Despite another season with more than 100 losses, the Colorado Rockies are taking steps in the right direction to eventually become a winning baseball team again. 

But to get there, a lot of changes are going to need to be made to the pitching staff. 

The Rockies' staff is made up of multiple veteran arms who are just not productive, and while there are young pitchers who are struggling as well, they deserve a little more grace. One pitcher who falls into the latter category is 26-year-old right-hander Juan Mejia. 

Mejia is a homegrown product of the Rockies who made his way to the organization in 2017. On April 24, 2025, he made his MLB debut and proceeded to appear in 55 games during the 2025 season. 

By the end of the year, Mejia had posted a 2-2 record with a 3.96 ERA over 61.1 innings of work. As a rookie, he was far from perfect, and that was partially illustrated by the three blown saves he had. But there was still plenty of time to be patient. 

This season, Mejia's role grew as he appeared in 65 games and made the first start of his career.

However, Mejia's production dropped with an increasing role. Over the 65 games he appeared in and the 70 innings he pitched, Mejia went 4-6 with a 5.27 ERA. 

His WHIP went from 1.26 in 2025 to 1.69 this season. He also allowed 15 more walks (25 in 2025 to 40 in 2026) while notching two fewer strikeouts (68 in 2025 to 66 in 2026).

Mejia certainly did not have the best year, but given his age and lack of experience, combined with the fact that he is under club control through the 2031 MLB season, there is still time to turn him into a consistently productive pitcher. Mejia may also improve when better guidance enters the building. 

The Rockies recently fired pitching coach Alon Leichman after just one season because of the egregious results that took place on the mound. If they can replace him with someone better for the job, Mejia should benefit.

Mejia is going to have to work hard if he wants a future in the big leagues, but he has time and potential working in his favor. It will be interesting to see what 2027 holds for the native of Santo Domingo. His production will determine how many opportunities he gets on an MLB mound and whether or not he is sent back to the minors for further development.