Rockies Defense Proved One of Worst in Major Leagues in 2025 Season

The Colorado Rockies didn’t do themselves any favors with their overall defensive performance in the 2025 season.

A detailed view of a Colorado Rockies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Many will look at pitching as the biggest culprit in the Colorado Rockies’ inept 2025 season. It was a primary cause. But the defense wasn’t doing them any favors, either.

The Rockies’ defense was one of the worst outfits in Major League Baseball in 2025. When the pitching isn’t effective, defensive can be a counterbalance. In some ways, the Rockies’ overall defense made it worse. There is also a reminder of what could have been at the trade deadline as the Rockies’ defense is assessed.

Rockies Defensive Grade for 2025

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Ironically, the Rockies do have a Gold Glove finalist — he just doesn’t play for the team anymore. Ryan McMahon was selected as a National League Gold Glove finalist for his work at third base, along with Cincinnati’s Ke’Bryan Hayes — who was also traded at the deadline — and the Chicago Cubs’ Matt Shaw.

From a standard fielding percentage standpoint, the Rockies finished the season with a .981 percentage as a team. That was 10 points off MLB leader Texas, as the Rangers finished with the best fielding percentage in MLB history by percentage points over the 2013 Baltimore Orioles. But 10 points is a chasm in the Majors. The Rockies were next-to-last in fielding percentage. Only the Boston Red Sox (.980) were worse.

Looking at other raw number at baseball-reference.com, the Rockies were last in defensive efficiency at .661. The Rockies also had the second-most errors in baseball (110), with Boston the only team with more (116). The Red Sox made the postseason. The Rockies lost 119 games.

Defensive runs saved is one of those categories popular in the advanced analytics category and Colorado was dead last at Fangraphs. In fact, it was last by a wide margin. The Rockies were at minus-59 in DRS, 13 points behind Minnesota. The leader in the category was the Rangers, which had 89 DRS.  

If one is looking at positives, the Rockies finished the season with the second-most double plays turned in the Majors with 156. Only their National League West rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, had more at 159. It’s little solace, as the Dodgers reached the World Series for the second straight year.

McMahon claimed that Gold Glove finalist honor with a .976 fielding percentage. Among those that played at least half the season, only five players had fielding percentages of .980 or better — Michael Toglia (.996), Brenton Doyle (.995), Jordan Beck (.989), Hunter Goodman (.987) and Tyler Freeman (.987). Freeman is cheating just a bit as he played in 80 games, one short of half.

But, in an awful season for Colorado, defensive and otherwise, the Rockies will take what they can get.

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