Chad Bettis

Bettis had plenty of ups and downs in 2018. After an injury-marred 2017 campaign, the right-hander came out of the gate hot with a 2.05 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP through his first seven starts. He then fell off the map, hindered by a five-start stretch in which he allowed at least five runs each time out before landing on the disabled list due to a finger blister. Upon his return in August, he showed improvement after a horrendous nine-run outing in his first start back. He wound up moving to the bullpen by the end of the season, sporting a 1.93 ERA across 14 frames in relief. His strikeout numbers leave much to be desired (6.0 K/9) and his walk rate increased (3.5 BB/9), making him unattractive from a fantasy perspective, although much of his trouble last year was a result of his unforgiving home ballpark (7.08 ERA at Coors Field, 2.88 ERA on the road). Even so, Bettis appears to be on the outside looking in for a rotation spot in 2019.

Heading into 2017, Bettis was expected to be the "veteran" member of a very young Rockies rotation. Unfortunately, the right-hander experienced a relapse of his testicular cancer early in the year and was unable to make a major-league appearance until August. Once he was back in action, he produced mixed results. After a stellar season debut, Bettis' ERA climbed as high as 6.23. However, a strong finish to the season brought his ERA and WHIP down to 5.05 and 1.36, respectively. His calling card is his control, as he's improved his walk rate each year in the majors, but he doesn't strike out enough hitters. His place in the Rockies' rotation seems safe for now, although young starters like Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland and Jeff Hoffman could make Bettis the odd man out if he fails to bounce back.

Bettis won a spot in the 2016 rotation thanks to a strong finish to the 2015 season, but he saw mixed results all year. He started off well enough, sporting a passable 4.18 ERA and solid 1.9 BB/9 through mid-May, but a string of four straight starts with four or more earned runs allowed followed shortly thereafter. He was unable to get his ERA below 5.00 until September. A 51.2 percent groundball rate led to improved numbers at home, but Bettis' ERA on the road leaped from 3.35 to 5.06, damaging his utility as a streaming option. While the 27-year-old took a step forward with his control and should be secure in the rotation, the middling strikeout rate and hitters' haven of a home park limit his fantasy appeal. Bettis underwent surgery for testicular cancer in the offseason and was declared cancer free in January.

Bettis finished second on the Rockies in 2015 in wins and strikeouts with totals of eight and 98 in those categories, respectively, despite tossing just 115 frames. He pitched very well down the stretch, posting a 2.54 ERA and 25:10 K:BB over the final month of the season (28.1 innings). The peripherals, namely his strikeout, walk and groundball rates, suggest there is room for improvement in 2016, though any pitcher making half of his starts in Coors Field makes for a tough sell as an every-week mixed-league option. Indeed, Bettis had dramatic home/road splits last season, with a 4.99 ERA at home compared to a 3.35 mark away from Colorado. In leagues that allow daily roster moves, and thus allow owners to pick and choose starts, and in NL-only formats, Bettis makes for a more appealing option.

The Rockies pulled the plug on grooming Bettis as a starter last spring, reasoning that his powerful fastball/slider mix would fare better in a max-effort relief role. While the right-hander was able to coax a good amount of velocity out of that combination, a lack of location and movement on those pitches made life easy for opposing hitters, who thumped Bettis to the tune of a 9.12 ERA over 24.2 frames. The 25-year-old rebounded swiftly (3.09 ERA, 8.9 K/9 rate in 55.1 innings) during his time at Triple-A Colorado Springs, but the dropoff in competition might have played a larger part in those successes than any adjustments he made. Bettis’ brutal results in relief prompted the Rockies to give him the opportunity to compete for a starting role during the upcoming season, but serious questions remain about whether he’ll ever be able to make good on the potential that once made him a top pitching prospect in the organization.

After he was sidelined for the entire 2012 season with a shoulder injury, Bettis quickly showed some renewed promise at Double-A Tulsa, where he dominated with a 68:13 K:BB ratio over 12 starts. Although it would have been ideal to allow him to log a full season in the minors coming off a major injury, the Rockies were in desperate need for a fifth starter in July and eventually tabbed the right-hander for the role. He proved ill-prepared for the promotion, as control issues and a proclivity toward big innings amounted to a 5.64 ERA in his 44.2 frames. The Rockies still remain high on Bettis' potential, but there appears to be some division in the organization regarding the pitcher's future. Though some feel the former college closer's big fastball and sharp slider would make him most amenable to a relief role, others feel that with more minor league seasoning, he can still develop into a quality major league starter. He'll likely open the season at Triple-A, as the Rockies attempt to figure out that dilemma.

The California League offered little challenge to Bettis last season, as he racked up an impressive 184:45 K:BB and led the league in innings, strikeouts and WHIP last season. A second-round pick out of Texas Tech in 2012, Bettis should move quickly through the Rockies system and will begin 2012 at Double-A. There are concerns about his secondary pitches, but Bettis has a high-90s fastball and plus slider and at the very least projects as a potential closer if he's unable to remain starter. For now, he'll be a future target for the rotation, and he'll likely vault onto more prospect lists in 2012 if the strikeouts follow him to Tulsa.