MLB Preview: Colorado Rockies

The Rockies had a historic finish to the 2007 season by winning 13 of their final 14 games to capture the NL Wild Card. The streak didn't stop there as they rolled off 7 consecutive wins in the postseason before running into the Boston Red Sox who gave them a dose of reality as they cruised to a series sweep.

The Rockies success in 2007 occured in large part because of player development. The organization developed stars like Troy Tulowitzki, Garret Atkins, and Matt Holliday, who all played an essential role in the team's surprising finish in 2007. Each of those players is still relatively young, and should be able to produce at a similiar pace as last season.

The Rockies also benefited from the NL's best defense, as all fielding metrics indicated that the Rockies played defense at a phenomenal level last season. Tulowitzi is a major factor for that as he displayed tremendous range, and used his arm strength to retire would be base-runners at first base.

It's now time to answer three questions about the Rockies as we enter the 2008 season.

(1) Who is going to take over for Kaz Matsui at 2nd base?

The Rockies one area of weakness concerning their position players is finding a replacement for Matsui. Although Matsui never won fans over with his performance at the plate, his defense was a large reason why the team was ranked as the best defensive team in the NL. Matsui signed with Houston during the off-season, and the team has an open competition taking place in camp.

The organization would like to see minor league second baseman Jayson Nix win the job, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to shoulder the load. Nix would add to a growing list of Rockies who were developed in their minor league system and were able to contribute at the major league level.

The other option for the Rockies would be Marcus Giles, Giles had a horrendous season last year for the Padres as he struggled to stay over the .200 mark. Giles is an intense competitor, and may be a good option as reserve for the Rockies, but after watching him in San Diego it appears his days as a solid regular are numbered. Giles doesn't walk nearly enough for a 2B, and falls in love with his longball swing, which has disappeared as of late.

(2) Can the Rockies expect repeat performances from Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales?

Although Jimenez and Morales only combined for 7 wins last season, the Rockies would not have made it to the post-season without them. The starting rotation was in disarray until these two youngsters took over as Aaron Cook, and Jason Hirsh were lost for significiant periods of time due to injuries. Each of these pitchers put up big numbers during their stretch drive and continued their torrid pace into the post-season.

Jimenez is more likely to start the season in the rotation as he gained more experience and is two years older than Morales. Morales is considered one of the best young prospects in the game of baseball, and the Rockies don't want to rush him. Another thing to consider with Morales, as well as young pitchers throughout the majors is that teams don't want them to pitch a significiant amount of innings more than they did in the minors. Since the minor league season is shorter, this is an important issue to keep in mind during the season.

(3) Was the Rockies success last season a case of a team getting hot? or were they the best team in the NL?

The Rockies comeback last season will go down in the history books as one of the most improbable finishes to a season. The fact that they played at such a torrid pace down the stretch is unlikely to repeat itself, but it's important to consider that the Rockies got off to an awful start during the first quarter of last season.

The Rockies had one of the best records in the Majors after the first 40 games last season, and that kind of consistent play over a 120 game stretch is more than just a fluke. The team had one of the better run differentials in the NL last season, and the fact is their mediocre record prior to their hot streak was probably more a case of bad luck than anything.

The team should boast one of the better lineups in the league with MVP candidate Matt Holliday leading the charge, as well as NL Rookie Of The Year runner up Troy Tulowitzki playing Gold Glove calibar defense.

The Rockies should be in a intense battle for a NL West crown this year, as they are in the leagues toughest division. If the Rockies young pitchers are able to perform at the level they did last September, and the rest of the rotation stays healthy the Rockies should be able to make a return trip to the World Series this October