Rockies new pitching coach Ethan Katz faces tall task in reviving Colorado's struggling arms

Kyle Newman, The Denver Post on Nov 2, 2026

Published in Baseball

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DENVER — The Rockies have filled the toughest coaching gig in the big leagues.

Colorado hired Ethan Katz as its new pitching coach on Monday, replacing Alon Leichman, who lasted just one season. Katz, the Astros’ assistant pitching coach in 2026 after five seasons as the White Sox’ pitching coach, comes to LoDo with a tall task ahead.

The Rockies have posted the highest ERA in baseball for five straight seasons amid four consecutive 100-loss seasons. That included an MLB-worst 5.59 overall ERA and 6.28 starting ERA this year as the Rockies were the worst team in baseball with 104 defeats.

Katz — who has also coached in the Angels, Mariners and Giants organizations — was a 26th-round pick by the Rockies in 2005 out of Sacramento State. He pitched four minor-league seasons for Colorado, posting a 2.79 ERA in 102 games, most of them out of the bullpen.

The Colorado pitching staff needs an overhaul in several areas, including strikeouts (last in baseball with 555) and K rate (last at 27.4%). While Rockies pitchers lack whiffs, they also routinely gave up hard contact, ranking last in WHIP (1.58) and batting average against (.298), and second-to-last in hard-hit percentage. A total of 41.7% of balls in play against Rockies arms came off the bat with an exit velocity of 95 mph or greater.

With Katz on staff this year, the Astros were 24th in baseball with a 4.47 ERA. With the White Sox, Katz’s pitchers ranked 20th in ERA in 2025 (4.28) and 28th in ’24 (4.67). That year, Chicago set a modern record with 121 losses.

Katz will have to make the most of his arm talent with Colorado while dealing with the effects of pitching at elevation and in the expansive Coors Field outfield, which routinely produces extra hits in the gaps and via bloops. The Rockies are helmed by manager Warren Schaeffer, who is entering the second season of a two-year deal.

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