20th and Blake: The Rockies Podcast · Mile High Sports, Bleav

Colorado Rockies Season Preview: Did Rox get roster right? & World Baseball Classic

March 26, 2026·43 min·4 clips

Mark Knutson proposes a radical mid-season WBC break, inspired by a 'magnificent' Dominican Republic game.

Drew Creaseman and Mark Knutson begin the episode noting it is their debut on YouTube video format. Knutson's Twitter account was hacked and he is building on Bluesky while trying to recover the account. They transition to the World Baseball Classic, which both watched closely. Knutson calls the Dominican Republic semifinal one of the best baseball games he has ever seen and argues international competition consistently elevates athlete performance across all sports. He references the NBA All-Star game's improved competitiveness and the Ryder Cup as parallel examples. Both hosts note the Latin American passion for the WBC stands apart from the more business-like approach of the US team, which Creaseman found harder to root for despite being American. Knutson says he has shifted from his traditionalist position to support moving the WBC to a midseason two-week break every three years instead of the All-Star Game. They note thirty-two owners currently block such a change. The hosts praise Ezekiel Tovar's WBC performance, noting he hit around .500 and played excellent defense, and argue the tournament corrected national narratives that had unfairly written off his career after a 2025 season affected by injury. Moving to the roster, Knutson reports attending a late spring training game and observing Chase Dolander up close, noting hard contact allowed and a tendency to overpower hitters rather than trust his pitch mix. He concludes the Rockies are deliberately keeping Dolander in low-leverage bullpen spots to teach him big-league pitch sequencing, with an expectation he starts in the second half. Ryan Feltner gets the fifth rotation spot ahead of Dolander, which surprises Knutson. Both hosts assess Antonio Sensatella as a declined veteran useful only as a mop-up arm despite a low spring ERA. The bullpen is described as volatile with talented but unproven arms including Agnos, Halverson, and Vodnik. The hosts discuss the outfield, noting Jake McCarthy has great speed but metrics that do not rate his defense highly, while Jordan Beck moving to right field full time is viewed positively given his improving defensive metrics and familiarity with Coors Field. Kyle Carols at second base draws praise as a potential surprise contributor, described as physically bigger and reminiscent of Nolan Arenado in his setup and mannerisms. The hosts discuss the first base competition between Michael Toglia-Rumfield and Troy Johnston, arguing neither is a long-term solution but that carrying both while Charlie Condon develops in Triple-A makes sense. They expect Condon to arrive in the majors before long given his strong spring. Hunter Goodman is discussed as a potential repeat All-Star, and Knutson argues catcher is the hardest position in sports, harder than quarterback, and that Goodman's conversion from utility player to quality big-league catcher is remarkable. Backup catcher Brett Sullivan, a left-handed hitter who was unknown at the start of spring training, impressed both hosts enough to earn the spot. The hosts close the position player discussion noting the roster is solid and versatile even if it lacks the excitement of top prospects being on the opening day team.

As heard by us

A Rockies roster discussion that values fit over flash.

20th and Blake keeps its attention on the Rockies in a way that feels practical rather than polished. Drew Creaseman and Mark Knutson move from bullpen usage and the fifth rotation spot into the position-player logjam, and the result is a clear look at a club that has structure…

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Why you'd press play

You want a straight answer on whether the Rockies roster makes baseball sense.

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