The 2024 MLB regular season has finally arrived for the rest of the 28 MLB teams that didn’t play a series in South Korea. Expectations are high for a number of teams while others are trying to rebuild and find a path back toward contention. The Colorado Rockies will start the season against the National League Champion Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, representing both sides of that spectrum.

The Rockies enter 2024 with low expectations according to most media projections. After losing a franchise-worst 103 games a season ago, the Rockies did little more than patchwork for the big league roster. Instead, they focused on supporting what was already in place and sticking with their product of players in the system. The focus of their additions was for the pitching staff. Cal Quantrill was acquired via trade with the Cleveland Guardians early in the offseason and is expected to be the number two starter with the hopes that he can be an effective innings eater again. They also added former St. Louis Cardinal Dakota Hudson, their number five starter, on a one-year deal hoping he can bounce back from injuries that have hindered his career.

They also added veteran catcher Jacob Stallings to serve as their backup catcher while adding left-handed reliever Jalen Beeks to the bullpen. Jake Cave was acquired last minute in Spring Training to serve as the backup outfielder. Instead, the Rockies will rely on a younger homegrown type of roster. A young core of rising stars highlights the team’s bright spot entering the new season. Nolan Jones, Brenton Doyle, and Ezequiel Tovar all presented strong seasons in various aspects one year ago. The team also saw growth from relievers Justin Lawrence and Jake Bird along with starters Peter Lambert and Ryan Feltner. Additionally, they have added young players like Anthony Molina, a Rule-5 pick this winter, who they anticipate to be a key figure in the bullpen and potentially the rotation.

The Diamondbacks are the team the Rockies can aspire to become. After losing 100 games a few seasons ago, Arizona underwent a rigorous rebuild and pivoted to a homegrown crew of high-quality players. Corbin Carroll leads the way after winning the NL Rookie of the Year last season. With numerous other homegrown stars on the roster, a trip to the World Series last season made the Diamondbacks an exciting team to watch for the coming season.

It was a busy offseason for the Snakes as they added Eugenio Suarez, Randal Grichuk, Joc Pederson, Eduardo Rodriguez and most recently acquired Jordan Montgomery in free agency. The rotation could be one of the best in baseball when at full strength while the offense is looking to add more pop and be a menace to opposing teams. In a difficult NL West division, the Diamondbacks will be expected to hold their own.

Pitching Probables

The NL West rivals kick off the year with a four-game stint and here is how the pitching matchups should round out:

March 28: Kyle Freeland vs. Zac Gallen

March 29: Cal Quantrill vs. Merrill Kelly

March 30: Austin Gomber vs Tommy Henry

March 31: Ryan Feltner vs Brandon Pfaadt

Players to watch

After a 20-20 season in a little over 100 games, the Rockies are eager to see what Jones can do over the course of a full season. While he had a bit of a shaky Spring Training, highlighted by an injury scare near the end of camp, Jones is one of the key cogs in the Rockies lineup.

Freeland makes his third Opening Day start for the Rockies and he will be relied on to anchor a less-than-stellar rotation. A lively fastball in Spring Training inspires hope that 2024 could be a resurgent year for the Denver native.

How Corbin Carroll follows up his incredible rookie campaign will be of plenty of note. The 23-year-old is projected to have another stellar year atop the Diamondbacks lineup and could potentially make a run at an MVP-caliber season.

Brandon Pfaadt was an unlikely hero during the Diamondbacks’ postseason run last year, but the Diamondbacks will need the 25-year-old to improve upon the 5.72 ERA he posted in 19 games in the regular season in 2023. His postseason success could be an indication of his regular-season potential if he can put it all together.