The Rockies’ Rotation Needs a Healthy Ryan Feltner

Ryan Feltner Built Serious Momentum in 2024

On June 26, 2024, Feltner allowed two earned runs in six innings. But did not receive any run support in a 7-1 loss to the Houston Astros. Following the outing, Feltner sat at 1-7 and sported a 5.82 ERA, the same ERA he had at the end of an arduous 2023. It would’ve been easy for Feltner on a Rockies team mired in the basement to throw in the towel on the season.

Instead, he bounced back in a major way in the final three months, putting himself in position as the top option in the Rockies’ rotation. Per Statmuse, Feltner was lights out in his final 14 starts of the season. He went 2-3 with a 2.97 ERA and a K:BB ratio of 63:29 in 75 2/3 innings pitched. The Rockies went 6-8 in these starts, but that did not paint an accurate picture of Feltner’s stellar play. By season’s end, Feltner led the Rockies in strikeouts (138), ERA (4.49), and quality starts (13).

Eight of his final 14 starts qualified as quality starts. Due to a major lack of run support and an unreliable bullpen, Feltner suffered some heartbreaking losses during this stretch. But make no mistake, Feltner was playing like the best starting pitcher in the Rockies’ rotation. He had fixed his issues at Coors Field and was entering the offseason with arguably more momentum than anyone else on the Rockies.

A Season Derailed by Injury

The Rockies were historically bad this season, no way around it. Even if Feltner had been healthy the whole season, the Rockies’ rotation would likely still have finished a distant last in numerous categories. But it did still feel like the Rockies were snake-bitten, with key injuries to infielders Ezequiel Tovar, Thairo Estrada, and Feltner. It didn’t gain a lot of attention, but losing Feltner was a big blow for Colorado. Their rotation had very little depth, and Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela were just coming back from serious multi-year injuries. Teammate Austin Gomber was also injured for an extended period, forcing Chase Dollander into action early.

The results were as you would expect, and the Rockies sorely missed Feltner and his ability to miss bats. The most painful part is that Feltner picked up right where he left off at the end of 2024. He did not make it past April this season, but did post two dominant starts against the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals. That included a 7-2 home win against the Brewers, a very rare sight in Colorado during the first couple of months of the season. Even in his limited play, he still tied for fifth on the Rockies with two quality starts! Who was he tied with?

Not an Elbow Injury

Senzatela, who started 23 games and was, by several measures, easily the worst starting pitcher in Major League Baseball this season. He was eventually moved to the bullpen. Even more frustrating for Feltner is that the Rockies’ bullpen was ironically the most consistent part of the team this season. Feltner has seen several quality starts blown by the Rockies’ bullpen in recent seasons.

The good thing? The injury was back spasms and shoulder issues, not a serious elbow injury that would require a long recovery. Feltner began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque on June 21. But suffered a setback that caused the shoulder issues. He was unable to ever get healthy enough in a lost season for the Rockies to make his way back up to the majors.

Reason for Confidence in Feltner Going Forward

Feltner is putting the frustrations of this season behind him already. In a recent interview with Thomas Harding of MLB.com, Feltner gave insight into his current mindset.

“There came a point a couple weeks before the end of the season where it was clear that I wasn’t going to have time to build back up and make it back,” said Feltner. “I told myself I could go through everything that went wrong, everything that I felt wasn’t handled correctly on anybody’s end. I could go through that all day. “But I just want to move on. It’s something that I don’t want to give any energy to.”

In an effort to avoid the same issues next season, Feltner detailed an effort to hit the weight room hard and increase his workload capacity. He thinks the cause of the injuries this season is that he reported at 195, after reporting at 200+ in previous seasons. Feltner emphasized to Harding that he is not losing any athleticism and will bring a lot of energy into next season, which is definitely encouraging to hear for a Rockies club that sorely needs it.

Suddenly, Feltner is one of the older players on a very young Rockies team. He will join Kyle Freeland as a veteran presence in the rotation. Meanwhile, 28-year-old RHP Tanner Gordon excelled in the Rockies’ rotation late in the season. He led the Rockies’ pitching staff with six wins. Much like Feltner at the end of 2024, Gordon enters this offseason with a lot of momentum. Dollander is looking to rebound from a disappointing rookie season, but has to look no further than Feltner for advice in conquering the demons of Coors Field. There is exciting potential in this Rockies’ rotation. Perhaps none more than a determined Ryan Feltner, whose injuries robbed him of a breakout season.