Teddy Mitrosilis and I recently began our division-by-division breakdown on BlogTalkRadio, beginning with the National League West division. The series continued on Monday with the National League Central Next Monday afternoon, 1:00 Eastern, we will take on the N.L. East. Click here to listen live. 

To supplement our work via podcast, we are also going to put our work into writing as well. In this post, we take a close look at the N.L. West, and what to expect from each team in the division going forward in 2009. Next up is the Colorado Rockies.

Recap:

Following an improbable surge to the World Series, expectations were high for the Rockies entering spring training. Injuries and a major regression on the run prevention front, however, kept Colorado from carrying over its success into '09.

Offense: 

The Rockies scored more runs than any team in the division, but their home hitting environment, Coors Field, was a large reason why. Although scoring has been down in the thin air in Denver in recent past, it is no secret that Colorado is a completely different offensive team on the road. The trend continued again this season, as the Rockies put up 5.07 runs per game at home, one of the highest totals on the circuit. The RPG number dropped down to 4.05 on the road, though.

Colorado scored 412 runs in the friendly confines of Coors Field overall, third-highest home total in the game, as the offense combined to hit .278/.350/.454 with 92 home runs and an .804 OPS. On the road, they ranked 12th in the league with 336 runs scored, with a line of .249/.322/.377 and .699 OPS. Not surprisingly, the Rockies were a much better team at home (43-38) than on the road (31-50).

Chris Iannetta quietly put together one of the finest offensive seasons for a catcher to help lead the offensive attack, batting .264/.390/.498 with 18 homers and 65 RBIs in 333 at-bats. Iannetta's breakout was not simply the product of his surroundings, either, as he posted a higher OPS on the road (.897, in 161 at-bats) than at home (.893). The North Carolina product has the chance to turn into one of the premier offensive catchers in the majors if he can build upon his success going forward, joining the likes of Brian McCann and Geovany Soto.

Matt Holliday, recently traded to Oakland, was again a key offensive performer as well, and his production will be sorely missed. Holliday, the runner-up for M.V.P. in '07, hit 25 homers and produced a 140 OPS+. While his numbers have certainly been inflated by ballpark factors, he has been a productive hitter on the road as well.

Brad Hawpe (123 OPS+) was the only other full-time regular who finished with an OPS+ above 100. Hawpe, who belted 25 home runs, finished 11th in the league with a .381 on-base percentage while slugging .498. Like Iannetta, he was surprisingly consistent on the road, also, with only a 30-point drop (his BA and OBP were higher, though his slugging dropped) off in his OPS away from Denver.

Garret Atkins took a step backwards, though. Atkins, currently being shopped to open up a spot for third base prospect Ian Stewart, produced a disappointing .328 OBP in 611 at-bats, striking out 100 times against 40 walks. While he led the team with 99 RBIs and finished third with 21 home runs, his OPS+ of 97 was below league average.

Stewart, meanwhile, needs a chance to play on a regular basis. The former first-rounder hit .259/.349/.455 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs in a brief 81-game sample, knocking on the door. Even if Atkins is not dealt, though, expect him to play a major role going forward, anyway.

Run Prevention:

Colorado had a tough time catching the ball and keeping runners off base. A 4.70 team ERA placed them at 14th in the league, as opponents batted .271/.348/.421 against the Rockies' pitching staff. In addition, the team defense was horrible-especially when defensive stud Troy Tulowitzki was not out at shortstop due to injury.

The starting rotation was perhaps the biggest crutch, having posted a 5.14 ERA as a group. Aaron Cook led the staff with 16 wins, but he struck out only 96 in 211.1 innings pitched (4.09 K/9). Cook was one of two starters to finish with a sub-4.00 ERA, with a 3.96 mark, thanks to his ability to avoid surrendering home runs and walks; he finished with rates of 2.44 BB/9 and .55 HR/9.

Ubaldo Jimenez ended up just under the 4.00 mark as well. Jimenez, however, was maddeningly inconsistent and walked 103 hitters, second in the league, in 198.2 innings pitched. The flamethrowing right-hander-he led the majors in average fastball velocity, at 94.9-missed bats to the tune of 172 Ks in 198.2 innings, but he needs to improve on a command front.

The biggest disappointment was the down performance from southpaw Jeff Francis, who posted a 4-10 record, 5.01 ERA, .822 opponents' OPS and 1.48 WHIP in 24 starts. Francis, who missed more than a month between July and August, seemed to be affected by throwing a career-high 215.1 innings pitched-and then some more in the postseason-when he won 17 games in 34 starts in '07.

The Rockies were forced to give spot starts to the over-the-hill trio of Livan Hernandez, Mark Redman and Kip Wells. As far as pitching depth (or lack thereof) goes, let us leave it at that.

The relief corps was not quite as bad. Brian Fuentes regained his closer role and flourished in a walk year, striking out 11.78 per nine innings while posting a 2.73 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. Fuentes, the premier free agent reliever available on the market, will be tough to replace. Taylor Buccholz and Jason Grilli were also effective, important pieces to the bullpen, though one-time closer Manny Corpas struggled with consistency and control.

Looking Ahead:

The Rockies are likely to improve in 2009, even with the losses of Fuentes and Holliday. The club will add left-hander Greg Smith into the starting pitching mix, though, as a fly ball pitcher, his new ballpark will not make things any easier on him. Carlos Gonzalez, a top outfield prospect, was also acquired. Gonzalez has numerous physical tools and power potential, but he will need to refine his approach and improve upon his poor career on-base percentage.

Francis should rebound, Iannetta and Stewart could emerge as All-Stars and having a healthy Todd Helton (83 games) and Tulowitzki (who regressed during an injury-plagued sophomore campaign, batting .263/.332/.401, in 377 at-bats) in the lineup will only help matters. Tulowitzki, in particular, seems destined to become a star, combining top-five defense at the shortstop position with outstanding offensive production. The Long Beach state product will need to refine his approach a bit to do so, though, and this is a real possibility as he receives more at-bats at the highest level.

In addition to the young talent at the major league level-the reason for their rise to the playoffs in '07-there is help coming. Dexter Fowler, who played for the Olympic team, is a five-tool talent who is close to making an impact in the majors.

2008 Rewind Snapshot: Colorado Rockies:

Division Rank: 3rd

Record: 74-88

Runs: 747, 8th in N.L.

Runs Per Game: 4.61, 8th in N.L.

Batting Average: .263, 6th in N.L.

On-Base Percentage: .336, 5th in N.L.

Slugging Percentage: .415, 7th in N.L.

OPS+: 98

Run Prevention

Runs Allowed: 876

Runs Allowed Per Game: 5.07

Team ERA: 4.77, 15th in N.L.

Team ERA+: 96

Opponents' OPS: .775, 13th in N.L.

Team Defensive Efficiency: .678, 14th in N.L.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.