Right-handed Rockies Chase the Dollar pitched seven scoreless innings to earn a win against the Mets on Sunday. The outing lowered his April ERA to a pristine 1.29. He has collected 34 strikeouts in 28 innings this month. Sunday’s outing was a traditional start to the season for Dollarder. He was coming out of the bullpen specifically to start the year, usually as a reliever after the opener.
Dollander’s win for the Mets came at Citi Field. It was his fifth road game this season, compared to just two games at Coors Field. The young righty has managed to tame the right hitting position so far. Dollander allowed a run over 4 1/3 innings at home against the Phillies in his second outing of the season. He limited the Padres to a run in six innings earlier last week, piling up nine strikeouts. Colorado scored one run in each of Dollander’s two home games, costing him a loss both times.
The Rockies took Dollander with the ninth pick in the 2023 draft. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 2 prospect in the program in 2024, behind only infielders. Adael Amador. Dollander struck out the minor leaguers at a healthy 33.9% clip that season. The hard-throwing righty started for the Rockies last year. The results were basically brutal in every aspect. Dollander struggled to miss bats, couldn’t find the strike zone often, and was blocked frequently. His 6.52 ERA is supported by xFIP and SIERA near 5.00.
Dollander took a step forward in many areas in his second attempt as a major leaguer. He put a tag on his fastball, which was already very difficult for a rookie. Dollander’s two-seamer is sitting at 99 mph this year, ranking fourth among all pitchers. He also doubled his use of the sinker, which contributed to a career-high 51.9% ground ball rate. Despite the increase in sinkers, Dollander has a solid 13.4% swing-strike rate.
Keeping the ball down while getting a lot of whiffs is a good recipe for success. Dollander’s 55.7% strikeout rate stands out as a red flag, but it doesn’t turn out to be damaging because of the type of batted balls he allows. Only 8.9% of people who contacted Dollander were pulled into the air. Balls hit hard on the ground and in another direction will generally result in better results for the pitcher than contact with drawn air.
Colorado brought in Paul DePodesta to run baseball operations this offseason. He has been tasked with reviving a club that has not won 70 games since 2021. The organization is currently facing a seven-year drought. The DePodesta era is off to a good start. The Rockies are just three games under .500 after sweeping the Mets over the weekend. Discovery of TJ Rumfield (trade) and Troy Johnston (claim for waiver) was an addition, as there was a signing of Tomoyuki Sugano. Johnston’s addition came shortly before DePodesta’s hiring was announced, but it’s still part of what looks to be a productive winter. DePodesta didn’t draft Dollarder, of course, but his regime will handle the development of the righty. The initial decision to use Dollarder behind the starter, whether it came from manager Warren Schaeffer or the front office, paid off.
Coors Field is always the toughest place to pitch in the league. According to Statcast, it has a total Park Factor of 112 over the past three seasons, which ranks first by a significant margin. Chase Field is second on the list with 105. Colorado’s ballpark ranks first in out-of-the-park runs, OBP, hits, singles, and doubles, which makes sense given the size. The light air in Denver also limits the effectiveness of breaking balls, forcing hitters to rethink their arsenals.
The Rockies have had some productive offseason pitchers, despite a tough home stretch. Kyle Freeland he finished eighth in ERA with a 2.85 mark in 2018. Jon Gray had seasons under 4.00 ERA in the late 2010s. Jorge De La Rosa again Jhoulys Chacin they formed a formidable duo in 2013, each posting sub-3.50 ERAs over 30+ starts. ERA is far from the only relevant stat to stop, but it is a reliable marker of a successful season in a position that develops production like no other.
Baldo Jimenez stands out as one of the only starters to have extended success in Colorado. He is a name that is whispered about whenever the Rockies bowl is against the odds. The righty entered the rotation full time in 2008. He tallied 16.8 WAR (per Baseball Reference) over the next three seasons. The pace was a little high, but Jimenez limited the damage with the help of a diverse arsenal. The 2010 campaign was his masterpiece. Jimenez has posted 221 2/3 innings for a 2.88 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning. He earned an All-Star selection and finished third in the NL Cy Young voting. Jimenez had better numbers on the road, but not by much. He held opponents to a .661 OPS and .294 wOBA in 101 2/3 innings at Coors Field.
Jimenez was a rare hitter who didn’t do very well after leaving Colorado. He had a good year after being traded to Cleveland, but didn’t find much success beyond his time with the Rockies. Jimenez provided what would appear to be a viable plan for survival at Coors Field: above-average speed, a versatile arsenal, and a pitching mix that doesn’t rely too much on breaking balls. Dollander checks those boxes. He uses a switchup instead of a splitter, but the rest of the song is compatible with Jimenez’s peak. About 60% four-seamer/sinker, 12% changeup, then breaking balls (slider/curveball/sweeper). Dollander also increased his walk rate to 6.9%. Even in Jimenez’s stellar 2010, he threw out free passes at a double-digit clip.
Dollander has played in just 28 games in his major league career. A sample of seven games for good results. There is still a lot of season left for him to succumb to the conditions in Colorado, which are not limited to home games. Rockies players also have to adjust to leaving Denver’s altitude on road trips. But the formula is there for Dollander to conquer Coors Field.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images
