What happened: Denver columnist Troy Renck writes that the Rockies once had their version of Paul Skenes in former ace Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenez, Colorado's benchmark power arm, has shared ideas on how the organization could develop its next front-line pitcher. The column lands as the Rockies are set to face Skenes at Coors Field on Saturday.
Why it matters: Cultivating power pitching at altitude has long been Colorado's hardest organizational problem, and Jimenez remains the high-water mark for what an ace can be in that environment. Framing the next-arm question around a homegrown ace, rather than an outside import, speaks to how the Rockies hope to rebuild their rotation from within.
What to watch: The matchup arrives Saturday at Coors Field, where Colorado is set to see Skenes in person. Watch whether Jimenez's development ideas surface in how the Rockies frame their pitching pipeline going forward.