Warren Schaeffer Has Blunt Answer About Cole Carrigg's Monster Night Against Padres

Colorado's first-year manager had a take on his young outfielder's monster night against San Diego.

Colorado Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg Credit: Ron Chenoy | Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Things have not gone well over the last week-plus for the Colorado Rockies and manager Warren Schaeffer. A six-game road trip against the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers was a disaster, having been swept by each American League team.

To compound matters, the Rockies' losing streak stretched to eight games on Monday with a loss at home to the red-hot San Diego Padres, extending their September losing streak to eight games. After keeping things interesting all summer in the quest to avoid a fourth straight 100-loss season, the Rockies were quickly fading toward another triple-loss season.

Entering Tuesday night's game at Coors Field against the Padres, the Colorado Rockies were struggling with 95 losses. However, they managed to break their losing streak, as well as the Padres' winning streak of eight games, by winning 9-3. When the final out was recorded, it was not only a much-needed victory for the Rockies but also notable for the way they achieved it.

Cole Carrigg Powers Rockies Over Padres

Colorado Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer Credit: Isaiah J. Downing | Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This season, some players are cementing their spot on the roster as future stars in Denver for Colorado. One of those players is outfielder Cole Carrigg. Have there been some bumps in the road? Yes, there always are for young players, but on Tuesday night, the 24-year-old showed flashes of what the future would hold.

Entering the bottom of the sixth inning trailing 3-2, Colorado erupted for five runs in what turned into a six-run win. Carrigg homered in the third inning and stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the sixth, needing a triple for the cycle; instead, after an at-bat where he battled Randy Vásquez and fouled several pitches before launching his second home run of the game 415 feet into the Denver night. Schaeffer dropped a blunt answer on what that at-bat meant for Carrigg and the Rockies.

“That was the at-bat of the year. He hit I don't know how many foul balls hard, smoked them,” Schaeffer said, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com. “Then, a huge, huge homer, at exactly the right time.”

When the final out is recorded in the 2026 season, all eyes will turn toward 2027 for Colorado. Despite a fourth straight 100-loss season being likely, progress has been made this year; nobody can deny that.

The job the new president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta, and general manager Josh Byrnes are tasked with is going to take time to turn things around. Identifying young players to be part of the future core is key and Carrigg is making the case to be part of that future core.