Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 46, Valente Bellozo (-0.3 rWAR)
As the Colorado Rockies prepared for the 2026 season, pitching
was top of mind for everyone. How does a team mired in a history of bad pitching carve a new path forward to get through the season with less damage? One idea the Rockies toyed with throughout the season was building a group of pitchers capable of a swing role. They could start as needed or take on the task of being a multi-inning arm out of the bullpen.
That was the intention with signing former Miami Marlins pitcher Valente Bellozo to a minor league contract. In his two seasons with Miami, Bellozo tossed 150 innings over 45 games, including 19 starts, and posted a 4.20 ERA. It was also in Miami that Bellozo worked with Rockies pitching coach Alon Leichman.
In spring training, Bellozo made a decent bid for an Opening Day roster spot. In 15.2 innings, he allowed 12 runs on 14 hits; however, six of those runs came in one terrible three-inning outing against the Chicago White Sox. The Rockies liked the effort and track record enough to add him to the 40-man roster when RJ Petit went on the 60-day injured list. He didn’t make the Opening Day roster, but he wouldn’t have to wait long to join the Rockies.
An incredible home opener debut
The Rockies initially recalled Bellozo on April 2, just in time for the home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 3. It turned out they really needed him that day.
Michael Lorenzen made the start and was blown up for nine runs on 12 hits in three innings of work. The Rockies turned to Bellozo out of the bullpen to hopefully navigate through a couple of innings before turning it over to other relievers. What they got was much, much more.
Bellozo proceeded to fire six innings of relief to finish the game, allowing just one hit — a fifth-inning Kyle Schwarber home run — while striking out seven against just one walk. He threw 77 pitches total, the same amount that Lorenzen threw in just three innings.
Bad time in San Diego
Bellozo wouldn’t appear again on the mound for the Rockies until they headed to San Diego a week later. He took the mound in the 12th inning on April 9with the game tied 3-3. After Fernando Tatis Jr. dropped a sacrifice bunt to move the winning run to third, the Rockies elected to intentionally walk the next two batters to load the bases. The plan didn’t work out as Xander Bogaerts turned on the second-pitch offering from Bellozo, blasting a walk-off grand slam.
Bellozo then made his final Rockies appearance in the final game of that four-game series. After Kyle Freeland was a late scratch to make the start, the Rockies pivoted to a bullpen. Bellozo took over in the third inning with the hope he could take as many innings as possible to relieve the bullpen stress. He ended up going 4.1 innings, but he allowed five runs on eight hits with four walks and three home runs. The Rockies ultimately lost 7-2 to get swept by the Padres.
That would be the end of Bellozo’s time in Colorado, as he was optioned to Triple-A the next day and was replaced by Tanner Gordon. In 10.2 innings, he had allowed 1o runs on 10 hits with eight strikeouts against seven walks, along with five home runs.
Exit to Albuquerque
The demotion to Triple-A proved a difficult assignment for Bellozo. Pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, he made 30 appearances, including 20 starts, and posted an unsightly 8.34 ERA.
As the year went on, Bellozo’s role continued to evolve. When he was first sent down, he was purely a starter aiming to toss at least five innings, regardless of the four-plus runs allowed each time. Then, his appearances varied depending on the scenario. Sometimes, he would work as a starter, going three innings. Other times, he would come out of the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever or piggyback behind an opener. Other times, he appeared for just an inning.
Regardless, the results weren’t coming. He was outrighted off the 40-man roster in June and remained in Albuquerque without really ever pushing for an opportunity, even as the Rockies’ starting rotation continued to fall apart in the latter part of the season.
The main issue was that Bellozo just wasn’t throwing enough strikes. In Albuquerque, he allowed 53 walks against 54 strikeouts while giving up 30 home runs in 113.1 innings of work. The lack of swing-and-miss and the overabundance of walks and hard-hit balls wasn’t exactly the premier depth the Rockies hope for.
What’s next
In all likelihood, Bellozo will elect free agency and look for another opportunity elsewhere. He will turn 27 in January, so there should be interest in his services as a depth piece. He fit the mold of a tactic the Rockies wanted to try with their pitchers this season, but his execution didn’t fit the bill and exposed that the team has to continue to improve the depth in Triple-A.
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