Sports · Baseball · 1 hr ago
Rockies Hire Ethan Katz as Pitching Coach
The Colorado Rockies have hired Ethan Katz as pitching coach, replacing Alon Leichman, who was dismissed after one season.
Katz, 43, is a former minor-league pitcher who was drafted by Colorado in 2005 and later coached with the White Sox and Astros.
The Rockies had the majors’ worst ERA and strikeout rate last season, ranking last in both for a fifth straight year.
Their struggles also showed away from Coors Field, where Colorado had the lowest strikeout rate and the second-highest ERA.
Katz’s task is to improve a pitching staff whose problems go beyond the effects of its home ballpark.
Andre Lipcius is reported to be joining as game-planning coach, replacing retiring assistant bench coach Ronnie Gideon, but the team has not confirmed that hire.
The Colorado Rockies announced they have hired Ethan Katz as their pitching coach.
Katz replaces Alon Leichman, who was dismissed after one year in the role.
Colorado had the majors’ worst ERA, at 5.59, and lowest strikeout rate, at 17.5%, for a fifth straight season.
Katz previously spent five years as the Chicago White Sox’s top pitching coach and worked as an assistant with the Houston Astros this year.
Thomas Harding reported that former MLB infielder Andre Lipcius is joining the Rockies staff as game-planning coach, but the team has not confirmed that hire.
- Who
- The Colorado Rockies hired Ethan Katz as pitching coach.
- What
- Katz will take over the role from Alon Leichman. A reported hire of Andre Lipcius as game-planning coach has not been confirmed by the team.
- When
- The announcement was reported on November 3, 2026.
- Where
- Colorado.
- Why
- Not stated.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Rockies drafted Katz, who was then a minor league pitcher.
Katz worked as an assistant pitching coach with the Houston Astros.
The Rockies announced Katz’s hiring as pitching coach.
- New pitching coach
- Ethan Katz
- Previous Rockies pitching coach
- Alon Leichman
- Colorado ERA
- 5.59, worst in the majors
- Colorado strikeout rate
- 17.5%, lowest in the majors
- Reported game-planning coach
- Andre Lipcius; the team has not confirmed the hire
2 sources
Posts on X
The #Rockies have hired former #WhiteSox pitching coach Ethan Katz as pitching coach. Katz was with the ChiSox 2021-25 and was the #Astros assistant pitching coach last season. The right-handed Katz pitched four seasons in the Rockies' system (2005-08), 13-7, 2.79 in 102 G, 8 GS.
The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have hired Ethan Katz as the club’s Major League pitching coach.