Mac Lyons | January 30, 2025

For Rockies fans, the name Chase Dollander doesn’t warrant an introduction. Since being selected as the ninth overall pick by Colorado in the 2023 Draft, many have come to know Dollander for his impressive arsenal of pitches and dominant performance throughout his college career. If anything, the mystery surrounding Dollander, who proved countless wrong with a prolific rise through High-A and Double-A in his first professional season this past year, may only harbor around how exactly to pronounce his last name. 

“It’s D-ough-lander. A lot of people say Dol-lander, I’ve even heard Dol-langer a couple times,” the right-hander clarified during our second Banter Session with the Rockies top prospect. Afterall, the Rockies top prospect’s Instagram handle is @lildoe01.

Dollander is easy-going. He seemingly eased his way through his transition from college to professional baseball. This past offseason, he has spent his time in Tampa Bay training with Rays starting pitcher, Shane McClanahan, and most recently, appeared at Rox Fest where his knowledge of Denver’s dedication to the Rockies was reaffirmed.     

The fan base has been patiently waiting for the arrival of Chase Dollander, the most promising pitching prospect the Rockies have had since at least Jon Gray and maybe even the team’s existence. Yet, the Rockies front-office opted for the slow approach with Dollander, especially after his 2023 college campaign was derailed by some forced adjustments to his pitches that hindered his performance on the mound. But Dollander will be the first one to admit that he no longer dwells on the past or overthinks things as much as he used to. Now, more than ever, Dollander is pitching—and living—with confidence. 

Unsurprising to many, Dollander was one of 25 non-roster invitees to Spring Training for the 2025 season. A day later, at Rockies Fest, Dollander was the topic of plenty of conversations. Rockies GM Bill Schmidt was the first to admit that plenty of young guys will get their chances with the Rockies this season, Dollander being one of them. And when asked about what he’s looking for in Dollander to indicate he’s ready to take the next step, Scmidt stated, “It’s going to be about command and how he faces the situations that Buddy will put him in in Spring Training.”

However, other Rockies, like veteran Ryan McMahon, were giving the prospect plenty of praise. “You guys have heard of Chase Dollander,” McMahon said, “the kid’s makeup is insane. I just went to the leadership camp and hearing the words come out of his mouth, it feels genuine, it feels like he’s about what he talks about.” 

When you’re the talk of the town, it’d be hard not to feel the pressure mounting, but for Dollander, there doesn’t seem to be such a thing. After all, the right-hander scorched the Northwest League during his time at High-A with a 2.89 ERA, a 37 K% and a 9.3 BB% before promptly being promoted to Double-A Hartford.

He was named the starting pitcher for the National League in the 2024 All-Star Futures Game and was a Baseball America Minor-League All-Star. Even as the accolades build, his on-field performances come second to the leadership and positive mindset the Georgia-native embodies, the source of which alludes him. 

“I don’t really know where it [his leadership and mindset] comes from,” he admitted. “It’s more of an intrinsic thing. It’s not something anyone’s ever taught me. I treat people the way I want to be treated. I would want people to come to me and shoot it straight and not lie.”

Clearly, part of what makes Dollander so well-respected within an organization where he has yet to make his MLB debut is the kind of person he is. Someone who upholds their values and remains undeterred by the ups and downs of life as a professional athlete, especially in a game that is so statistically driven and highly criticized.

But Dollander is concerned with his own game, and how he can be a positive outlet for his teammates. He admitted during the Banter Session that he’s excited for how much his arsenal—consisting of his fastball, curveball, changeup, and slider—has advanced and is hyper-focused on executing his pitches. And yet, the ever-so-humble righty understates his own growth. “I can say all this stuff, but I’m just going to go out there and play baseball. Whatever happens, happens. If I start in the big leagues, I start in the big leagues. If I don’t, I don’t.”  

When asked by Patrick Lyons about his mindset regarding the chance he has to make the Opening-Day roster, Dollander remained level-headed as usual. 

“Nothing changes. My preparation doesn’t change. The way I’m going about things doesn’t change. At the end of the day it’s a baseball game, and those decisions are not up to me. My goal is to give them every reason to put me on the team.” 

Rockies faithful and the rest of MLB may not have to wait much longer for Chase Dollander to make his MLB debut. But when that day comes, it’s safe to assume that the positive, soft-spoken right-hander will be ready. All that’s left for Rockies fans to do is sit back and learn how to properly pronounce his last name. 

Check out the full banter session here!

Brought to you by…

Need a new glove? Use the link to get 10% off any new glove from The J.L.Glove Company.
When you use the link below, you get the discount and we receive cash. WE ALL WIN!

https://jlgloveco.com/?rave=CGT2B37GN2FCODF7