Negative WAR. Positive vibes.
These are the 2026 Rockies.
They are not good, entering the weekend with a 45-70 record. But they are not awful, showing regular competence and offensive potency.
This team competes. This team cares. And it is why the final 47 games matter.
This collection of Rockies does not deserve to be forever stained by history. Colorado must win 18 times over the next six weeks to avoid becoming the first team to post four consecutive 100-loss seasons since the 1962-65 expansion New York Mets.
The ’65 Mets did not have a single player hit 20 home runs, but featured a pitcher with 24 losses. Even Hall of Famer Warren Spahn wore it, going 4-12 with a 4.36 ERA.
For a Colorado organization emphasizing “The Climb,” the incline is manageable. The Rockies must win at a 39% clip over the remainder of the season, the same pace they have performed for four months.
It is not a big ask.
Nobody on Blake Street will launch confetti canyons over 63 wins. But removing the yoke of a century of losses would lighten the burden moving forward.
“Progress is important — 100 losses is definitely something to avoid,” general manager Josh Byrnes told The Post on Friday. “But, big picture, 90-something losses is still not good enough. We have to keep making progress and build towards winning.”
With squinting, it is easy to see the offensive pieces falling into place. After somehow struggling to score the previous three seasons — imagine not being able to catch fish in a barrel — the Rockies are averaging 4.81 runs, while hitting .255 with 130 home runs.
The year-over-year jump is substantial enough — 3.68 runs, .237 average, 160 homers in 2025 — to create optimism. There are multiple players — Hunter Goodman, T.J. Rumfield, Jake McCarthy, Cole Carrigg, Mickey Moniak and Kyle Karros — who represent potential mainstays. And perhaps Ezequiel Tovar will figure out how to handle the high fastball — if not, Carrigg is a viable option at shortstop — and Charlie Condon will provide a September boost.
The lineup is lengthening, and making better swing decisions.
Pitching remains the problem.
The Rays broomed the Rockies earlier this week at Coors Field, showing the ground Colorado must cover to become a contender. There will be hiccups after trading away Antonio Senzatela and Victor Vodnik. But it is time for the young arms, like Nick Frasso, to prove they belong.
The rotation needs a bump.
The second half is about figuring out if Ryan Feltner is worthy of a spot — his stuff plays, but his inconsistency remains maddening. Is Gabriel Hughes’ cutter a sustainable weapon or a mirage? Will Mason Adams, acquired in the Brenton Doyle deal, make his case with a handful of starters over the next month? And can those three anchor the rotation in 2027 — if there is a season — before Chase Dollander returns around July?
The Rockies can always find a veteran bounce-back candidate for cheap, but there is no escape from the prison of the NL West basement or flirting with 100 losses without a young core of starters.
Colorado is projected to win 20 more games than last season. A 63-99 mark is nothing to boast about, but it represents an important baby step toward relevance.
Radio silence: The Columbus Blue Jackets eliminated their radio team, opting to simulcast their television audio feed. This is a horrible trend, depriving fans of a call that fills in the gap and provides color. If the Jackets are that broke, maybe they should cut a player instead of this corner.
He said what? New Purdue athletic director Tommy McClelland delivered one of the worst one-liners ever at an introductory presser. “We are here to win championships and if you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.” McClelland admitted his attempt at humor failed. He went off script, but this leak was so bizarre it raises questions about his judgment. Purdue hasn’t won a national championship since the women’s golf team in 2010.
