Positive Takeaways From Rockies Pair of Losses To Start 2026 Season

The Colorado Rockies didn't start the season ideally but they showed plenty of promise to have a better year than 2025.

Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield (7) hits a single against the Miami Marlins during the ninth inning at loanDepot Park. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The 2026 baseball season is officially underway, and no time will ever make people forget the historically poor season that the Colorado Rockies had in 2025. While this team likely won't be a playoff team this year, they will definitely do better than the team that was fielded last year.

The Rockies opened their season on the road against the Miami Marlins who took the first two games of the series, but not by a landslide by any means, as Colorado dropped both by a measly run.

Time and time again, the Rockies were blown out by a landslide simply because their pitching staff wasn't even comparable to other squads, but that wasn't the case against the Marlins.

TJ Rumfield GOES YARD in the second for his first major league home run 💣#Rockies 
pic.twitter.com/7q8f9D3gMB

— Milb Central (@milb_central) March 28, 2026

Not only was Colorado able to hold Miami to six combined runs, but they also had some offensive highlights of their own, specifically with their newest first baseman, TJ Rumfield. Rumfield joined the team after a trade from the New York Yankees was finalized, and he looked nearly perfect in spring training.

This was Rumfield's debut in the majors, and he made contact in each game, while also hitting the first long ball of his career. The Rockies were begging for some depth in the hitting lineup, and Rumfield is trying to be the answer to their prayers.

It isn't ideal for the Rockies to drop both of their games to start the year, but only seeing the L in the column definitely doesn't tell the whole story.

Pitching Staff Highlights

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Kyle Freeland was named the starting pitcher for the Rockies' opener, and he didn't disappoint. Freeland was able to pitch 4.1 innings, which is a big win for a starter for Colorado. He had a pair of earned runs before his time was done, and then the bullpen was nearly perfect.

Three relievers stepped into the game after Freeland's departure, and not only did they not allow another run, but the Marlins only had three hits for the rest of the game.

Get To Know Rumfield

Rumfield had been sitting in the Yankees pipeline since he joined professional baseball back in 2021. His debut could have came a lot sooner, but with a roster like New York has, he didn't have much of a chance.

Now, he will definitely get one. During spring training for the Rockies, Rumfield hit .286 while slugging over .550. Rumfield is starting to give Rockies' fans some hope after his performances down in Florida.

It wasn't the start that any organization would hope for, but the ballclub is at least trending in the right direction.