It hasn’t exactly been the greatest start of the season for the Colorado Rockies as the team dropped three of four to the Arizona Diamondbacks to begin the year. Expectations for the rebuilding Rockies are low, but they didn’t do much to inspire hope for the future in their first series. After getting blown out 16-1 on Opening Day, the Rockies were outscored 32-14. The starting rotation struggled but did give three serviceable outings that still left much to be desired but could have been passable if the Rockies’ offense had been able to find consistency at the plate. They look to get back on track across the board as they take on the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs have also had their fair share of woes to start the season as they are 1-2 after a three-game stint with the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers. After losing a one-run affair on Opening Day, the Cubs then limped to an 11-2 loss in game two before taking the rubber match by a score of 9-5 on Sunday. Despite an offense of healthy regulars, the Cubs pitching depth is already being put to the test to begin the year as Justin Steele will miss at least a month with a hamstring strain and Jameson Taillon is still a few weeks out recovering from a back strain. Much like the Rockies, the Cubs are trying to find their footing as they begin their first homestand of the year at Wrigley Field.

Pitching Probables*

4/1: Dakota Hudson vs. Shōta  Imanaga

4/2 Kyle Freeland (0-1, 38.57 ERA) vs. Javier Assad

4/3: Cal Quantrill (0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. TBA

*Subject to change

There has been some concern that the weather in Chicago isn’t going to be great, so there is a possibility that a doubleheader could be scheduled for Thursday.

Things worth watching

Imanaga’s MLB debut

One of the Cubs’ significant acquisitions was that of 30-year-old Japanese left-hander Shōta Imanaga. During the 2023 season in the NPB, Imanaga posted a dazzling 2.80 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and a league-leading 174 strikeouts in 148 innings pitched, leading the Cubs to sign him to a four-year, $53 million contract. While he didn’t have the greatest Spring Training where he gave up nine runs, eight earned, in 12 2/3 innings pitched, he is still expected to adjust nicely to MLB. He’ll have the benefit of pitching the home opener for the Cubs in front of the Wrigley faithful.

Rocky outings for Colorado

The Rockies starting rotation is perhaps the most questionable part of the 2024 team. The Rockies did little to address the rotation aside from acquiring Cal Qunatrill from the Cleveland Guardians and signing Dakota Hudson to a one-year deal. The rotation pitched a total of 15 innings across four games, allowing 24 total runs, 21 earned. Kyle Freeland looks to herald back to his 2018 Wild Card performance after he allowed 10 runs in 2 1/3 innings on Opening Day and has a lofty ERA because of it. Hudson will get his first start in a Rockies uniform and faces a familiar foe in the Cubs after spending his career thus far with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 10 career appearances against the Cubs, including five starts, he has a 3.72 ERA with a 1.431 WHIP.

Which bats will come out on top?

The Cubs (.228) and Rockies (.225) rank 20th and 21st respectively in MLB in team batting average. In terms of OPS the Cubs rank 17th with a .698 OPS while the Rockies’ .646 mark places them 21st. Ryan McMahon has been the hottest hitter for the Rockies, starting the season by going 6-for-14 with a double. On the Cubs’ end of things, Ian Happ and Christopher Morel have gone a combined 10-for-26.

Kris Bryant has struggled to begin the season for Colorado and looks to find a spark in a return to Chicago. Bryant remains hitless through his first 10 at-bats and has struck out seven times, including a four-strikeout game on Saturday. Strikeouts were bothersome for the Rockies over the weekend as they were sat down on strikes 35 times. The Cubs fared much better with 22 total strikeouts.

Both teams struggled to generate much firepower from their offenses in their first series but now look to take advantage against a fresh opponent at the start of the season.

Rockies bullpen lockdown

Despite a shaky rotation, the Rockies bullpen was the highlight of the series in Arizona. Aside from Anthony Molina’s difficult first outing in a nightmare inning on Opening Day, the rest of the bullpen has combined to allow just two runs in 15 2/3 innings of work while striking out 12. Rookie Victor Vodnik has thrown four shutout innings while Nick Mears has four strikeouts against six batters faced. Walks have been an issue for the pen and the staff as a whole, but the bullpen has down well to cull further damage after the starter leaves the game.