Saunders: Rockies ‘good enough’ to win NL West, with trade caveat

In nearly any other division in any other year, a record of 46-26 would have the Colorado Rockies securely atop the standings as the MLB season coasts into the All-Star Break.

But, the club’s NL-best record, just one game behind the MLB-leading Houston Astros (46-24), gives Colorado just a one-game lead over its divisional foes the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers.

So, there’s “no doubt” in Denver Post Rockies beat reporter Patrick Saunders’ mind that the team’s early success is “sustainable” enough to get into the playoffs.

“They basically could play .500 baseball from here on out, and I think they would get one of the wild card spots, the way things are looking,” Saunders told “Schlereth & Evans” on Monday. “The ‘big picture’ question is are they good enough, deep enough, talented enough to win their first NL West title and beat out the Dodgers and now the streaking D-Backs, who come to town Tuesday.”

“I think they are, with a couple of caveats.”

Saunders said he believes general manager Jeff Bridich need to act boldly and “make a move or two at the trade deadline.”

“I think they’re going to have to do something to bolster the bullpen because it’s starting to get used a lot,” Saunders said. “This is no knock on the rookie starters, but they’re going to have some valleys to go along with the peaks.”

Rookies Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland rank among the top 35 pitchers in all of baseball in innings pitches, with 83 1/3 and 81 2/3 respectively.

Also, the Rockies bullpen, although an improvement over recent seasons and anchored by two-time NL reliever of the month Greg Holland, has bolstered a middling 4.16 staff ERA.

“It’s certainly not going to be a closer — he’s not going to be Greg Holland — but somebody with talent who they can use in the sixth, seventh, eighth inning because the bullpen arms are starting to get a little bit frayed,” Saunders said. “So, to me, that’s job one.

“But I have no doubt that the talent on this team, particularly in the lineup, is good enough to win the NL West.”

At the plate, the Rockies trail just the Astros in team batting average (.275), the New York Yankees in runs (383), and rank in the top five in total bases (1,103) and OPS (.781).

And that’s all without much aid from slumping slugger Carlos Gonzalez, who has the lowest batting average (.291) among Rockies players eligible for a batting title.

Should Colorado win the NL West, it would be the team’s first divisional title in franchise history. Though the Rockies earned playoff berths three times — 1995, 2007, and 2009 — the club’s done so only as a wild card squad.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.