It was no surprise when none of the current members of the Colorado Rockies were selected to represent the United States in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. After all, the team finished with 119 losses a season ago, and while it’s expected that they’ll improve some this season, no one is expecting a playoff push.
Nonetheless, the team IS being represented in the WBC, albeit for other countries. Current Rockies standouts include shortstop Ezeqiel Tovar is playing for his home country of Venezuela, as is pitcher Antonio Senzatela. They are part of a group of 12 Rockies playing in the tournament.
Will the New Rockies Ace Pitch in the WBC Again?
While it’s been a good tournament for Tovar and Venezuela, the most notable performance from a Rockie has come from righthanded starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen. The native of California who has family roots in Italy, tossed 4 2/3 innings of shutout baseball against Team USA, nearly knocking his fellow Americans out of the tournament.
Italy and the USA both advanced to the round of eight, where Lorenzen and his American-born teammates will face off against the “other” American team, Team Puerto Rico on Saturday. Lorenzen remains with Team Italy while the Rockies continue spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona. Whether or not he gets another chance to pitch in the international event remains up in the air.
Many Rockies fans are probably wondering if it’s a good idea for their new ace pitcher, acquired as a free agent after spending last season with the Kansas City Royal, should pitch again in the emotionally charged tournament. Detroit ace and Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal was only allowed to pitch in one game – for three innings – for Team USA before he was contractually required to return to the Tigers spring training camp. Several other hurlers declined invitations for fear of any sort of injury that could impact their MLB squads.
Each pitcher is being treated by their WBC teams exactly they would be with their MLB club in terms of training regiments and the like. But spring training camps are practice; exhibitions with little or no importance being placed on the outcome. You can’t say the same thing about ANY international competition. Emotion is on display in every WBC contest.
An Expresso Machine in the Dugout at Coors Field?
The questions about Lorenzen following his impressive performance against the USA did not involve whether or not he’d pitch again, but rather whether or not Rockies Manager Warren Schaffer would allow Lorenzen to bring a coffee maker into the dugout when he pitches at Coors Field
Lorenzen is expected to be a big part of a revamped Colorado starting rotation, that will also feature newcomer Tomoyuki Sugano, most recently a Baltimore Oriole, well-traveled southpaw José Quintana, and holdover veteran Kyle Freeland.
The success of these four hurlers will go a long way toward determining how much improvement the Rockies can make after the disaster of last season.
Rockies get a Boost from Lorenzen’s WBC Showing