Colorado Rockies Need Strong Finish to Challenging May Schedule

The Colorado Rockies are about to embark on a tumultuous stretch of baseball games. Over the next 20 days, the team will play 19 contests. From now until May 27, the Rockies will step foot on the diamond 16 days in a row.

That, my friend, is a lot of baseball.

It’s the type of test that all MLB squads have to go through once or twice a season. It’s the type of battle that the stoutest clubs are capable of withstanding, while the ones that aren’t so sturdy end up crumbling under the enormous weight of it all.

How the Rockies, who are 16-25 and in dead last in the NL West, respond to the pressure remains to be seen. What is certain is that if the team is to have any sort of success in 2026, a good run of play over the rest of May would go a long way toward the organization achieving that goal.

Rockies About to Face Crucial NL West Stretch

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Victor Vodnik. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

So far, the Rockies have played only 11 games — four versus the Los Angeles Dodgers and another seven with the San Diego Padres — against opponents in their own division. Now that all gets flipped on its head as 13 of the next 19 contests will see the Rockies face NL West foes.

First up on the division docket are the Arizona Diamondbacks, who come to town May 15-17. The Rockies would like to fancy themselves up at the D-backs’ level — which might be a pipe dream — and the only way to prove that is to beat them. Luckily for Colorado, it’ll get plenty of chances. In total, the Rockies and Diamondbacks play each other seven times in May.

Colorado will also face the San Francisco Giants and Dodgers to conclude the month. It can be assumed that the Dodgers will give the Rockies some trouble — that series is in Los Angeles, which only complicates matters — but the Giants are a gettable team.

The NL West is a tough division. Both the Dodgers and Padres are playoff contenders, with the former the two-time reigning World Series champions. The Diamondbacks are no slouch themselves, though their performance has been a bit more of a roller coaster than the Dodgers and Padres. Then there’s the Giants, who are almost as big of a mess as the Rockies. At least the Rockies have good vibes most of the time. The same can’t be said for the folks from the Bay Area.

No matter the difficulty of the division, Colorado needs to perform well against these opponents the rest of the month. Yes, a playoff berth is probably not on the horizon, but if something miraculous were ever to materialize, beating the division would come in handy down the line.

Rockies Also Face Important Tests Outside Division

Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. — Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (14) throws to first base to retire Miami Marlins left fielder Heriberto Hernandez. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The only two series that aren’t against the NL West are with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers. Colorado is matched up with the Pirates this week in what will be a good litmus test for both organizations. If the Pirates are truly a contender, then they’ll take care of the Rockies. If the Rockies are improved, then they’ll give the Pirates a challenge, perhaps even taking them down in the process.

The Rangers series from May 18-20 is a whole other story entirely. That team is an enigma that can’t be explained with rational words. How they’ll be performing when they arrive in Denver is a question that only God on high knows the answer to at this very moment.

So, how will the Rockies fare in May? According to the projections, not very well. But if there’s one thing this team taught us in April, it’s not to count it out. Maybe that same energy will manifest itself the rest of the way.

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