The Rockies hired Ethan Katz as pitching coach, tasking the former White Sox lead pitching coach with improving a staff that has struggled well beyond the hitter-friendly conditions at Coors Field. Colorado also reportedly plans to add former major leaguer Andre Lipcius as game-planning coach, though the team hasn’t confirmed that hire.

By the Numbers
  • Colorado ranked last in MLB with a 5.59 ERA and a 17.5% strikeout rate for the fifth straight season.
  • On the road, the Rockies had MLB’s lowest strikeout rate; only the Reds had a higher ERA.
  • Katz, 43, spent five years as the White Sox’s top pitching coach before joining Houston as an assistant in 2026.
Yes, But

Coors Field makes pitching especially difficult, but Colorado’s poor road results show the ballpark isn’t the main explanation. Katz also comes from a Houston staff that finished 24th in ERA and 12th in strikeout percentage before the Astros made broad coaching changes.

What's Next

Katz will take over for Alon Leichman, who was dismissed after one season. The Rockies have not yet confirmed Lipcius’s reported appointment to replace retiring assistant bench coach Ronnie Gideon.

Bottom Line

Colorado’s challenge is bigger than managing Coors Field: the staff needs to improve its underlying performance, and Katz’s track record will be tested against one of baseball’s weakest pitching groups.