Colorado Rockies

Contributor: Tom Stephenson, mvn.com/mlb-rockies

2007 Record: 90-73

2007 Summary: The Rockies had a shaky start to the season, but rebounded and closed out the season by winning 14 of 15 to take the wild card. The 11-game winning streak from September 16-27 set a franchise record.

Matt Holliday narrowly missed out on the MVP award, and rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki very nearly won the Rookie of the Year award, finishing a close second behind Ryan Braun. Less publicity was given to the solid seasons enjoyed by Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe, but they were key cogs in the Rockies' lineup.

The Rockies overcame several injuries to pitchers during the season. Jason Hirsh, Rodrigo Lopez, and Aaron Cook were all lost for the season during a two-week stretch in late July and early August, but rookies Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales pitched well down the stretch to help the playoff push. The star of the staff was Jeff Francis, who tied a franchise record with 17 wins and also had a 4.22 ERA.

2008 Key Additions: The Rockies shored up the bullpen with the acquisitions of free agent Luis Vizcaino and Jose Capellan, obtained in a trade with Detroit. Kip Wells and Josh Towers were brought in to provide insurance for the pitching staff. For the most part, though, it was a quiet offseason for the Rockies.

2008 Key Losses: Kaz Matsui departed in free agency for the Astros. Josh Fogg, LaTroy Hawkins, and Jeremy Affeldt also departed in free agency.

2008 Starting Lineup:
1. Willy Taveras CF
2. Troy Tulowitzki SS
3. Matt Holliday LF
4. Todd Helton 1B
5. Garrett Atkins 3B
6. Brad Hawpe RF
7. Yorvit Torrealba C
8. Jayson Nix 2B

2008 Starting Rotation: Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Hirsh, Franklin Morales

2008 Closer: Manny Corpas

2008 MVP: Jeff Francis. The Rockies' unsung hero last season, Francis rebounded from a slow start to win 12 of 13 decisions over the summer. The difference between a good season and a great season for the team will be a standout performance from Francis.

The Rockies will be successful if: The cast is almost the same one that ran to the NL pennant late last season, so the key is to build on last season and hope that the pitching can be consistent. That's asking a lot of a 24-year-old (Jimenez) and a 22-year-old (Morales), but the West is so tough that any drop-off will cause the Rockies to be sitting at home this October.

2008 Season Prediction: While the Rockies largely stayed quiet in the offseason, the Diamondbacks and Dodgers made moves to improve their teams. The West will be even tougher in 2008 than it was last year, but the Rockies should be in the race until the end. Call it a homer pick, but I think 2008 will finally be the year that the Rockies claim the division title.

Standings Prediction:
1. Colorado Rockies
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. San Diego Padres
5. San Francisco Giants