A few mid-season notes from Coors Field

I just got back from Denver after covering the Colorado Rockies series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox. These trips always leave me a little overwhelmed: I take in a lot of information while I’m there, and it takes me a while to get things sorted after the trip is over.

This newsletter will be an, admittedly, subjective assessment of some of the things I saw while I was there.

The vibes (and the on-field play), they are improving

Look, the Rockies are still bad — as in 32-50, which is still the worst record in baseball. But it’s not historically bad, so there’s that. For comparison, in 2025, Colorado did not log their 32nd win of the season until August 13 at St. Louis to move to 32-88 on the season.

And they’re losing by smaller margins.  Dating back to June 12, 2026, 11 of the Rockies last 12 games have been decided by three or fewer runs, with the lone exception their 23-9 win in Las Vegas on June 14. In fact, 23 of their 48 losses have been by two or fewer runs, fourth-most losses by two or fewer runs in the Majors. Sure, the run differential is bad (-91), but it’s much better than last season.

It’s entirely possible that there may be a team or two with worse records when the season ends. Baby steps.

The win-loss record is not the only area in which the Rockies are showing marginal improvement this season. They’re 14th in stolen bases; their wRC+ has improved (91), and there are three teams with lower scores; they’re hitting better on the road: and they’re doing better at the plate. President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said he wanted to “raise the floor,” and that has happened.

Plus, the vibes are just better in the clubhouse. Last year, that was a grim place to be, the Rockies clubhouse. This year, it feels, well, normal. Have they had some devastating losses? Yes. But they’ve also lost some close games and had some late-game comebacks. In 2025, when the Rockies got behind, it was just going to get worse from there; this year, maybe not.

Hunter Goodman said at Rockies Fest that last year’s team had too many guys who were just “happy to be there.” That’s not the vibe this season.

And in addition to the front office changes, a lot of that can be attributed to manager Warren Schaeffer. It’s a running joke in the press box that after any loss, Schaeffer will say, “They boys never gave up. They kept fighting.” But, really, it’s clear the Rockies are playing hard until the 27th out — witness last night’s 8-7 loss to the Minnesota Twins in extra innings.

This is just a better team to watch.

The front office has improved communication with fans

In previous seasons, it was rare for the general manager to speak with media. That task was largely relegated to then-manager Bud Black and more recently Schaeffer.

That is no longer the case.

During the offseason, DePodesta took seriously his responsibility to talk with press and did so regularly, including whenever the Rockies had an addition to their roster. DePodesta has continued to talk with media since the season began, and he’s take questions from press at least monthly. Last Monday, general manager Josh Brynes did the honors.

Granted, no one is giving away any secrets. But DePodesta and Byrnes have answered every question put to them, and there’s no sense of the prevarication so present in previous front offices.

In terms of actual details, there’s not much there, but in terms of rebuilding relationships with fans and media, it’s been essential. And it reinforces the notion that they are talking with their peers in other organizations.

Whereas previous front offices were seen as isolated – remember the Bill Schmidt caricature on a desert island? — this one seems engaged.

They’ve abandoned pitch suggesting

This was a story I was unable to follow up on, but when meeting with media, Schaeffer revealed that the Rockies stopped using pitch “suggesting” three weeks ago. Schaeffer said they had a few guys they were still supporting in this way, but most had returned to traditional pitch calling.

He did not elaborate on the rationale behind the change, but it’s a story to keep an eye on.

Cole Carrigg is the real deal

It’s been a while since the Rockies have had a real firebrand, the kind of player who can fire up their teammates, but they may have one now with Cole Carrigg.

“I think it's impossible not to let that rub off on you with just the energy and emotion that he brings,” Kyle Karros told me last week of his teammate, adding, “I think that's what makes him such a special player, is that he brings fire to every single element of the game that he's involved in.”

Carrigg is making a mark on the box score as Joelle Milholm details here.

There’s been a lot written about what the Rockies will do with all those outfielders when Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck are healthy again, but one thing is sure: Carrigg is not going back to Albuquerque unless he’s on a rehab assignment.

The season is just more half over with the MLB draft and the trade deadline fast approaching.

In a month, we’ll know a lot more about this team (and this front office).

Closing thoughts

That’s it for this week.

It’s hard to believe July 4 is almost upon us, but here we are. The Rockies will have a home stand against the Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants, so there will be baseball.

As always, thanks for reading —

Renee

Rockies Pitch is a newsletter that focuses on Colorado Rockies baseball.

Find me on Bluesky at @ReneeDechert.com or send an email to Renee@RockiesPitch.com