Monday Rockpile: The Albuquerque Isotopes hope to put a rough season behind them

Colorado Rockies news and links for Monday, December 2nd, 2024

To say the Albuquerque Isotopes’ 2024 season was “rough” would be a massive understatement. The Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate stumbled to the finish line at 58-92, their worst record in the more-than-20-year history of the franchise.

The Isotopes’ unprecedented 92 losses were the most in all of minor league baseball while their .387 winning percentage was the sixth-worst among all MiLB teams. While not the worst season in the minors, the Isotopes came close. A comparison can be drawn to the 101-loss Colorado Rockies: not the worst team, but almost. In this case, the role of the Chicago White Sox would be played by the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds), who finished the season with a 45-90 record and a .333 winning percentage.

Pitching woes

The true comparison between the 2024 Isotopes and their parent organization lies in the pitching staffs. Both Albuquerque in the Pacific Coast League and Coors Field are difficult places to pitch. However, the pitching difficulties of both teams are greater than their location.

Much like the Rockies, the Isotopes ranked at the very bottom of their league in ERA, WHIP, and opposing batting average for the starters, the relievers, and the pitching staff as a whole.

The Isotopes’ two starting pitchers with over 100 innings pitched and more than 20 starts—Peyton Battenfield and Karl Kauffmann—had ERAs of 7.45 and 8.95, respectively, on the season. Only Ty Blach and Tanner Gordon managed an ERA under 5.00 with semi-regular starts in Triple-A.

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Among relievers, only three pitchers—Riley Pint, John Curtiss, and Matt Koch—had an ERA below 5.00 this season. Four of those five pitchers are no longer with the organization.

Offensive power

Thankfully, the Isotopes had some strong performances on the other side of the ball.

Headlined by the likes of Elehuris Montero, Jordan Beck, and Willie MacIver, the Isotopes’ season would have been far worse without their offensive core.

Greg Jones (no. 26 PuRP) was a key new arrival to the Rockies organization after being traded to the team by the Tampa Bay Rays. Jones hit .269/.346/.460 with 42 RsBI while at one point holding an 18-game hit streak, and his 16 home runs were tied for second-most on the team. He also stole a whopping 46 bases—third most in the PCL—and fell just three short of Dee Strange-Gordon’s 2013 franchise record.

Top outfield prospect Jordan Beck (no. 6 PuRP) also turned in a stellar performance during his time in Albuquerque. The former Tennessee Volunteer hit .319/.402/.558 with eight home runs and 35 RsBI in 163 at-bats and figures to be a piece of the Rockies’ future in 2025.

Although Elehuris Montero’s big-league opportunity with the Rockies came to an end after he was designated for assignment in June, the slugger proved once again that Triple-A did not present a challenge for his bat. Montero hit .309/.397/.582 with 16 home runs and 52 RsBI with the Isotopes and leveraged his performance into a one-year contract with NPB’s Hiroshima Carp.

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The catching tandem of Drew Romo and Willie MacIver were also vital parts of the Albuquerque offense. Both catchers hit .297 with 19 doubles at the plate while Romo (no. 9 PuRP) hit 14 home runs, four triples, and had 60 RsBI. MacIver, meanwhile, had 15 home runs, five triples, 56 RsBI, and 9 stolen bases. Romo is likely to spend time in Triple-A next season as the Rockies try to mold him into a big-league player, but MacIver chose to depart in free agency.

Looking ahead

The Isotopes will be a dramatically different looking team in 2025, with many of their starters leaving in free agency this offseason.

Catcher MacIver and designated hitter Montero are joined in free agency by former top prospect first baseman Grant Lavigne, versatile outfielder Jimmy Herron, former pitching prospect Noah Davis, and defensive specialist middle infielder Hunter Stovall. That list alone represents only a handful of players departing the organization.

However, while these players will be missed, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for the team.

As the Rockies’ farm system becomes less heavy, more prospects are making their way to the upper levels of the system. The “new look” 2025 Albuquerque Isotopes will be representative of this. Zac Veen (no. 4 PuRP) and Yanquiel Fernandez (no. 5 PuRP) are both returning, and they may be joined by the likes of Ryan Ritter (no. 19 PuRP) and Adael Amador (no. 3 PuRP) from Double-A Hartford.

Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images

Meanwhile, the pitching staff has the chance to look significantly better in 2025. Carson Palmquist (no. 10 PuRP) made his debut in 2024 and will potentially be joined by Chase Dollander (no. 1 PuRP) and Sean Sullivan (no. 7 PuRP) in the Isotopes rotation. Star closer Zach Agnos might also be a member of the bullpen next season.

While the Albuquerque Isotopes struggled through a difficult 2024, fans can have hope that next year will be different as a wave of new talent moves one step closer to big-league baseball.

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