Mark Manfredi’s first taste of the majors has given the Rockies at least something to think about.
The left-hander came to Colorado with infielder Juan Martinez in the deal that sent Antonio Senzatela to the Milwaukee Brewers, and he’s made a strong early case since his first promotion. In 11.3 innings, Manfredi has put up a 1.59 ERA with 13 strikeouts, and his 2.39 FIP suggests the results have some real backing behind them.
For now, the blueprint is pretty simple. Manfredi has leaned heavily on two pitches, throwing his fastball 113 times and his slider 46 times, while his sweeper and changeup have combined for just 19 pitches, according to Statcast.
That kind of pared-down mix would be a bigger concern for a starter, but in relief it fits the job description. A reliever usually has to get through a lineup only once, and Manfredi’s two main offerings have already flashed enough bite to matter.
Opponents are batting .214 against his fastball and just .125 against his slider.
The fastball, in particular, has helped create some eye-catching moments. A recent video showed Manfredi freezing Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman with a high heater that caught the edge of the zone. His lower three-quarter arm slot gives the pitch a flatter approach angle, which makes it tougher for hitters to square up.
His slider has given him another weapon to lean on. Manfredi can shape it in different ways, and that versatility has shown up in the little sample he’s worked with so far. He stole a strike from Matt Olson with a backdoor slider in a lefty-lefty matchup, then got Angel Genao to chase a slider that ran inside and finished near the knees.
That Genao pitch stands out because it’s one of the few times Manfredi has actually gotten hitters to expand the zone. Through his limited major league work, he has posted a 19% chase rate and a 13% walk rate, both of which sit in the bottom quartile of the league. His 28.3% strikeout rate is still encouraging, but he has had to grind for those outs because hitters have largely stayed disciplined against pitches off the plate.
When contact has come, it hasn’t always been soft. Opponents have produced a 90.9 mph average exit velocity against him, which adds another wrinkle to the profile. So the picture is a mixed one: Manfredi has the bat-missing ability, but he hasn’t yet consistently forced chase or prevented damage once the ball is put in play.
Even so, there’s enough here to keep him on the radar as a bullpen option. If he sharpens the command and turns more of those borderline offerings into swings and misses, Colorado may have found a piece worth building on for 2027.
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