November 11, 2024 | Cameron MacLennan

Following a second consecutive 100-loss season, the Colorado Rockies are searching for answers. There are a lot of questions to be asked. However, a key problem that needs to be resolved soon is the direction of the bullpen, which once again was a major cause of the Rockies’ struggles this season. 

For the third consecutive season, the Rockies bullpen earned the title for worst ERA in MLB and it wasn’t exactly close, either. The Rockies posted an unimpressive 5.41 ERA, with the next worst team coming in at 4.82 in the likes of the Toronto Blue Jays. Even adjusting for Coors Field, that’s problematic.

The good thing for Rockies fans? There is hope. 

The Old Heads

Of players with substantial Major League experience that should play a part in the future of this team, Lucas Gilbreath and Tyler Kinley are most likely to be contributors looking forward to next year. Gilbreath missed almost two years from 2022-2024 with elbow and shoulder injuries and pitched only one inning this year before going back on the IL for the rest of the season. The hope is that one more full off-season gets him back healthy and in a bullpen that needs a power lefty like him.

Kinley on the other hand, was one of the more reliable arms for the Rockies in the 2nd-half. After a brutal 1st half of the year for Kinley, posting a nearly 8.00 ERA, he found his form after the All-Star break. He had a two-month stretch of 12 scoreless outings in 13 appearances. That being said, Kinley has still been too inconsistent for his or the Rockies’ liking. He’ll need to be far more dependable if he wants to continue to have a prominent role in this new up-and-coming bullpen.

Justin Lawrence and Jake Bird are also still in the mix, though they’re in desperate need of bounceback campaigns. In 2023, the pair formed a dynamic setup combination before tumbling in 2024.

The New Kids on the Block

The front office has made a point that they are going with a youthful bullpen, and that youth is finally starting to arrive. 

Most proven of them is 25-year-old righty, Victor Vodnik. In his first full MLB season, Vodnik proved he has the stuff to be the long-term closer or at least a dependable late-inning arm for the Rockies. The hard-thrower posted a 4.28 ERA over 73 innings to go along with a 1.48 WHIP and 9 saves. 

There were three major prospects that made their MLB debut towards the end of the season and two of them especially had very impressive first impressions. 

One of them was 23-year-old lefty, Luis Peralta. Peralta was acquired at the trade deadline from the Pirates for Jalen Beeks. In the minors this year, Peralta posted an imposing 0.94 ERA for both Pirates and Rockies affiliates. That success continued in the big leagues. In 15 appearances, Peralta posted an outstanding 0.73 ERA with a WHIP of just 0.97. Peralta has the makings of a high-leverage reliever and something to be excited about for Rockies fans.

The most surprising of them all might be Seth Halvorsen, a 7th-round pick by the Rockies in 2023. The 24-year-old righty out of Tennessee had a decent season in the minors, putting up a respectable 4.47 ERA with mostly the Hartford Yard Goats. That being said, he put on a show once he got a chance with the Rockies in large part because of his consistently 100 mph fastball. In 12 innings, he gave up just 2 earned runs and struck out 13. With a WHIP of just 0.81, Halvorsen appears to have the tools to be a huge piece for the Colorado bullpen in the coming years. 

The last of the three to make their MLB debut this year was Jaden Hill. Hill was a second-round pick of the Rockies in 2021 out of LSU as a starting pitcher. Following a delayed start to his professional career after recovering from Tommy John, Hill made the switch to the bullpen this year.

After spending most of the year with Double-A Hartford and a quick stint in Triple-A Albuquerque, Hill made his MLB debut on September 7th. For the last month of the season, he logged 10 innings with a 5.06 ERA. While the ERA isn’t quite as impressive as the other two rookies with such a small sample size, it appears Hill has the stuff to be a significant contributor going forward. 

In the Minor Leagues, the Rockies appear to have at least one arm that’s bound to have an impact on the coming season. Zach Agnos, a 24-year-old right-hander, is the 28th-ranked Rockies prospect according to MLB.com. A 10th-round pick by the Rockies in 2022, Agnos has been a pleasant surprise thus far in his professional career.

In 2024, he spent the first half with High-A Spokane but ended with Double-A Hartford putting up impressive numbers. With Hartford, Agnos recorded a 1.95 ERA over 27.2 innings with a batting average against of just .158. There’s no way to tell how the Rockies bullpen will shape up next year with all the new names, however, that allows for more opportunity for guys like Agnos later in the season. 

In a league that requires a high-level bullpen in order to compete in October, the Rockies have been without one for some time. With that, what can be said for the Rockies as a whole along with the bullpen is that help is on the way. The youth will be the strength of this Rockies team and that youth is drawing near. 

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