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The Colorado Rockies are rebuilding again. They are trying to build around pitching and defense after not being able to outscore teams for the past several years. The Rockies have traded bats for pitching and are now looking for youngsters to catch up.
The Rockies invited many non-roster youngsters to camp this spring. Matt Pierpont is one of 20 non-roster pitching invitees in camp for the Rockies this season. Unlike most of them, however, Pierpont has no chance of opening the season on the Rockies’ roster.
He has slowly progressed through the Rockies’ rookie and A-ball teams since being drafted, dominating at each level as he went. With advanced A-ball being the highest level, Pierpont won’t be with the Rockies to start this season. As a possible dominant closer that isn’t among the Rockies’ top 30 prospects, Pierpont must prove that he can become a big league closer to the Rockies’ coaching staff this spring. To date Pierpont hasn’t even been allowed to play in any regulation spring games.
Pierpont has to show up everyday and work hard so the coaches and front office take notice. With three years of minor league experience under his belt, he has only pitched 107 innings, striking out 108 batters. Despite being a reliever since he was drafted, Pierpont has finished only 27 of the 75 games in which he has appeared. That also means that he has averaged about 1.5 innings per appearance in mostly lower leverage situations. He has dominated as a reliever to date, but he has not progressed as quickly as others. The numbers are all in his favor from an analysis angle. The Rockies show a reluctance to expose him to more, however.
Not many players who have zero chance to make an MLB roster are allowed to hang out all spring. Pierpont has been given that opportunity. He must prove to the coaches that he is deserving of that opportunity, so that he is invited back next spring with a chance to make the roster.
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