The 2026 MLB Draft is coming in the next few days. Colorado Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta must be strategic and aggressive in taking things to the next level.The Rockies must move the needle in certain key areas to put the team in a position to succeed.Rockies Must Focus on Starting RotationColorado Rockies pitcher Ryan Feltner | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectTo many people’s surprise, the offense has been impressive this season. There's a group of young players in Colorado's lineup that can help this team for years to come, and so far they have been fun to watch on several occasions this year. Pitching, on the other hand, wins championships. A good starting rotation helps a team get to elite status. We have seen this time and time again. Unfortunately for the Rockies, though, pitching has been their downfall for some time and continues to be.Looking back over history, the argument could be made that the 2007 Rockies team didn't have an elite pitching staff, and they went to the World Series. But how did that end for them? Not well.If they had a strong rotation, the Rockies may not have gotten swept by the Boston Red Sox. Over the course of the team’s entire history, Colorado has never had what anyone would classify as a strong rotation, and moving into the future, that has to change.Chase Dollander has a promising future. He's currently on the disabled list, but before his injury, he held a 3-3 record with a 3.89 ERA in 10 games. There's potential there. However, the Rockies need more pieces to fill the rotation. Since the Rockies have the No. 10 pick in the first round, DePodesta and the front office staff must focus on pitching. Looking over the draft class, one pitcher that the Rockies might want to consider is right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson.Peterson played for the University of Florida. During his junior season with the Gators, he recorded 111 strikeouts in 84 1/3 innings. In addition, he finished seventh in the SEC and 25th nationally in strikeouts. In the second round, the Rockies have the No. 38 pick. Perhaps going after a second baseman who can be athletic, knows how to hit, and plays defense would be a wise move. The Rockies will need a full-time all-around second baseman to pair up with Ezequiel Tovar in the middle infield. If they find who they think their pitcher will be early on in the draft, Chris Hacopian of Texas A&M could be a good option later, but he might be selected somewhere between No. 12 and No. 15 in the draft. Plan B could be to select Jarren Advincula. He's a talented second baseman from Georgia Tech who has demonstrated good contact skills and can read the defense. Can we imagine how good his defense can be in the next 5-6 years?The first day of the draft will be on Saturday, July 11th, covering the first through fourth rounds. It will be televised on NBC/Peacock, MLB Network, and MLB TV. Rounds 5 through 20 will be on Sunday, July 12th. No matter what decisions the Rockies make later in the draft, pitching has to come first.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow