In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down each of the playoff teams from a scouting perspective.With several key players still left on the roster from their run in 2007, the Rockies will have the playoff experience that they were lacking two years ago. This will not be a team that scares and they'll come out as ready and seasoned as any club in the mix. So, what's the formula for taking them out? This is a lineup that is as geared for the good fastball as any in baseball -- filled with hitters that never met a heater they didn't like.
Whoever is able to quiet this lineup will need a good mix of breaking pitches and be able to pitch backwards whenever possible. While they aren't a free-swinging lineup by definition, these are potent, fastball-hunting bats that, if challenged, will burn you again and again.
A lot of what goes into winning and losing in baseball has to do with momentum and swagger. When Ubaldo Jimenez is on the hill, the Rockies have a true ace. Keep in mind how hard it has been for them to find that over the history of their existence. Jimenez has always had the stuff, but now he also has the experience and winning pedigree in his corner. Overall, Colorado has a very well-balanced rotation, but a win against Jimenez for the opposition would go a long way towards halting any Rockies' momentum.
Matchups To Watch
Specifically against the Philadelphia Phillies, a key component to any success the Rockies will have is going to be their ability to keep those lefty sluggers quiet. The man that may draw the task of battling the likes of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Raul Ibanez in the series' biggest moments is Franklin Morales. The hard-throwing left-hander relies heavily on his 93-96 mph fastball, but he's going to need to have command of his breaking ball to shut down these big bats. And, as tough as he can be, command has occasionally been an issue. Colorado is going to need the best version of Morales out of the bullpen, so this will be interesting to watch.
X-Factors
Troy Tulowitzki: Once one of baseball's most talked about young stars, it seems one down season in 2008 has somehow allowed people to forget just how good Tulowitzki is and can be. Aside from his impressive offensive tools, he is a talented defender, giving him one of the best all-around skillsets in the game. • Scouting Perspective: If you want to know just what makes the Rockies shortstop such a dangerous hitter, look no further than his stance and hand positioning. Before he even uncoils that powerful stroke, he's in excellent position to drop the head of the bat efficiently to the ball. In an essentially upright stance, he holds his hands quietly near his helmet much in the same way his ex-college teammate Evan Longoria does. From that high position, he's able to create the powerful swing path that brings to mind the scouting cliché of "chopping wood." Clichés aside, Tulowitzki uses leverage and all the length of his arms and body to produce power.
The leverage he produces, as well his extension through the zone, is reminiscent of Mike Piazza. From his upright stance, he does have the tendency to stride out and get on his front foot, but from such a coiled and high position, his hands are still powerful enough to do damage even without his lower half underneath him. When he's able to get on his back leg and lift, few hitters are as lethal.
Jose Contreras: More or less coming off the scrap heap this year, Jose Contreras seems to have found some new life out of the bullpen for Colorado. In fact, he suddenly looks more like the man who garnered all that hype before he signed with the Yankees. Against the Dodgers in the final weekend of the season, Contreras looked more like a dominant setup man than a former starter who looked near the end of his rope just months earlier. Assuming he sees playoff action, he may be a surprise force out of the pen. • Scouting Perspective: We see many starters-turned-relievers discover more velocity when they head out to the bullpen, but Contreras looks downright supercharged. Sitting at 95-98 mph in recent relief appearances, the big righthander looks like he could match up with just about anyone right now. We've seen glimpses of it in the past with Contreras; if he looks comfortable with his delivery and is free and easy, his stuff can be electric. And, right now his stuff looks as good as ever.
Ubaldo Jimenez: Much is now expected from young Jimenez, and it can only help him that he got more than a dose of experience in 2007. He is now in a much better position to lead this pitching staff and his team to where they want to be. Experience in this situation is going to play a huge role for not just Jimenez but the rest of this team as well. If he can keep his emotions in check and throw strikes, look for Colorado's flame-throwing righty to be a key performer in October. • Scouting Perspective: The National League's answer to Justin Verlander in terms of outstanding pure arm strength, Ubaldo Jimenez is developing into a true ace before our eyes. To his credit, Jimenez has taken his 95-100 mph fastball and attacked the zone this year. And, he's learned in a hurry that with stuff like he has the ability to mix in the breaking ball and be a dominant pitcher.
What's been impressive about watching this budding ace down the stretch is his rapid growth as a pitcher beyond being a guy with a golden arm. He now knows just when to take a little off the fastball and allow his movement to take over. He also knows when to reach for that 100-mph heat to put a hitter away. With that type of velocity with movement, he's able to cruise through a game using the fastball more than most pitchers. One thing to watch with Jimenez is his delivery. He has a lot of upper body movement and tends to jump off the rubber toward the plate. There are a lot of moving parts here that can go array, so if he's going to have trouble, it may be early in the game when his delivery is still rounding into form.
Frankie Piliere spent the last three seasons working as a scout, most recently in the professional scouting department for the Texas Rangers in 2009. He now serves as the National Baseball Analyst here at FanHouse.
