Expected to be a non-factor again in the NL West, the Colorado Rockies are on a mission to prove everyone wrong this season. To be honest, they're doing a good job so far. At 17-18, they're just 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the division standings. That puts them closer to first place than several other notables teams, including the Royals, Yankees, Astros, Pirates and Cardinals. [Related: Will Jose Reyes still be a Rockie when his suspension ends? ] A big part of that is the fact that the Dodgers and Giants have yet to get on track. Both teams have hovered around .500 all season, and both have plenty of questions they need to answer in their respective starting rotations. But let's also give credit to the Rockies. They've actually looked pretty good at times during their first 35 games. To say they've played anything like a contender would be overstating it, but they've looked credible and competitive despite a tough schedule. That leads to two questions worth pondering: Is this semblance of credibility and competitiveness sustainable over 162 given their lack of overall depth? If so, can they legitimately make some noise in the NL West? We...