Colorado Rockies news and links for Monday, January 6th, 2025
The Colorado Rockies obtained right-handed pitcher Noah Davis from the Cincinnati Reds at the 2021 deadline along local kid Case Williams in exchange for Mychal Givens. The former UC Santa Barbara Gaucho rebounded from Tommy John surgery in college to become a top 30 organizational prospect with both the Reds and Rockies.
Photo by Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
Davis was assigned to the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats to start the 2022 season, where he was a key piece of the rotation. He led the Yard Goats with 133 1⁄3 innings and posted a 5.54 ERA over a rotation-leading 26 starts.
The Yard Goats were tied with the New York Yankees affiliate Somerset Patriots with a 43-25 record going into the final game of the season’s first half, and a playoff spot was on the line.
“My favorite memory with the Rockies organization is fighting for a playoff spot in Hartford in the last week of the first half against Somerset in 2022,” Davis told Purple Row. “One of the few times you got to feel like a real team focused on winning in the minor leagues.”
Davis spun a six-inning Quality Start in the first-half finale, giving up just two earned runs while striking out seven Somerset batters. His performance—along with strong days at the plate from teammates Jimmy Herron and Willie MacIver—had the Yard Goats tantalizingly close to their first playoff berth under that identity.
“We ended up losing on a walk-off homer in the last game to finish second in the league, but the atmosphere was a lot of fun.”
On the final day of that same 2022 season, Davis made his Major League Baseball debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His debut was a difficult one. Working the eighth inning he gave up two earned runs on three hits, including a leadoff home run to Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger. However, Davis was able to take away a lesson from this debut, as well as during his overall time with the Rockies.
“The biggest lesson I learned with the Rockies is accountability and what it takes to build resiliency,” Davis said. “There are a lot of things that challenge you while playing for the Rockies, and you learn a lot about yourself.”
Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images
Davis’s bread and butter as a pitcher is his three-pitch arsenal of breaking balls: sliders, curves, and changeups with movement, spin and deception. The Rockies organization can be a difficult place to specialize in pitches with movement, especially in places like Coors Field and with the Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes. The Rockies wanted Davis to rely more on his sinking low-90s fastball, which he had only thrown about 27 percent of the time when he was with the Reds organization.
Davis made 34 appearances with the Isotopes—including 23 starts—with a solid 5.06 ERA across 133 1⁄3 total innings. He also pitched 51 1⁄3 big league innings with the Rockies from 2022-2024, making six starts but largely working out of the bullpen.
“I learned that I was capable of succeeding at altitude where my movement is taken away, which is my biggest strength. It made me realize I can find a way to succeed even when things seem to be going against me. It’s just about being consistent.”
Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
Davis, now 27-years-old, became a free agent following the 2024 season, and has moved on from the Rockies organization and has signed a new minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. With Boston he has a chance to be a part of the big league pitching staff, one of his goals moving forward.
“Moving forward I want to take ownership over my career, get back to my strengths of utilizing my offspeed pitches, and establish myself as a consistent major league contributor.”
Here at Purple Row we wish Noah Davis nothing but the best and thank him for all of his time with the Rockies organization!
“Thank you for your support!” Davis said as parting words to Rockies fans. “I will always enjoy coming back to Coors Field in the years to come!”
★ ★ ★
10 of the biggest ‘What if?” seasons in history | MLB.com
As winter rolls on, MLB.com examines some what if scenarios. One of note for Rockies fans would be “what if Troy Tulowitzki had stayed healthy during his 2014 season?” An All-Star in 2014, Tulowitzki suffered a season ending injury shortly after the break, one of many injuries that would come to define his career—and threaten to have him fall off the Hall of Fame ballot without a single vote.
Coors Field renovations, repairs, and upgrades history | Denver Post ($)
The Colorado Rockies are tenants at Coors Field through at least 2047, and owner Dick Monfort envisions the beautiful LoDo ballpark as one that can become timeless and everlasting. However, that kind of vision requires upkeep. Patrick Saunders of the Denver post explores the history of renovations, repairs, and upgrades at 20th and Blake.
★ ★ ★
Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!