3 Rockies players who need bounce back seasons

Expectations for the Colorado Rockies are not high in 2023, here are three players who need to bounce back for the team to contend.

Expectations for the Colorado Rockies are not high in 2023, as many projections have them finishing in last place in the National League West.

It is a competitive division with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres both hopeful for a World Series title. The San Francisco Giants are a step below, but no slough. The Arizona Diamondbacks have young talent coming up as well. It certainly won't be easy for the Rockies with the Dodgers and Padres in their division, and they will need contributions from some key players to surprise people in 2023.

Here are three Rockies players who need to have bounce back seasons in 2023.

Rockies IF Ryan McMahon

Infielder Ryan McMahon is not going to be someone who can carry an offense, but overall he has steadily gotten better with the bat in his career. However, he had a slight drop-off from 2021 to 2022.

In 2021, Ryan McMahon hit .254 with a .331 on-base percentage, a .779 OPS and 23 home runs, compared to 2022 when he hit .246 with a .327 on-base percentage, a .741 OPS and 20 home runs. He also dropped from 86 RBI in 2021 to 67 in 2022.

While that is not a huge drop-off, the Rockies could use a little bit of an uptick from McMahon in 2023. The good thing is the Rockies know they have a strong defensive third baseman in McMahon. He posted 13 defensive runs saved in 2021 and 10 defensive runs saved in 2022. They know what they are getting there. If McMahon bounces back a little bit offensively, the Rockies will have a valuable player on their hands.

Rockies SP German Marquez

It is tough to evaluate Rockies pitchers due to the fact that they pitch in an environment that is very hitter-friendly, but German Marquez had a disappointing 2022 season. He had a 4.95 ERA, a 4.71 FIP with a 4.02 xFIP.

While the difference between between German Marquez's FIP and xFIP indicate that he was unlucky, it was still a drop-off from 2021 when he posted a 4.40 ERA with a 3.86 FIP and 3.64 xFIP.

The advanced statistics do not paint a pretty picture as well. Marquez was in the low percentile of the league for many advanced statistics like hard hit rate, expected batting average and expected slugging.

A bounce back season would give the Rockies some stability that they need in the rotation.

Rockies IF/OF Kris Bryant

The Rockies shocked baseball when they signed Kris Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million contract before the 2022 season.

The problem with Kris Bryant's 2022 season was not how he played when it he was on the field, it is the amount of time that he spent injured. He played just 42 games, but when he did play he was productive. He hit .306 with a .376 on-base percentage and a .851 OPS. He also posted a 125 wRC+, which indicates that he was 25% better than the league-average hitter.

If the Rockies can manage Bryant's health to keep him on the field for the majority of 2023, they will have a valuable middle of the order bat. With the contract Bryant has, the Rockies need him to be at the center of the team's success in 2023. They might not compete with the Dodgers or Padres, but a healthy Bryant could help the Rockies surprise some people this season.