Monday, March 31

DENVER -- The Rockies are starting to see light.

After postseason trips in 2017 and 2018, the club quickly descended into a rebuild – complete with the struggles of young players, some of whom didn’t stick as centerpieces. Add to that with a pitching core that dealt with major and minor injuries and slumps after signing new contracts and the back and other injuries that beset Kris Bryant just after he signed a seven-year contract going into 2022, and the rebuild crumbled repeatedly.

One aspect of the current construction is tenuous – veteran pitching leaders are late in their contracts. But a young position player core is forming, there’s a well-appreciated team leader in third baseman Ryan McMahon, and a true wave of prospects is forming.

Building a full roster mostly from within is difficult. Perennial contenders with bigger payrolls aren’t as tied to their development programs. But as the Rockies proved during their intermittent postseason appearances, it’s special when it works.

The 2025 season could be the beginning of the program finally working.

What needs to go right? 

Injuries have been an issue through the team's long streak of losing seasons, with the last two ending in triple figures in losses. Bryant has struggled with injuries. The Rockies had considered semi-frequent outfield starts, but now will use him as designated hitter as often as possible. Starting pitchers Kyle Freeland, Ryan Feltner, Germán Márquez, Antonio Senzatela and Austin Gomber all have had significant health challenges. Keeping frontline players on the field is key if the Rockies are to have any chance to surprise.

Great unknown

Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and center fielder Brenton Doyle have done enough over two seasons that they are considered key pieces, along with third baseman McMahon and veterans on the pitching staff. Who is next? Could it be first baseman Michael Toglia, who displayed the power and standout defense that the Rockies wanted when they selected him in the first round out of UCLA in 2019? Recent first-round picks Zac Veen (Rockies No. 8) and Benny Montogmery (No. 15), both outfielders, and Chase Dollander (MLB Pipeline No. 25) and Gabriel Hughes (No. 16), both pitchers; and  international program products Yanquiel Fernandez (No. 6), an outfielder, and Adael Amador (No. 7), a second baseman, are keepers.

Team MVP Will Be ... 

Coming out of Spring Training, it’s a two-man race between Tovar and Doyle. There is no reason both should not be All-Stars. With the pair hitting 1-2 in the order, they should play off each other offensively and play a game of Top This defensively. They play two of the three most important positions defensively. If there’s a guess for team MVP, Tovar has come closer to offensive consistency than Doyle over their two seasons, but Doyle is gaining. Doyle has the base-stealing tool in his bag. Do we really have to pick one? 

Team Cy Young Will Be ... 

Feltner was healthy last season, after missing most of 2023 with a fractured skull. By the second half, he had added a sweeper to bring his list of pitches to six. When he and veteran catcher Jacob Stallings bonded, Feltner developed a knack of making the big pitch after not doing so early in the season. He has all the markings of a breakout pitcher.

Bold Prediction: For there to be a point to the struggles of the last six years, the Rockies have to begin turning the corner. While postseason contention may be a stretch, the Rockies need to be competitive in the second half – with some of the exciting prospects breaking in and showing talent. If all goes as planned, the Rockies’ second half should give fans playoff hopes for 2026.

McGregor Square, across from Coors Field, will be hosting a watch party on Friday starting at 1 p.m. MT as the team opens its regular season against the Rays in Tampa, Fla. The event will feature drink specials, a live DJ, a special guest appearance by Dinger and giveaways that include tickets to the Rockies’ home opener at Coors Field on April 4 against the Athletics, and a one-night stay at the Rally Hotel at McGregor Square. Fans can catch all the action on McGregor Square’s massive 66-foot LED screen, with first pitch scheduled for 2:10 p.m. The event is free and open, but advanced registration is encouraged.

For more information, visit mcgregorsquare.com/events

The release of the roster decisions sparked the predictable fan ire when prospects like Dollander, Veen, relievers Jaden Hill and Zach Agnos, and second baseman Amador were not included. But recent Rockies history suggests that those who don’t line up on the baseline during Opening Day still have a chance to make an impact.

Doyle and outfielder Nolan Jones – traded Sunday to the Guardians for versatile Tyler Freeman – were not on the team at the start of 2023. However, they were regulars before midseason and Jones finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. Toglia was on the team at the start of the year, but he didn’t emerge as a regular until after an option to Albuquerque.

“We all hope that they play very well in the Minors, and they force our hands to get them to the big leagues and prove that they are Major League players,” manager Bud Black said. “Every Major League player, once they get to the big leagues, wants to stay, have an extended career. That’s not always the case.

“Players know that it is a performance game. They determine their own fate by how they play.”

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