Rockies Make Stunning Move Parting Ways With First-Year Pitching Coach

It was a bold move by the front office, but they are apparently making drastic moves in the coming months regarding the pitching staff.

Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) and catcher Hunter Goodman (15) talk with pitching coach Alon Leichman. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Colorado Rockies president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta, has made one thing clear about this offseason, it is that he is ready to blow up the team's pitching staff, which finished the year as by far the worst in baseball.

DePodesta had already made hints about changes coming as he desperately wants to find support for the Rockies offense that features some really talented rookies, as it is no longer just the Hunter Goodman and Mickey Moniak show.

However, it is a little bit of a shock that the ballclub announced that Colorado has reportedly fired its pitching coach Alon Leichman, after just one season in the position, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal on X (formerly Twitter). Again, this wasn't an elite pitching staff, not even a mediocre one, but after just barely taking over the program, it is somewhat hard to fathom.

On top of the fact that it is increasingly difficult to find someone who willingly works with the home run-friendly ballpark that is Coors Field, it is important to note that this was his debut season as a primary pitching coach.

Leichman worked his way up the ranks of different organizations and spent 2023-25 in assistant pitching coaching roles for both the Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins. So, not only did he barely get his feet wet with the Rockies, it was also his first time at the position.

Keep in mind, it isn't like the troubles with the pitching staff weren't going on well before he stepped into the clubhouse, so to place the blame solely on him seems unfair, to say the least.

Rockies Pitching Rankings Amongst All 30 Clubs in 2026

Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) walks off the mound. Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn I | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was a rough year, nobody is saying otherwise and the stats don't lie by any means, but what he inheriteted is also something worth talking about.

• 5.59 ERA- 30th
• 1.52 WHIP- 30th
• .288 Opponent's Hitting Average- 30th
• Hits Allowed- 30th
• Runs- 30th
• Earned Runs- 30th
• Home Runs Allowed- 28th
• Saves- 26th

Progress is slow, especially when taking into consideration a ballclub like the Rockies, and after very little time with the pitching staff, there were improvements as the team's ERA and WHIP were both higher in 2025,

The pitchers last season also allowed a worse batting average, more home runs, and while they still finished last in hits allowed, the gap between 30th and 29th is astronomically smaller in one offseason.

In 2025, the Rockies were one of the worst teams seen in baseball, and as 2026 wasn't a Cinderella Story by any means, maybe the front office should have read between the lines, as the dismissal of Leichman might have been premature.