But how high has it climbed? And how much better must the offense become to make the Rockies a team with legitimate playoff aspirations? The results have been mixed.

Manager Warren Schaeffer said recently that the Rockies had made “incredible strides,” crediting hitting coaches Brett Pill and Jordan Pacheco, along with Paul DePodesta, president of baseball operations, and general manager Josh Byrnes, for the improvements.

To review, this is the kind of offense Schaeffer envisions.

“We want to put the ball in play, because we were punching out so doggone much last year,” he said. “We want to move the line (by) using the bunt hit, walking, stealing bags, and just playing total offense. That’s what I believe in. That’s what I’ll always believe. Our personnel is directed more toward that this year, for sure.”

The Blake Street Bombers aren’t coming back, so the Rockies are trying to create a well-rounded offense that pressures the opposition and doesn’t go dormant on the road so often.

“Over 162 games, it might seem like slow progress to the outside world, but we track it and it’s going well,” Schaeffer said.

OK, time to crunch the numbers and see just how high the offense has climbed.

Big picture

Colorado entered the weekend series against the Athletics in Las Vegas with a 26-43 record and was on pace to finish 61-102. After 69 games last season, the Rockies were 13-56, and ultimately finished 43-119.

The Rockies’ minus-424 run differential in 2025 was the worst in baseball’s modern era (since 1900), surpassing the 1932 Boston Red Sox (minus-349). No other team has posted a minus-400 run differential at any point in a season in the modern era. Currently, the Rockies have a minus-100 run differential and are on pace to finish with a minus-235.

Slash line

Last season, Colorado’s .237 average, .293 on-base percentage, .386 slugging percentage, and .679 OPS were all the lowest in franchise history.

Things are looking up. Entering the weekend, the Rockies’ slash line was .249/.319/.396 with a .715 OPS. Not an offensive juggernaut by any means — by comparison, the mighty Dodgers are hitting .264/.346/.443 with a .789 OPS — but an improvement.

Clutch hitting

The 2025 Rockies batted .233 with runners in scoring position, the second-lowest average in the majors and the lowest in franchise history. Colorado’s 29 home runs with runners in scoring position were tied for 27th in the majors and tied for the lowest in a full season in franchise history with the 2013 club.

There has been marked improvement this season. The Rockies are hitting .258 with runners in scoring position, ranking 11th in the majors. However, Colorado’s 12 homers with runners in scoring position rank 26th.

Thievery

Schaeffer vowed that the Rockies would steal more bases, and they have. Through their first 66 games, they had swiped 53 bags, their most since 2000 when they had 63 stolen bases in 66 games.

The Rockies rank 10th in the majors. Last season, they finished with 87, ranking 23rd.

Swings and whiffs

Cleaning up all of the ugly, empty at-bats remains one of DePodesta’s top priorities.

“I think foundationally, we as an organization needed to have more plate discipline,” he said last Sunday. “This past year, our chase rate was the highest in baseball — not just in the big leagues, but also in Triple-A, also in Double-A, also in High-A, also in Low-A. So we have a lot of room to make up, just to be on par with some of our competitors in that space.”

Like Schaeffer, DePodesta believes that putting the ball in play is key, especially at Coors Field, where bloop singles, as well as doubles and triples into the alleys, can make life miserable for opposing pitchers.

“We just need to take advantage of all the holes that are out there in the outfield,” DePodesta said. “We need to be able to put more balls in play. In order to do that, we need to swing at better pitches to hit, and we’ve started to do that, which I think has been really encouraging.”

“We’ve started to do that,” is the key phrase here. Last season, the Rockies’ 1,531 strikeouts were the third-most in club history and second-most in the majors behind the Angels (1,627). This season, the Rockies have the fifth most with 621 and are on pace for 1,458. That’s an improvement, though not a massive improvement.

Last season, Colorado finished with a 51.0 swing percentage, a 31.7 chase percentage, and a 29.0 whiff percentage, all the highest marks in the majors.

There have been only incremental improvements this season.  The whiff percentage has dropped to 25.9% (12th highest), but the 51.1% swing rate remains the highest, as does the 34.4% chase rate.

Power supply

The Rockies are still not putting the ball over the wall with much frequency. The 2025 Rockies hit 160 home runs, ranking 25th in the majors and tied for the seventh-fewest for a full season in franchise history (also 2008). This season, Colorado has hit 67 homers (tied for 21st with San Diego) and is on pace to hit just 157 homers.

Curiously, and ominously, the Rockies have hit just 34 home runs at high-altitude Coors Field this season, ranking 19th in the majors. The Rockies are counting on the return of Mickey Moniak from an injured ankle and more homers from rookies like TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg to boost the power supply.

Late-night illiteration aside, it was an impressive win for Colorado. Veteran Michael Lorenzen gave the Rockies a strong start, but it was TJ Rumfield and Sterlin Thompson who stole the show and clinched the three-game series.

Thompson, a native of Longmont (he lived there for six months as an infant), punched a pinch-hit single through the right side of the Cubs’ drawn-in infield to give the Rockies their second walk-off win of the season. Rookie center fielder Cole Carrigg, who debuted on Tuesday, helped douse Thompson with Powerade in the postgame celebration.

“It was a surreal moment,” Thompson said. “It’s awesome that all of the rookies contributed to the moment. Signature moment. It was exciting for the fans and the (organization). It’s something you dream of as a kid and something I will remember for the rest of my life.”

The Rockies were on the verge of a less dramatic win in the eighth when Rumfield launched a two-run homer off reliever Jacob Webb into the right field for a 2-1 lead. It was Rumfield’s eighth homer.

But closer Antonio Senzatela, someone manager Warren Schaeffer touted as a possible All-Star selection before the game, gave up a leadoff homer to Ian Happ in the ninth. Happ blasted Senzatela’s 1-0 cutter 424 feet to left-center, tying the game 2-2. It was just the third homer Senzatela has served up this season.

But it left the Rockies with work to do.

The rally began when Troy Johnston drew a seven-pitch walk from flame-throwing right-hander Daniel Palencia. Pinch hitter Brett Sullivan failed to get down a sacrifice bunt but hit a single to advance Johnston to third and set the stage for Thompson’s game-winning hit. It was the 23rd pinch-hit walk-off in franchise history, and the first since Charlie Blackmon on June 16, 2021, vs. San Diego.

“The Troy (Johnston) at-bat was exceptional, taking a walk off a guy throwing 100 mph like that,” Schaeffer said. “Then ‘Sully,’ after failing to get the bunt down, and then grinding and having grit through that AB, was huge. And to do it off the bench is not easy.”

Schaeffer was thrilled for Rumfield and Thompson.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “Those guys are living the dream, man. It just shows they come ready to play; it doesn’t matter how young they are. It’s very gratifying. I’m so happy for those guys.”

Before the late-game drama, Lorenzen was the story.

Schaeffer has been insisting that Lorenzen had the tools and the smarts to turn around his season. For one night, at least, Schaeffer was right.

Lorenzen pitched three perfect innings before Pete Crow Armstrong led off the fourth with a triple off the centerfield wall. Armstrong scored on Moises’ Ballersteros’ RBI groundout to first. That was the only run Lorenzen allowed. He limited Chicago to two hits, walked two, and struck out a season-high seven.

“I have felt good a while now, but the results just weren’t there,” said Lorenzen, who threw from the windup for the first time in six starts. “You are walking that fine line between making adjustments but not making too many adjustments. But tonight, the pitch execution was good, and the rhythm was good. I thought ‘Goody’ (catcher Hunter Goodman) called a really good game.”

Lorenzen didn’t throw his sweeper as much, choosing instead to go with more four-seam fastballs and an effective slider.

The right-hander entered the night in a bad place. His 8.01 ERA was the highest among major league pitchers with at least 10 starts this season. His 8.15 ERA as a starter was the fourth-highest in franchise history through a player’s first 13 starts with the club. Worse, opponents were hitting .364 against him, the highest average in the majors.

Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga pitched even better than Lorenezen, blanking Colorado for five innings, allowing two hits, walking two, and fanning seven. Rumfield lined a two-out single to left in the first, and Hunter Goodman sliced a leadoff single to right in the fourth.

The Rockies will attempt to sweep the Cubs on Thursday afternoon.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Cubs RHP Edward Cabrera (3-3, 4.99 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (2-1, 4.22), 1:10 p.m.
Friday: Rockies TBA at Athletics TBA, 8:05 p.m.
Saturday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 7.81) at A’s LHP Gage Jump (2-1, 2.45), 8:05 p.m.
Sunday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (6-4, 4.08) at A’s LHP Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.68), 1:05 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Fans like Darren Bellini from Rock Falls, Ill., who’s rooted for the Cubs since his grandmother, Pearl, indoctrinated him when he was a toddler.

Bellini, now 45, has lived in Littleton for the past 26 years, but he’s a Cubs fan, not a Rockies fan. He and his buddy, Adam Hurst, come to Coors Field every time the Northsiders invade LoDo.

“We call it our annual downtown pilgrimage,” said Bellini, who proudly wore the jersey honoring Ryne Sandberg, the Hall of Fame second baseman who died last summer.

The announced crowd at Coors on Tuesday night was 29,302. The crowd seemed larger, probably because of the energy brought to the ballpark by the non-Rockies fans. If blue-and-red jerseys and Chicago ballcaps are an accurate barometer, Cubs fans ruled — by a lot.

‘How can’t you notice it?

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer anticipated that would be the case. He doesn’t like that the Rockies’ home is often a haven for visiting teams, but he knows it’s true.

“It’s not just the Cubs,” he said Tuesday before Colorado shut up Cubs fans with a 7-3 victory. “When it’s the Dodgers, it’s blue over on that side. Because when I coached third base, it was like enemy territory on that side of the field. With the Cardinals, (it was) all red over there.

“Does it bother me? Absolutely, it bothers me. Do I notice it? You absolutely notice it. How can’t you notice it? It’s loud for the other team in our own ballpark. Now, how much is that on us? I would say all of it’s on us.”

The Rockies, 25-42 entering Wednesday night’s game, are headed toward their eighth consecutive losing season. They are trying to avoid losing 100 games for the fourth consecutive season.

Schaeffer, however, is confident that change is on the way.

“I would say that when we start winning a ton of games, which isn’t that far in the future, that the blue is going to morph into purple,” he said. “I’m color blind, so it looks the same, but to other people it’s going to be more purple, and I look forward to that day.”

Veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland, a Denver native, made his major league debut in 2017 and had the best season of his career in ’18. The Rockies made the playoffs in both of those seasons, so he knows what Coors Field feels like when the hometown team is good. But it’s not that way now, and it bugs him when fans pile in for the visiting team.

“I understand that certain teams’ fan bases travel very well, like the Cubs, but when you see fans for other teams, like Houston or Cleveland, come in here and take 30-40% of the seats, it’s annoying and it (ticks) me off,” he said.

Chants of “Let’s go Cubbies” were muted on Tuesday night when Colorado took an early lead. But there have been plenty of other games where Coors feels like Wrigley. Rockies players notice.

“Yeah, it’s felt in the dugout,” Freeland said. “We look around, and it’s like, ‘Man, this doesn’t feel like a home game.’ Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, they hit a home run, you hear it. Or I walk to the mound and I look around and think, ‘Wow! There is a lot of blue, there’s a lot of (Giants) orange. It eats at you.”

A state of transplants

There are plenty of reasons why Cubs Nation thrives in Colorado. For decades, Cubs games were broadcast nationally on WGN — a so-called superstation — that helped create a multigenerational fanbase across the country, particularly in the Midwest and Mountain West.

Hurst, a Colorado native who grew up in Lakewood, was already 13 by the time of the Rockies’ inaugural season in 1993. By then, the Cubs, via WGN, had stolen his heart.

“Yeah (announcers) Harry Caray and Steve Stone were my guys,” Hurst said.

Just under 41% of Colorado residents in 2024 were born in the state, That means that roughly 3.6 million of Colorado’s roughly 6 million residents came from outside the state. Most transplants from the U.S. were from California (407,000) and Texas (221,000), followed by New York, Illinois and Ohio, each with at least 100,000 current Colorado residents.

Skip Perry, owner of in Golden since 2008, is one of those transplants. He proposed to his wife, Paula, on the scoreboard during a Cubs game at the Friendly Confines in 2007. Paula is a Colorado native who grew up in Arvada. Now she has split loyalties between the Cubs/Rockies and Bears/Broncos. After all, she helps run a bar and grill for lovers of all things Chicago.

So, what is it with all of the Cubs fans in Colorado? When the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016 in seven games, about 750 fans poured into Perry’s bar, a place that could seat about 400 at the time.

“First of all, there are a lot of us here,” said Skip, who grew up in the Chicago suburb of Waukegan. “Plus, the Cubs were always lovable losers, so we banded together. My grandfather said to me, ‘The Cubs are going to win the World Series in my lifetime.’ Then my dad said it.”

Skip’s mom said it, too, but she died at 92, two years short of the Cubs’ first title since 1908.

When Skip and Paula were younger, they would rent a bus, load it with 75 Cubs fans, and head for Coors Field.

“It started getting a little bit too crazy for us,” Skip said. “We had to make sure to round everybody up after the game when some of them were trashed. Cubs fans can drink a little bit. So we just decided to host a watch party here.”

Of course, it’s not just the Rockies players and their manager who get tired of seeing Coors morph into a Chicago hot spot at the foot of the Rockies.

“I hate it when the Cubs come here,” said Brad Ricker, a longtime Rockies fan who shares season tickets and attends about 20 games a season. “I usually avoid coming to the Cubs games, because their fans are so obnoxious. But this is a game I drew in the lottery this year. It’s not so bad because we are kicking their (butt) tonight.”

Bellini makes no apologies for his allegiance to the Cubs.

“Listen, I don’t generally come to Rockies games,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ll go on occasion, but I root for the Cubbies. But I love it here at Coors. It’s a beautiful stadium, and you can’t beat the weather.

“I came out to Colorado for the first time when I was 5 and we stayed at my uncle’s house. We sat outside in July and we didn’t get eaten alive by mosquitoes, and you didn’t die from the humidity.

“I told my dad when we were driving back, ‘I’m going to live in Colorado someday. He chuckled, but I moved here as soon as I got out of high school. But all of my allegiances stayed in Illinois.”

Jeff, a Colorado native, began attending Rockies games as a kid growing up in Arvada. He says he can name the starting lineup for the 1995 team that christened Coors Field. Jeff even got to play a game at the ballpark as a member of Pomona High School’s baseball team. He called it “mind-blowing.”

Ashley, a transplant from Ohio, watches as many Rockies games as she can.

But the couple has more than a fan’s interest in hits, runs, errors, and the final score. They have a bigger stake in the Rockies’ future success or failure as the new owners of The Tavern on Blake Street, which is scheduled to open on June 20. The Rockies host the Pittsburgh Pirates that night.

“‘Ash’ and I understand that if the Rockies have 49,000 people sitting in that stadium most nights, it’s because they are going to be in contention and playoff-bound,” Jeff said. “So, obviously, the opportunity for more customers is greater. More butts in seats over there, more butts in seats here.”

The Tavern on Blake Street is a reimagined restaurant and bar built on the bones of the iconic Blake Street Tavern that operated for nearly 20 years before shutting down in April 2023.

“The name is an homage to the original,” said Ashley, who tended bar at the original Blake Street Tavern from 2013-15 when she moved to Denver. “This place meant a lot to me. I found a family here.”

The Moerkes, who met in LoDo, also own and operate and Carbondale, as well as Il Poggio, an Italian eatery in Snowmass.

So why resurrect a restaurant in Downtown Denver?

“For both of us, opening The Tavern on Blake has a lot to do with nostalgia,” Jeff said. “This was a communal sports hub for locals who live right down the street, or for anyone passing through. It was 100% the place to be if you were into sports. I came over here all the time when I was in my 20s, then I’d head over to the Rockies game.

“This place can be every bit as alive as it was 20 years ago, or 10, or five years ago. People want to see it put back together.”

Down times in LoDo

Since Coors Field opened in April 1995, multiple bars and restaurants in the area have come and gone, for several reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much impact the Rockies’ success has on Colorado businesses. However, a recent study by the Common Sense Institute projects significant economic gains if the Rockies were ever to evolve into a big winner.

The report, What Colorado Would Gain from a Top-Ranked Baseball Franchise,” concluded that:

• A “top-ranked Rockies team” would generate up to $262 million more in Colorado consumer spending.

• Total home attendance would rise from 2.4 million to 3.5 million — a 44% increase that could bring an estimated 55,000-275,000 additional out-of-state visitors. The report concluded that a 44% surge in attendance could generate $37 million to $185 million in new direct spending during the regular season.

• A first-place Rockies finish could mean up to 11 home playoff games, contributing $33 million-$55 million in visitor spending and bringing total new direct spending to approximately $70 million-$262 million.

The Rockies, coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons and on their way to their eighth consecutive losing season, have a long way to go before those attendance figures, or that kind of money, are more than just a pipe dream.

Last season, the Rockies drew 2.4 million fans to Coors, an average of 29,687 per game, the lowest since 2007. So far this season, the Rockies have averaged  26,556 fans per game, on pace to finish with a total attendance of 2.2 million. However, crowds at Coors Field traditionally increase as the summer heats up and popular visiting teams, such as the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, come to town.

In 2018, the last time the Rockies made the playoffs, the team drew 3.02 million fans to Coors, an average of 37,233 per game. In 1995, the year Coors opened and the first time the Rockies qualified for the playoffs, 3.39 million fans (47,084) flocked to the LoDo ballpark.

Jeff and Ashley aren’t counting on 11 home playoff games anytime soon, but they have high hopes.

“Hey, the Rockies are better, and they made some changes (to the front office), so that’s good to see,” Jeff said.

The couple also has a game plan. They figure to attract crowds for Broncos, Nuggets and Avalanche games, as well as college sports. The original Blake Street Tavern was a mecca for Colorado Buffs fans under the ownership of Chris Fuselier, the previous owner.  Plus, the Tavern on Blake Street will also host private events.

Upgrades are ongoing as the grand opening nears. The date was pushed back due to HVAC and patio repairs, and costs reached about $1 million.

The 19,000-square-foot space will feature 84 TVs, including a “TV wall” in the basement. An arcade is now in the old tailgate room on the main floor, featuring video sports games, pool, and darts. The basement will have a stage for live music and DJs on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

The menu will feature staples — such as burgers, green chili, nachos and wings — from the Moerke’s other taverns in Snowmass and Carbondale, alongside elevated options, including pricey tomahawk steaks and caviar.

“Just having drinks isn’t the thing anymore,” Jeff said. “It’s not just $6 for a bucket of beers that’s going to draw you in. Now, it’s more about, ‘How can I entertain you? What can I do to keep you here?'”

Added Ashley: “We became a place for the community in Snowmass. The ski instructors would bring in their families for dinner and might be seated next to the tourists they taught on the slopes that day. We want that kind of community in Denver, too.”

I said I was encouraged by the changes to the Rockies’ front office and excited to see the team’s rebuild. However, I added that the upcoming labor war would stall the Rockies’ reconstruction project.  A lengthy and ugly lockout was all but certain. A full 2027 season was in jeopardy, I said.

The muckety muck said I was overreacting.

“This is different than the last lockout,” he said. “We were coming off the 2020 pandemic then, and I think the lockout kind of snuck up on people. I think it’s a good sign that both sides have been talking publicly about this. It’s more out in the open.”

I was skeptical when he said it then. I’m even more skeptical now after reading the rhetoric thrown into the public arena this week.

The Ultimately, MLB and the MLB Players Association agreed to a new CBA on March 10, salvaging the 162-game season. However, the start of the season was delayed by eight days.

This lockout could be much longer and a lot worse.

On Wednesday, the MLBPA made its proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement public. On Thursday, MLB presented its 200-page proposal, which included its first official salary cap proposal since 1994.

The union’s response was swift, predictable, and unyielding.

“(Wednesday), the MLBPA presented a comprehensive package of proposals designed to improve compensation for players at all levels, and to incentivize and reward competition on the field,” interim union chief Bruce Meyer said in a statement. “The owners responded today with a demand for a salary cap system, something generations of players have fought against. The last time the owners made such an explicit push for a cap — over 30 years ago — it led to the longest work stoppage in MLB history.

“For generations, our members have fought against cap systems because they harm players at all levels, erode or eliminate contractual guarantees, pit player against player, lead to more work stoppages, not less, and get worse for players over time.”

In other words, MLB’s proposal was a non-starter.

Under MLB’s proposal, each team would need to maintain a payroll between $171.2 million and $245.3 million, starting in 2027. There would be a 50-50 split of revenues.

“The biggest issue we need to solve next to continue to grow the game off the field is fixing the payroll disparity unseen in any other major U.S. sport,” MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin said in a statement. “Ultimately, the game is about hope and competition and too many fans in too many markets have too little hope their team has a fair chance to win.

“Fans overwhelmingly support a salary cap and floor like in the other leagues because they don’t believe a $446 million spending gap from top to bottom is a fair fight. Our salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 as we grow the game together.”

The players aren’t buying it.

“Baseball is experiencing unprecedented momentum and owners are enjoying record viewership, revenues and franchise values,” Meyer’s statement said. “Billionaire owners are not seeking to cap their profits or asset values, only player salaries.

“This isn’t out of generosity or a desire to protect the game’s well-being. It����ap a play to control costs, increase profits and maximize franchise values — all at the expense of players past, present and future. We’ll continue our review of the owners’ proposal and stand ready to negotiate system improvements that benefit players and fans alike.”

The only shared sentiment from either side is that they are seeking a new CBA that will “benefit the fans.”

That’s laughable. Volleyballing the fans back and forth in negotiations has nothing to do with the labor war. This is about money and power. The fans are an afterthought.

A fundamental part of MLB’s proposal is a change to local media revenues. As the sport would centralize TV revenue, a major change commissioner Rob Manfred has sought. That means the big-market teams with the largest television contracts, such as the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, are willing to share their TV money — a trade-off in exchange for the other benefits they’d reap in a cap system.

Writes Drellich: “It����ap a change that owners probably would never be willing to make outside of a cap system.”

The key point in the latest labor battle is that MLB wants to change the system by implementing a hard cap. The MLBPA does not.

It’s important to remember that MLB remains the only major North American professional sports league without a cap-and-floor system. The owners argue that the players — especially the wealthiest, along with their powerful agents — will have to bend and reconsider their position on a cap.

put it this way: “The league is positioning its salary cap stance as the panacea to competitive balance issues. Regardless of some small-market, low-revenue teams’ ability to construct some of the best teams in baseball — the Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Guardians are perennial winners under the current system — large-market, big-payroll teams have won the past 10 World Series.

“Combine that with the dominance of the Los Angeles Dodgers and league polling that shows fans want a cap-and-floor system like the NFL, NBA and NHL, and it has emboldened the league to pursue change, even if the union regards a salary cap as a declaration of war.”

That sounds ominous.

The last time baseball owners proposed a firm cap, in 1994, it prompted a 7½-month strike that forced the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years. MLB eventually withdrew the cap proposal after pressure from the National Labor Relations Board. Still, the damage was done.

On the field and in the public consciousness, baseball is in a good place. Changes — the pitch clock and ABS, in particular — have made the game more enjoyable. The level of play has never been better.

But if games are wiped out in 2027, the fallout could be worse than in 1994. There are a lot more entertainment options now than there were three decades ago. This time around, baseball fans might not forgive, and they might forget to come back.

Castro, 29, is a veteran utility player who’s played primarily second base and shortstop, with spot duty at third base and in the outfield. He made the

The Puerto Rican native is a switch-hitter who has shown the ability to get on base. He can provide a spark by stealing a base.

Thursday, the free agent and the Rockies agreed to terms on a two-year, $12.8 million contract, a source confirmed. The club has not officially announced the deal.

The Rockies, coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons, including a 119-loss season in 2025, need some experience in the infield. Colorado finished the season with rookies Kyle Karros at third base, Ryan Ritter at second base and Blaine Crim at first base.

Castro had a breakout with the Twins in 2023, who picked him up after he was non-tendered by the Tigers following the 2022 season. He signed a minor league deal with Minnesota but made the big-league roster and played in 124 games, slashing .257/.339./411, hitting nine home runs and stealing 33 bases in 38 attempts.

In 2024, he slashed .247/.331/.385, hit a career-high 12, drove in 60 runs and swiped 14 bases. He played every position except for catcher and first base. He pitched two emergency innings.

Castro was having a similar season in the first half of 2025, but was part of the Twins’ fire sale at the trade deadline and was dealt to the Cubs. He played sparingly for Chicago (34 games, 110 plate appearances) and hit just .170.

More moves coming? The Rockies officially signed right-hander Michael Lorenzen on Thursday. The deal will guarantee Lorenzen $8 million for 2026, with a club option for $9 million in 2027. To clear room on their 40-man roster, the Rockies designated right-hander Bradley Blalock for assignment.

The club might not be done reshaping its rotation, even after picking up right-hander Keegan Thompson off waivers from Cincinnati on Wednesday.

“We all need (pitchers), all 30 teams,” said Paul DePodesta, the new president of baseball operations. “We are all looking for arms, especially ones that are starting. That’s a quest we will always be on, to find additions we can make.

“There are also some position spots we would like to fill, and we have been having conversations about those as well.”

Coors Field alterations? The Rockies might look at changing the outfield dimensions at Coors Field at some point in the future. Emphasis on might.

But for now, the Rockies will not follow the path of the Kansas City Royals, who announced this week that they are Kauffman and Coors feature the two biggest outfields in the majors.

“I think we need to explore everything,” DePodesta said. “But look, I don’t think we are far enough along in (many) areas to determine the right path to take.

“But we are logging all of the questions we want to answer, and that’s certainly one of them — to understand how (Coors Field) plays and how any change to the ballpark might impact that. But I think it’s probably too early to go down that road.”

At Kauffman, the left- and right-field walls will be moved in by 9 to 10 feet, starting close to the foul poles and tapering toward the center field wall, which will remain 410 feet from home plate. In most places in the outfield, the height of the fence will be shortened from 10 feet to 8½.

“There’s a lot of different things that go into it,” “During the course of the season, we just started doing some research, running some numbers and trying to figure out how much this really impacts our offense.

“Consequently, how would it affect our pitching staff? Ultimately, we concluded that we would be a better team offensively. With our current pitching staff, the changes in the dimensions wouldn’t impact (pitching) negatively as much as it impacts our offense positively.”

No, not because of the Rockies’ dreadful season. Like many of you, I’ve become numb to the mounting losses.

My brain is doing cartwheels because my boss suggested that I write about Major League Baseball’s future expansion and possible realignment as the topic for my weekly journal. Thanks, Mr. Schubert.

So I read various opinions, contemplated rivalries, considered playoff implications, played around with geography, thought about schedules, and fretted over baseball’s history and cherished records.

Why write about this now? After all, expansion is years away, and we don’t even know which two cities will be selected when MLB grows from 30 to 32 teams.

Here’s why it’s a hot topic: Commissioner Rob Manfred recently discussed it on ESPN.

“I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign,” Manfred said. “I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel.”

Manfred also talked about TV broadcast schedules, time zones, and the need to grow the game. The last MLB expansion event was in 1998 when Arizona and Tampa Bay joined. The time has come to expand. My front-runners are Salt Lake City, Nashville, Portland, and Charlotte. Picking two from that group will be tough. However, there are other cities in the running.

I’ve seen various plans for realignment. Many would scrap the American and National leagues. One plan would create four eight-team divisions.

The plan I like most would create eight four-team divisions, based on geography. I would keep the American and National leagues and protect division rivalries such as Yankees-Red Sox, Dodgers-Giants and Cardinals-Cubs.

The Rockies would leave the NL West and jump to an AL division. The Dodgers wouldn’t be able to bully the Rockies year after year. And let’s face it, the Rockies don’t have a rival.

Here’s how the realignment would look:

AL East
• Baltimore Orioles
• Boston Red Sox
• New York Yankees
• Toronto Blue Jays

Traditional rivals, tough crowds, and good baseball.

AL West
• Las Vegas Athletics
• Los Angeles Angels
• Salt Lake City or Portland
• Seattle Mariners

It’s a sensible plan for travel purposes, and who knows, maybe Vegas vs. Salt Lake turns into a rivalry.

AL North
• Chicago White Sox
• Cleveland Guardians
• Detroit Tigers
• Minnesota Twins

The weather would be a problem in the spring and fall, but those fans are used to it.

AL South

• Colorado Rockies
• Houston Astros
• Kansas City Royals
• Texas Rangers

Hey, Denver and K.C. are both on I-70, right? Additionally, Colorado is a playground for wealthy Texans, making it a natural fit.

NL East
• New York Mets
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• Washington Nationals

The Pirates have to switch divisions, but I’m not sure it matters. Fans from Philly and Queens can continue to duke it out.

NL West
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• San Diego Padres
• San Francisco Giants

The division stays the same, except for the loss of the Rockies. I’m betting West Coast pitchers won’t miss Coors Field.

NL North
• Chicago Cubs
• Cincinnati Reds
• Milwaukee Brewers
• St. Louis Cardinals

Good, strong baseball fans in Middle America.

NL South
• Atlanta Braves
• Miami Marlins
• Nashville or Charlotte
• Tampa Bay Rays

This would be the most problematic division because, once the Braves get their act together, they would dominate.

Now, on to the schedule.

I’m not an analytical person, so I turned to Hall of Fame baseball writer Jayson Stark for his concept. Stark foresees the possibility of MLB cutting its schedule from 162 games to 156.

Here’s what :

“One club official we spoke with this week casually referred to baseball’s current 162-game slog as ‘an endangered species.’ Another longtime club executive, also granted anonymity so he could speak freely, was even more emphatic. ‘Expansion,’ he said, ‘means the end of 162.’ ”

I’m OK with that. I could even buy into returning to 154 games. Of course, fewer games could mean less money for the players, and their union could balk at that idea. Some fans might worry about records, but baseball survived the change from 154 to 162, and it survived lockouts, strikes and steroids.

But for the sake of this exercise, let’s return to Stark’s idea of 156:

• Twelve games versus each of the other three teams inside the division (36 games).

• Six games versus the other 12 teams in your league (72).

• Three games versus the 16 teams from the other league (48).

That brings us to 156. The players could get more days off, and maybe the World Series would stick to October, where it belongs.

Stark suggests expanding the playoffs from 12 teams to 16. I can’t go there. I don’t want half of the teams in the playoffs. I say, stick with 12 teams, six from each league. That would break down to four division winners and two wild-card teams from each league.

So, there you have it. Your Colorado Rockies, AL South champions in 2034!

Entering the weekend, 6,319 home runs had been launched at Coors — 3,187 by the Rockies and 3,132 by the visitors — one no-hitter had been thrown, and a few other no-nos nearly came to be. An announced 81,896,843 fans have witnessed countless memories over that time. Here are the 30 most unforgettable:

30. Spoiler alert

Date: Sept. 27, 1998

The Giants needed a win on the final day of the season to clinch a wild-card berth. Neifi Perez had other ideas, hitting a walk-off homer in the ninth off Robb Nen to beat the Giants, 9-8. The Giants were forced to play the Cubs in the wild-card tiebreaker game, which they lost, 5-3, at Wrigley Field.

29. LoDo snow job

Date: April 16, 2013

The Mets and Rockies woke up to 9 inches of snow but managed to play a doubleheader. Rockies owner Dick Monfort and Mets general manager Sandy Alderson were among those who grabbed snow shovels. The Rockies warmed up by sweeping the Mets, 8-4 and 9-8.

28. A 20-spot vs. BoSox

Date: July 24, 2024

There wasn’t a lot to cheer about during a 101-loss season, but Colorado rocked the Red Sox on a 93-degree day, mashing four home runs, including the first grand slam of Brenton Doyle’s career in a 20-7 win. The Rockies’ 20 runs tied a franchise high.

27. Catcher pitches a win

Date: Aug. 22, 2000

Catcher Brett Mayne delivered a victory for the Rockies in the 12th inning against the Braves. He became the first position player in 32 years to record a big-league pitching victory. Mayne stranded two runners by retiring Chipper Jones on a check-swing grounder for the final out. Rocky Colavito had been the last position player to win a game from the mound, pitching 2 ⅔ shutout innings as the Yankees defeated Detroit on Aug. 25, 1968, the year Mayne was born.

26. Avs ice Red Wings

Date: Feb. 26, 2016

A crowd of 43,319 showed up to watch Avalanche alumni beat the Red Wings’ old-timers, 5-2, on the eve of the Stadium Series regular-season game between the rivals. Avs defenseman Ray Bourque had a goal and two assists, and Joe Sakic, the Avalanche’s longtime captain and the team’s general manager, had a goal and an assist. Goaltender Patrick Roy, then the Avs’ 50-year-old coach, stopped 20 of 21 shots in two periods.

25. Opener in time of COVID

Date: July 31, 2020

It was 85 degrees at first pitch, and there were no fans in the stands, but they played baseball at Coors for the first time in 2020.  A smattering of fans showed up, set up camp chairs on the sidewalk on Blake Street, and peered through the gates. The Padres beat the Rockies 8-7 when closer Wade Davis gave up four runs in the ninth.

24. Alonso shells Coors

Date: July 12, 2021

Mets slugger Pete Alonso pronounced himself “the best power hitter on the planet” and then proved it in the Home Run Derby. Alonso successfully defended his 2019 crown — there was no event in 2020 due to the pandemic — by topping Trey Mancini of the Orioles in the final round, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (1998-99) and Yoenis Céspedes (2013-14) as the only back-to-back derby champs.

23. Independence Day Marathon

Date: July 4, 2010

The Giants and Rockies played a 15-inning game that took 5 hours and 24 minutes, making it the longest game in Coors Field history. Colorado won 4-3 when Dexter Fowler led off the 15th with a triple, and Johnny Herrera and Carlos Gonzalez were intentionally walked to load the bases. Todd Helton drove in Fowler with the winning run, hitting a sacrifice fly to left.

22. In-game fireworks

Date: July 4, 2008

Colorado trailed 13-4 coming to bat in the fourth inning but beat the Marlins 18-17, scoring two runs in the ninth for the walk-off win. The Rockies hit six home runs, with Ryan Spilborghs and Matt Holliday each clubbing two. Catcher Chris Iannetta hit a weak groundball past third base to score Holliday for the walk-off victory.

21. Nine-run ninth

Date: July 6, 2010

Colorado erased a six-run deficit in the ninth, scored nine times, and stunned St. Louis, 12-9, on sweet-swinging Seth Smith’s two-out, three-run, walk-off homer. At the time, no team in the modern era had ever scored nine runs in the bottom of the ninth to win a game.

20. Helton belts 2,500th

Date: Sept. 1, 2013

Todd Helton drove a 3-2 pitch the opposite way for a double and the 2,500th hit of his career. He became the 96th player in major league history to reach the milestone.

19. Spilly’s walk-off slam

Date: Aug. 24, 2009

Fan favorite Ryan Spilborghs hit a grand slam in the 14th for a come-from-behind, 6-4 victory over the Giants. His walk-off granny was sweet redemption. Spilborghs failed to deliver with men on base in the 10th inning, grounding into a double play with a man on third. In the top of the 14th, he misread the carom off the wall on Edgar Renteria’s triple that started the Giants’ three-run rally.

18. Grand larceny

Date: June 30, 1996

Eric Young tied a big-league record with six stolen bases, Quentin McCracken swiped two, and Ellis Burks and Dante Bichette each stole one as the Rockies notched a wild, 16-15 walk-off win over the Dodgers. Colorado’s 10 stolen bases remains a franchise record.

17. Helton’s grand finale

Date: Sept. 25, 2013

In the 1,148th game of his career at Coors, including seven postseason games, Helton went out with a bang. In his first at-bat, on a 1-1 count, Helton blasted an 87-mph cutter from Boston starter Jake Peavy over the right-field scoreboard for the 369th, and last, home run of his career.

16. Lansing’s four-inning cycle

Date: June 18, 2000

There have been a major league-record 19 cycles hit at Coors Field, but Mike Lansing’s was the fastest. He completed it with a single in the fourth inning after ripping a triple in the first, hitting a two-run homer in the second, and a two-run double in the third. Colorado bludgeoned Arizona 19-2 on Father’s Day.

15. Nomo’s no-no

Date: Sept. 17, 1996

Los Angeles Dodgers legendary broadcaster Vin Scully was on the call on that cold, drizzly night in LoDo: “Hideo Nomo has done what they said could not be done. … Not in the Mile High City. Not at Coors Field in Denver. He has not only shut out the Rockies, Nomo walked four and struck out eight in the Dodgers’ 9-0 victory.

14. K-Free’s near no-no

Date: July 9, 2017

Rookie left-hander Kyle Freeland came two outs away from pitching the Rockies’ first no-hitter at Coors. Chicago White Sox All-Star outfielder Melky Cabrera broke up the no-no with a single to left. After Cabrera’s single, Freeland, who fanned nine, was relieved by Jordan Lyles, who closed out Colorado’s 10-0 victory.

13. Marquez’s near no-no

Date: June 29, 2021

German Marquez pitched eight hitless innings, but the Pirates’ Ka’ai Tom singled to lead off the ninth. Marquez recovered quickly after Tom’s single, inducing a double play followed by a groundout to end his 8-0, complete-game victory. Marquez struck out five, walked just one, and needed 92 pitches.

12. One hell of a Story

Date: Sept. 5, 2018

All-Star shortstop Trevor Story mashed three home runs, including a 487-footer, in Colorado’s 5-3 win over the Giants. Story’s three dingers traveled a combined 1,362 feet. All three of Story’s homers came off San Francisco right-hander Andrew Suarez.

11. Chuck Nasty’s grand opening

Date: April 4, 2014

Charlie Blackmon was on the roster bubble at the end of spring training, but he ignited his All-Star career in Colorado’s 12-2 home-opening win over Arizona. Blackmon went 6 for 6 with a homer and three doubles, becoming the first player since the Pirates’ Dick Groat in his MVP season of 1960 to have three doubles among six hits in a game.

10. Jon Gray’s 16K gem

Date: Sept. 17, 2016

The “Gray Wolf” let loose a howl at the end of Colorado’s 8-0 victory over the Padres. In his complete-game shutout, the right-hander struck out a club-record 16, the most by any single pitcher in Coors Field history. Gray allowed four hits and walked none.

9. Humidor’s debut

Date: March 31, 2002

Coors remains the most hitter-friendly park in the majors, but the installation of a humidor changed things. From 1995 to 2001, Colorado’s average team ERA was 6.14, and the pitching staff gave up an average of 126.7 home runs per season. But in the first 20 years of the humidor (2002-2021), the ERA shrank to 5.06, and home runs dropped to 98.8 per season. Before the humidor, the Rockies’ batting average at Coors was .328, and they averaged 128.3 home runs per season. Post-humidor, the average fell to .295, and home runs tumbled to 103.2.

8. CarGo’s walk-off cycle

Date: July 31, 2010

Carlos Gonzalez hit a leadoff, walk-off, 462-foot homer into the upper deck in right field off Sean Marshall to beat the Cubs, 6-5. CarGo became the first player since Boston’s Dwight Evans in 1984 to hit a walk-off home run to complete the cycle. CarGo singled in the first, tripled in the third, doubled in the fifth and hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

7. 1998 All-Star fireworks

Date: July 6-7, 1998

In the highest-scoring All-Star Game to that point, the American League beat the National League 13-8 in a wild affair that included a record-tying 31 hits. The day before, Ken Griffey Jr., who had initially declined to participate, won the Home Run Derby. Griffey hit 19 homers to beat Jim Thome in the finals.

6. Helton’s walk-off ignites Rocktober

Date: Sept. 18. 2007

Todd Helton smashed a two-run, walk-off homer off closer Takashi Saito for a 9-8 victory, capping a doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers and keeping the Rockies’ faint playoff hopes alive. Helton, displaying rare on-field emotion, ran around the bases with his finger signaling No. 1 and then leaped into a mosh pit at home plate.

5. 1995 wild-card clincher

Date: Oct. 1, 1995

The Rockies rallied from a six-run deficit as Larry Walker and Eric Young hit two-run homers to spark a 10-9 victory over the Giants and clinch the wild-card berth. Curtis Leskanic struck out J.R. Phillips and Tom Lampkin before allowing a single to Glenallen Hill. Then Leskanic induced a groundout to clinch the win. No expansion baseball team ever qualified for the playoffs quicker than the Rockies, who did it in their third year of existence.

4. Dante’s walk-off inferno

Date: April 26, 1995

In the first game played at 20th and Blake, Dante Bichette delivered a magical moment. In the 14th inning of a cold and frosty game, with runners at first and second and one out, Bichette hammered a 2-1 pitch off left-hander Mike Remlinger.

“A high drive, way back, and there’s the storybook ending for the Rockies!” ESPN’s Jon Miller shouted as Bichette’s blast landed halfway up the bleachers in left-center for Colorado’s 11-9 victory.

3. Arenado’s Father’s Day cycle

Date: June 18, 2017

Third baseman Nolan Arenado, blood dripping down his face from a cut above his eye, screamed to the heavens after blasting a walk-off, three-run homer off closer Mark Melancon to beat San Francisco 7-5 in front of a delirious sellout Father’s Day crowd of 48,341.  Arenado became the fifth player in big-league history to hit a walk-off homer to finish his cycle. Arenado’s face was cut during the celebration at home plate.

2. Rockies clinch NL pennant

Date: Oct. 15, 2007

Troy Tulowitzki scooped up a grounder hit by Eric Byrnes and rifled a throw to first baseman Todd Helton, who caught the ball and then raised both arms over his head in jubilation. The Rockies were going to the World Series after beating the Diamondbacks, 6-4, to sweep the National League Championship Series. Colorado won 21 of 22 games to reach baseball’s promised land, becoming the first team since the 1935 Chicago Cubs to win 21 of 22 after Sept. 1.

1. Game 163, Holliday crash-lands at home

Date: Oct. 1, 2007

The wild, 9-8, 13-inning wild-card play-in victory in Game 163 over the Padres ranks as one of the greatest games in Colorado sports history. The Rockies squandered leads of 3-0 and 6-5, and their season was on the brink when Scott Hairston hit a two-run homer off Jorge Julio, giving San Diego an 8-6 lead in the 13th.

In the bottom of the inning, Kaz Matsui ignited the rally off super-closer Trevor Hoffman with a double, and Troy Tulowitzki followed with a double of his own, cutting the lead to 8-7. Then Matt Holliday ripped a line-drive triple off the out-of-town scoreboard in right field. With the score tied 8-8, Hoffman intentionally walked Helton to set up the right-on-right matchup with Jamey Carroll.

Carroll hit Hoffman’s first pitch into shallow right, Giles caught it, and Holliday tagged up from third. Holliday charged home, catcher Michael Barrett couldn’t handle Giles’ throw, but Barrett blocked the plate with his left foot, making it unclear whether Holliday touched home with his left hand as he slid headfirst, bloodying his chin. Holliday was called safe, and the Rockies earned the NL wild card, completing a magical run in which they won 14 of 15 regular-season games.

Sosa released a statement Thursday, paving the way for the former National League MVP, who has been estranged from the organization since he left the Cubs after the 2004 season. Sosa had been linked to performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) .

“I understand why some players in my era don’t always get the recognition that our stats deserve,” . “There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games. I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.

“We can’t change the past, but the future is bright. In my heart, I have always been a Cub and I can’t wait to see Cubs fans again.”

Following the apology, Chairman Tom Ricketts announced the team had invited Sosa to next month’s Cubs Convention.

“We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out,” Ricketts said in a statement. “No one played harder or wanted to win more. Nobody’s perfect but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs.

“It is an understatement to say that Sammy is a fan favorite. … We are all ready to move forward together.”

Sosa captured national attention in the as he and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark McGwire chased Roger Maris’ single-season home run record. The feat memorably was broken when in St. Louis en route to setting the new mark (70). Sosa went on to slug 66 home runs and earned NL MVP honors, the 10th Cub to win the award at the time.

But for as much as Sosa is remembered for his prodigious power in a Cubs uniform and being part of the memorable 1998 and 2003 teams, his career wasn’t without controversy.

In June 2003, when it cracked during an at-bat. Although he claimed it was a batting-practice bat he accidentally grabbed, he was suspended for seven games. He ended his Cubs career by leaving Wrigley Field during the game on the final day of the 2004 season. at his locker and subsequently smashed by a teammate.

Sosa was among the major-league players and executives who in 2005 as Congress attempted to pressure MLB to toughen its steroid and PED policy. During the testimony, Sosa denied ever taking illegal PEDs.

After Thursday’s statements, all that now remains in the past for the two sides.

“Cubs fans are the best in the world,” Sosa said in Thursday’s statement, “and I hope that fans, the Cubs and I can all come together again and move forward.”