What the Rockies Got Right This Season Despite Losing 100 Games

We won’t lie here. There’s no way to sugarcoat the Colorado Rockies or the fact that they have somehow managed to record yet another 100-loss season.

When the Rockies took the loss on Tuesday to the Arizona Diamondbacks, it guaranteed the franchise would once again reach triple-digit losses. This made four consecutive years, and that matched some history.

Colorado is just the fifth team in Major League history to put on such a show. The last team to have four consecutive 100+ loss seasons was the New York Mets, when they did it from 1962-65.

So how in the world could you describe 2026 as a success? Well, you can’t.

But, president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta has to review what happened and prepare for 2027. There are a few things Colorado can point to that are, even if small, steps forward.

Rockies Found Some Building Blocks

Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hunter Goodman entered Friday’s game with 39 home runs and 83 RBI while slugging .525. Regardless of whether or not he reaches 40, he has established himself as the most dangerous hitter on the team.

TJ Rumfield answered another major question within the organization.

The rookie entered the final series hitting .296 with a .386 on-base percentage, 15 home runs and 70 RBI. Colorado started the season looking for a clear answer at first base. Rumfield answered.

Then there’s Jake McCarthy.

Acquired from the Diamondbacks last offseason, McCarthy has risen to produce the best season of his career. He is entering the final weekend of regular-season play hitting .295 with 30 doubles, 13 triples, 15 home runs, 83 RBI and 32 stolen bases.

The organization has three very productive hitters to build around, and for this team, that qualifies as success.

Colorado’s Offense Moving Forward

When the team’s record is truly as awful as it is, it is hard to overlook the progress the organization is making. Colorado’s offense has been better.

Through September 20, the Rockies had scored 726 runs. That’s already their highest since 2021. The offensive WAR has moved the marker from minus -3.1 in 2025 to 8.6 this year.

Sometimes the improvement was hard to miss, others, well, it was hard to see.

From May 29 through July 3, Colorado posted a 126wRC+, the best mark in all of baseball during that span. Of course, and especially given that we are talking about the Rockies, that level of production was not sustainable.

It did, however, provide evidence that this lineup is capable of being so much better than the record reflects.

So, what exactly was the problem? Well, this isn’t hard to answer. It’s the same thing it usually is with this team. Pitching.

Colorado entered the final week with the highest team ERA in baseball. Again, not a shock to anyone. After many years, it is almost expected to see the Rockies at the bottom of the pile when talking about pitching.

Fixing that should be DePodesta’s most important priority during the offseason.

Rockies Saw Prospects Progressing

Colorado Rockies infielder Charlie Condon Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The positive improvements didn’t just happen at the Major League level, either.

Charlie Condon finished his Triple-A season with a slash line of .273/.390/.514 with 27 home runs and 98 RBI. The former No. 3 overall pick showed incredible patience, drawing 79 walks, and finished with a .904 OPS. He should now be firmly in the conversation for a Major League role in 2027.

Rody Brito continued his rapid ascension as well.

The 19-year-old hit .305 with 29 doubles, eight triples, 10 home runs, and 41 stolen bases across two minor league levels. His contact ability combined with his speed has made him one of the Rockies’ most promising prospects.

Ethan Holliday’s season was cut short b a stress fracture in his left foot, but as Colorado’s top prospect, he was slashing .262/.395/.557 with nine home runs in 152 plate appearances at Single-A Fresno.

The Rockies also made progress through the 2026 MLB Draft. Four of the members of the class moved into MLB Pipeline’s organizational Top 30 in August.

You can’t argue that this team has more legitimate young talent than it had a year ago.

Still a Long Way to Go

The Rockies still have an enormous mountain to climb. There are questions all across this roster, from the starting rotation to the defense.

If the offseason produces just more minor adjustments, it won’t be enough.

It’s hard to look past the record and the performance at times, but the season was not a total loss.

DePodesta now has to make sure that these individual successes start to move toward something much bigger.

Wins.

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