan.

Gordon’s success came when he worked ahead of hitters. Dollander and the 25-year-old Brown – who has battled injuries and had just 54 appearances (51 starts) over four Minor League seasons when he debuted against the Pirates on Aug. 24 – had walk rates of 4.5 and 6.0 per nine innings, respectively.

“The main thing for all our pitchers is to get into the strike zone early in the count,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.

Last year’s rookies were able to knock off some of the awe that comes with suddenly finding themselves in the Majors – “the atmosphere, the lights, the music, the fans,” as Gordon described.

“You’re just playing the game, so you’re not just idolizing guys that you used to watch on TV,” said Brown, who is resting with right shoulder soreness but is expected to return to full preparation soon.