There’s work to be done, but the lefty seemed to take steps
You’re reading the 2024 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at the season had by every player to play for the Rockies in 2024. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the least amount of rWAR and end up with the player with the most.
★ ★ ★
No. 5, Austin Gomber (2.1 rWAR)
Baseball can be tough to quantify.
The Colorado Rockies were not good last season, and yet we have multiple instances of excellent players making waves at Coors Field. Sometimes things aren’t as clear as bad and good — though occasionally, we land somewhere in the middle.
That’s what we see in Austin Gomber. There were things to like, and maybe dislike, about his season.
Let’s start with positives. No Rockie tossed more innings than Gomber’s 165 last year, a new career-high for the left-hander. He also posted new bests in strikeouts, BB/9, K/BB ratio, and, of course, WAR. That’s exciting for a Colorado rotation that’s searching for some stability after injuries muddied things.
Gomber’s ability to stay healthy and consistent is a boon for the Rockies, and his command — his biggest hurdle to this point in his career — improving serve as a sign that the 31-year-old southpaw is continuing to refine his game. That refinement led to a massive improvement to his ERA which, after sitting over 5.5 the last two seasons, fell to 4.75.
As with any true progress, though, it did not come without adversity.
Gomber’s peripherals show that he was in the lowest percentile in a few categories, and his 30 home runs allowed led the National League. It’s great that he’s keeping the ball in the zone, but he’ll have to try to induce more swings and misses if he’s going to take that next step into potential “ace” territory, or at the very least, if he continues to improve.
So what’s next for “Big G?” Well, the hope is that he can use last season as a stepping stone to build on, utilizing his excellent curveball to generate weak contact — or better yet, more strikeouts. That’s what he did during the month of May, a stretch of brilliance that saw Gomber spin his best starts of the season.
That period — a four game stretch during which he allowed a miniscule .068 ERA — was immediately followed by a trying June, a month that saw Gomber knocked around to the tune of a 9.39 ERA.
So which version of Gomber will we get next year?
That’s the question entering 2025. Gomber’s a lock for the rotation, regardless of whether Colorado signs another starter, and will once again be relied upon to eat innings and provide the offense with a chance to win. But with so many young arms on the precipice of a debut, and with Gomber’s past bullpen experience, he’ll have to keep making improvements if he’s to make a case for staying in the starting five.
Hopefully, the Winter Garden native can keep his upward momentum going and break out like he did in May. Even if he can’t, he’ll still be an important part of Colorado’s pitching identity for at least one more year, as he’ll be a free agent after next season. If nothing else, his impending foray into the open market may push him towards the best work of his career. Maybe the Rockies will retain his services, or maybe he’ll depart for greener pastures. Either way, let’s all enjoy what may be the last season we see Gomber in Colorado.