The Colorado Rockies are betting on something different - and maybe, finally, something transformative - when it comes to their long-standing battle with pitching at altitude. Their latest move?
Bringing in veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen on a one-year, $8 million deal, with a club option for 2027 worth $9 million. It’s a bold swing, especially for a franchise that’s watched too many arms wilt in the thin Denver air.
But Lorenzen isn’t your typical free-agent pitcher, and this isn’t your typical Rockies offseason.
At 34, Lorenzen has logged 11 seasons in the big leagues, pitching for six different teams and compiling a 54-55 career record with a 4.08 ERA across 395 appearances, including 119 starts. He’s been a starter, a reliever, an All-Star, and even dabbled in the outfield earlier in his career. Now, he’s stepping into one of the toughest gigs in baseball - trying to succeed as a pitcher at Coors Field - and he’s doing it with eyes wide open.
“I feel like it’s untapped,” Lorenzen said of the Rockies’ pitching environment. “And I don’t think you could say that about anywhere else in Major League Baseball.”
That mindset - curious, open-minded, and maybe even a little fearless - is exactly what drew the Rockies to Lorenzen. It’s also what makes his pairing with new pitching coach Darryl Leichman so intriguing.
Leichman, hired last month, is cut from a similar cloth. He’s not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom, and he’s stepping into his first big-league pitching coach job with a fresh perspective and a willingness to experiment. The two men share more than a job title and a uniform - they share a belief that there’s still room to innovate in a game that often clings to tradition.
“We clicked just because we think a little more unconventionally,” Lorenzen said.
That bond didn’t form overnight. Lorenzen and Leichman first connected years ago, when Lorenzen was with the Reds and beginning to explore alternative training philosophies.
He became fascinated with Ido Portal, an Israeli movement coach whose blend of martial arts, yoga, dance, and gymnastics has attracted elite athletes around the world. Leichman, who grew up in Israel and has a close connection to Portal’s training circle, was already familiar with the movement culture Lorenzen had embraced.
Training with Portal pushed Lorenzen to think differently about how the body generates power - and how that could translate to the mound. It’s that same outside-the-box thinking that Leichman wants to bring to the Rockies’ entire pitching staff.
“Training with a guy like Ido, you think outside the box,” Lorenzen said. “You’re thinking about the ways that the body can move in ways that you can generate power through your body that are unconventional in the sports training world.”
Now, with Leichman overseeing the Rockies’ pitchers, the duo is reunited - and ready to challenge the status quo in a place that desperately needs it. Colorado’s 2025 season was brutal, finishing with a 43-119 record and a starting rotation that posted a league-worst 6.65 ERA - the highest by any starting staff since ERA became an official stat in 1913.
The Rockies haven’t had a winning season since 2018, and their seven straight losing campaigns are a franchise record. But for Lorenzen, that’s not a deterrent. It’s an opportunity.
“I enjoy problem-solving,” he said. “There’s a lot of new information to be learned. And that’s kind of right up my alley.”
The Rockies are counting on that mindset to help elevate a young, mostly unproven rotation. Outside of Lorenzen and Kyle Freeland, there’s not much veteran experience on the staff. Ryan Feltner is the only other starter with more than a season of big-league service time heading into 2026.
That’s why Lorenzen’s presence - and his willingness to share his process - is so valuable.
“To be able to go into a team like, ‘This is my way of doing it … this is my way of nutrition, my way of sleep, my way of hydration, my way of scouting, problem solving, arm care, all this stuff,’” Lorenzen said, “it’s just giving off knowledge and letting the guys, you know, use what they like and throw away what they don’t.”
It’s not just talk. Lorenzen’s approach is meticulous.
Former Reds teammate Jimmy Herget described him as “very well-put together,” and that’s not just about his mechanics. It’s about how he prepares, how he recovers, and how he thinks about the game.
That mindset has already made an impression on Leichman.
“It’s the relationship we’ve formed,” Leichman said. “It’s something I strive to have with all players I work with.
It’s open communication. All opinions are welcome.”
The two aren’t afraid to challenge each other, either. Leichman joked that if Lorenzen tells him he needs to add another pitch, he might push back - but it’s all part of a healthy dialogue.
Lorenzen’s arsenal already includes seven pitches, according to Baseball Savant, and he’s working on an eighth - a new variation of his changeup. It’s a reflection of how he’s constantly tinkering, always searching for an edge.
That experimental mindset fits in well with the Rockies’ new-look pitching infrastructure. Assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas, who worked with Lorenzen during his time with the Tigers, is known for his work in pitch shaping. Director of pitching Matt Daniels brings a data-driven background from Driveline Baseball and stints with the Giants and Twins.
Together, they’re trying to build something different in Colorado. And for once, it feels like the Rockies aren’t just hoping pitchers will survive at altitude - they’re actively trying to help them thrive.
“We didn’t have to convince him of anything - he ran toward this challenge,” said Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta. “Michael actively wanted to pitch here.”
That’s not something you hear every day about Coors Field. But maybe that’s the point.
The Rockies are done doing things the same old way. With Lorenzen and Leichman leading the charge, they’re embracing the unconventional - and hoping it finally leads them somewhere new.