5 Reasons Why Rockies Fans Might Want To Keep Their Expectations Low
DENVER (CBS4) - It happens in the early Spring every year: baseball fans of every team in the majors get optimistic for the start of the new season, with high hopes their team will win enough games to make it to the postseason.
In Colorado, baseball fans who are feeling that excited feeling might not want to read any further.
If you are a one of those Rockies fans and you've happened to glance at one of the league prediction lists that's floating out there, chances are you're either a) mad as heck ("How could they get it so wrong?!") or b) not surprised ("I'm a fan but also a realist.")
Why the negativity? Well, the following is a look at how five different sports writers are ranking the Rockies for the 2016 season, and it ain't pretty. Colorado's rank among MLB's 30 teams is included below -- with their best positioning at the top to their worst at the bottom.
ESPN Ranks Rockies 25th
LINK: 2016 MLB Power Rankings
Eric Karabell writes that "a five-year stretch of losing is likely to continue" for the Rockies. He credits the Rockies with a strong offense that can "entertain on a regular basis" with the likes of Nolan Arenado, but he says they are "painfully overmatched" in the starting pitching department.
Bleacher Report Ranks Rockies 26th
LINK: MLB Predictions 2016: Projecting the Final Standings
Karl Buscheck took two main factors into account in determining his rankings: last year's record, particularly the second half of the season's results, and offseason roster moves. Buscheck calls the Rockies pitching rotation "disastrously bad (5.27 ERA in 2015)."
CBSSports.com Ranks Rockies 27th
LINK: MLB Power Rankings: Cubs and Royals above all entering the season
Matt Snyder places the Rockies at No. 27, but at least he projects big things for newly named starting shortstop Trevor Story, who he says is "ripe for a breakout." "(Story) is killing the ball in the spring and is set to hit between Charlie Blackmon and the Carlos Gonzalez/Nolan Arenado combo."
USA Today Sports Ranks Rockies 28th
LINK: MLB win totals: How we see the 2016 season unfolding
Gabe Lacques writes that "much of the joy in baseball is the anticipation, visualizing the months ahead and then reveling in how right – or so very wrong ... conventional wisdom turned out to be." He projects the Rockies will wind up in last in the NL West with a 62-100 record. 100 losses? Ouch.
The Sports Xchange Ranks Rockies 29th
LINK: 2016 MLB Preview: Teams Ranked From First To Worst
The folks at The Sports Xchange write that "recent turnarounds must give hope to all 30 major league teams that anything is possible," but they are projecting the Rockies will wind up as the league's second worst team in 2016. They also point to pitching as an area of concern. "The Rockies added to their bullpen, but the youthful rotation is a work in progress."
