Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies have played 22 games and the numbers are befuddling, to say the least.

Some of the stats are very encouraging:

The Rockies are on pace to hit 221 HR as team even though no individual has more than four. That's the balance that many of us were expecting and predicting coming out of spring training.

This offseason, Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd knew that he would need to add depth in the starting pitching department.

Good teams find ways to win close games. Right now, the Colorado Rockies are not a good team.

Despite an outstanding effort from Ubaldo Jimenez, the Rockies dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker to the Giants on Friday night in San Francisco. The loss moves the Rockies to 8-13 on the season, 4-8 on the road.

Of the 13 losses, five of them have come by one-run margins.

An inability to get hits at key moments continues to plague the Rockies.

The Colorado Rockies have made a habit of struggling early.

For the third straight year, the club has stumbled out of the gate and looked like a team that was nowhere near finding their stride.

What has been so impressive about Rockies' rookie center fielder Dexter Fowler?

Well, to start off, he played in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics before he ever even set foot on a Major League field.

Through 20 games in April, the Rockies have been good in some areas, but they could use some improvement in others. 

They've won three of their last four, raising their record to 8-12 and putting them five games behind the division-leading Dodgers. Their offense has scored the second-most runs in the division, but the pitchers allow more runs than any other team in the division.

The Good: Individual Performance

Time to put on your John Denver CD and take a look at Colorado’s baseball history. Rocky Mountain High, Colorado. As you might expect, the lineup looks formidable while the pitching staff looks ridiculous.

Face of the Franchise:  Todd Helton

Manager: Clint Hurdle 

Amid the myriad of problems the Colorado Rockies have encountered so far in this young season, the inconsistency of a supposedly strong bullpen has to grace the top spot on the list.

Coming into the season with the additions of former closer Huston Street and veteran lefty Alan Embree to fortify a bullpen already boasting Manny Corpas, Jason Grilli, and Taylor Buchholz, the bullpen was seen to be the least of the Rockies' worries.

But the problems began before the first pitch was even thrown.

Aaron Cook has been an interesting case so far this season. In four starts coming into Wednesday's day game against the Padres, Cook has looked terrible.

Rockies' outfielder Brad Hawpe is alright.

After a horrifying scare that left the .328-, two-home-run hitter stunned on the ground last night, the Rockies' right fielder was released from the hospital earlier Tuesday.

Hawpe, who was on second base at the time, was beamed with a throw from Padres' catcher Nick Hundley. He was hit right below the helmet and right above the shoulder; the ball seemed to make contact with his neck.