Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland is entering the 2023 season motivated to win and hopes his teammates share the same mentality.
"First and foremost, it can't be OK to lose," Freeland said, according to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. "Over the years, we have talked about it, and we have kind of become complacent with ourselves."
The Rockies struggled to a 68-94 record last season, finishing in the basement of the National League West. Colorado posted just two winning seasons since 2010 and hasn't qualified for the postseason since 2018.
Many are predicting another long and difficult campaign for the Rockies, something that Freeland believes should motivate the club.
"Everybody, from 2020 through '21 and '22 and '23, has already counted us out, and we haven't even played a single spring training game yet," Freeland said. "We have to play with that in the back of our minds every single night."
Freeland is expected to lead Colorado's rotation alongside right-hander German Marquez this season. The southpaw is adamant the Rockies need to enter games with more confidence than they've shown in past seasons.
"If we are OK with losing, it's going to be another long year," Freeland said. "It's time to go out and expect to win a baseball game and not just hope to win a baseball game."
