If that were really true, then it would make no sense to point out that after 55 games last season, the Rockies had a 9-46 record. Or to note that after 55 games this season, the Rockies are 20-35 — an 11-game improvement.

But, in the real world, you can’t separate the two seasons. We need a measuring stick to gauge the state of the Rockies. So, using Memorial Day as a traditional baseball milestone, here is an assessment of the club with one-third of the season in the books:

Won-loss record: Colorado entered Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles with the lowest winning percentage (.364) in the majors and the worst run-differential (minus-65). The woeful Angels (20-34, .370, minus-62) are competing with the Rockies as the worst team in baseball.

At their current pace, the Rockies would finish the season 59-103 and become the first team since the 1961-64 Washington Senators to suffer four consecutive 100-loss seasons.

Starting rotation: Paul DePodesta, the first-year president of baseball operations, spent $19.1 million to sign veteran pitchers Michael Lorenzen ($8 million), Jose Quintana ($6.0), and Tomoyuki Sugano ($5.1 million). The theory was that adding the trio would stabilize the rotation and give Colorado’s young pitchers time to develop. It’s a solid plan.

But after a relatively strong start, the plan is falling apart. Rockies starters had a 5.67 ERA entering Tuesday night’s game. That’s the worst in the majors, and although it’s not as bad as the historically bad 6.65 ERA the rotation posted last season, it’s heading in that direction.

The Rockies have a 6-17 record in May, and the starters’ failures are the chief culprit. They are�� 2-13 with a 7.11 ERA, though right-hander Tanner Gordon gave Colorado five solid innings on Monday night to stop the bleeding.

Sugano’s excellent start on Friday night in Arizona (6 2/3 innings and two runs allowed) was an anomaly. It provided Colorado with its first quality start since Quintana (six innings, one run) on May 1 against the Braves. Sugano’s outing snapped a streak of 18 consecutive starts without a quality start by a Colorado pitcher, the third-longest drought in franchise history and the longest since a 21-game stretch June 5-28, 2012.

Injuries, coupled with a lack of quality depth, have played a major role. Quintana left Sunday’s start in Arizona in the second inning with elbow pain and is now on the 15-day injured list. Right-hander Chase Dollander (right elbow sprain) won’t even begin throwing for another two weeks. At least right-hander Ryan Feltner (right ulnar nerve inflammation) will return to the rotation this week. He’s been out since April 24.

While Sugano has been solid (4-3, 3.86 ERA), Lorenzen has been one of the worst pitchers in the majors with a 7.21 ERA, 1.90 WHIP, and a .353 batting average against.

And home-grown lefty Kyle Freeland has struggled since coming back from the IL (left shoulder tightness) on April 28. In five starts since his return, he’s posted a 10.32 ERA.

What’s especially concerning is that the Rockies’ pitching prospects seem a long way away from helping out.

Of the Rockies’ top 10 prospects (MLB Pipeline), only three of them are pitchers: right-handers JB Middleton and Brody Brecht, and lefty Griffin Herring. None of them is expected to debut until 2027, at the earliest. Lefty Sean Sullivan (No. 11) and Gabriel Hughes (No. 16) could be in the rotation sooner, but neither projects as an impact starter.

Colorado needs more talented young pitching in the system, perhaps via trades.

Power outage: Colorado entered Tuesday’s game with 46 home runs, tied for the fifth-fewest with Arizona, Detroit and San Francisco. In May, the Rockies have slugged only 15 homers, tied with the D-Backs for the third fewest. The Rockies have hit only 21 homers at Coors Field, the fourth-fewest at home among big-league teams. The Blake Street Bombers are not on deck.

Though Schaeffer loves homers, he says he’s not overly concerned by his team’s lack of power.

“You don’t need to win by hitting home runs,” Schaeffer told reporters on Saturday night in Arizona. “You win by doing a lot of different things. We won a game (Friday) night without hitting a homer. I’ll take that 162 times.”

Poor execution: The Rockies brass won’t say it publicly, but there is a huge talent gap between the Rockies and most of the teams they play. Add in the lack of power and bad starting pitching, and it’s easy to see why they are heading for another 100-loss season.

Schaeffer and the front office want a fast, athletic team that pushes the action. The Rockies have done that, at times, this season. But Schaeffer’s style of baseball requires sharp execution and precision. That’s been lacking in May. Too many walks by the pitchers and too many empty at-bats and poorly executed bunts have frustrated Schaeffer.

“Both of their leadoff walks scored, and we had eight free passes; that’s not good enough,” Schaeffer told reporters on Thursday night after a 2-1 walk-off loss to the Diamondbacks. “We can’t do that. And (there was a) lack of execution. They execute, we don’t execute tonight, and we lose. Story of the game.”

During spring training, he was a mesmerizing player who immediately grabbed my attention. I’m not an expert on the intricacies of his swing path or any deficiencies in his approach at the plate. But I did see a player with incredible skills — speed, strong arm, power — and the ability to put the ball in play and make things happen.

Manager Warren Schaeffer, who covets those types of players, confirmed my observations.

“I love the way Cole plays the game,” Schaeffer told me. “He’s uber-athletic. Cole plays with a high motor and brings a certain edge to his game that’s infectious. He has an extremely bright future.”

The switch-hitting Carrigg, ranked as is raking for Triple-A Albuquerque. Still, his big-league debut doesn’t appear imminent, even though Rockies outfielders Jordan Beck and Brenton Doyle have struggled so far this season.

The Rockies brass are weighing his 33 games for the Isotopes, but are also aware of his struggles last season at Double-A Hartford.

Here’s what Paul DePodesta, Colorado president of baseball operations, said earlier this month: “We want to call players up when they are banging down the door, where we have to make room for them because they’re just playing so well and that they have the underlying foundation in place to be successful up here — not just to survive, but to be successful.”

But if Carrigg isn’t banging down the door just yet, he’s certainly knocking on it. Loudly.

The Isotopes center fielder/shortstop was named the Pacific Coast League player of the week for April 27-May 3. In six games, Carrigg went 14 for 24 with two doubles, a triple, a homer, eight RBIs and four stolen bases. Overall, he entered the weekend hitting .369 with two homers, 27 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases.

“I feel like my swing is in a great spot and I can put the bat on the ball again,” Carrigg said during a phone interview from Sugarland, Texas, where the Isotopes were playing the Space Cowboys. “That’s something I kind of lost in Double-A (Hartford) last year. I kind of got into some bad habits.

“Those things are kind of hard to get out of sometimes when your muscle memory takes over, and you’re doing something you don’t want to do. So I got a much-needed reset in the offseason and got back to feeling good about my swing.”

At Hartford, Carrigg slashed .237/.316/.394 with a 27% strikeout rate vs. an 8% walk rate. Those were disappointing numbers. But his athleticism shone bright. He stole 46 bases in 56 attempts, and he had a remarkable 18 outfield assists.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Carrigg, selected by Colorado with the 65th overall pick of the 2023 draft out of San Diego State, has one of the strongest arms in minor league baseball. At the ’23 draft combine, he from the outfield.

Carrigg, 24, is self-confident, but not cocky. He realizes what he brings to a ballclub.

“I feel like I have the type of energy that can help spark a team and help create things when things aren’t happening,” he said. “I play with my hair on fire, no matter the situation. I am always going to give it my all. I think that’s a great thing to have, and it’s good for a ballclub.”

Naturally, Carrigg is “itching” to get called up to the Rockies, but he’s doing his best to stay grounded.

“That’s always a tough thing to look at (objectively) because I’ve been itchy my whole life to play in the big leagues,” he said. “Once I realized that was an attainable goal, I wanted it really bad. But as I’ve gone about my days in pro ball, I’ve learned not to GM. That’s a game you will never win. I’m trying my best just to be where my feet are, so to speak.”

After getting bludgeoned by Kyle Schwarber and shut down by ace lefty Cristopher Sanchez in a 6-0 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday, the Rockies are 16-25 with one-quarter of the season in the books.

Schwarber hit solo home runs in the first and second innings off right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who gave up five runs on seven hits over five innings. Sanchez dominated Colorado for seven innings, giving up six hits, striking out seven, and walking none. He reduced his ERA to 2.11.

It was a step back for Colorado, but a week ago, Paul DePodesta, president of baseball operations, said, “We’re certainly encouraged by a lot of what����ap going on, but at the same time, far from satisfied.”

Here’s a look at the state of the Rockies at the quarter pole:

• On pace: The Rockies’ .390 winning percentage has them pointed toward a 63-99 record. That would be a 20-game improvement over their 119-loss season in 2025 and enable them to avoid the infamy of being the first team since the 1961-64 Washington Senators to post four consecutive 100-loss seasons.

• White Sox meter: Chicago’s Southsiders lost a major league record 121 games in 2024. At the quarter pole last year, they were a miserable 12-29, but they eventually finished with a 60-102 record. That was a 19-game improvement.

• Road conditions: Colorado was laughably bad on the road last season, going 18-63, averaging just 2.81 runs per game, and getting outscored by 213 runs. The ’26 Rockies no longer look like automatic roadkill. They are 8-14 away from Coors Field but 6-4 over their last 10 games. They are averaging 3.95 runs per game on the road.

• Rotation in motion: The ’25 Rockies finished with a starters ERA of 6.65, the worst in the majors since ERA became an official statistic in 1913. This season’s starters own a 5.27 ERA, still the worst in the majors, but an improvement. Toss out the innings thrown by “openers” and the starters’ ERA is 5.11.

• Ace in the making? Right-hander Chase Dollander, who has the pure best stuff on the staff, is exponentially better this season than last — 3.35 ERA vs. 6.98 ERA as a rookie. On Friday, he held the Phillies to two runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings, but walked five in the Rockies’ wild, 9-7, 11-inning victory. Dollander’s command was not sharp, but he didn’t implode as he might have last season.

“Every outing is different, for everybody,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer told MLB.com. “Today, for Chase, he had to battle command issues, but his stuff is so good that he was able to stay in it. He competed, and he kept grinding without his best command.”

Trade material: Except for Dollander, Colorado’s four other starters are all veterans in the final year of their contracts. That makes them possible trade candidates at the Aug. 3 deadline, if not before.

However, after a strong start to the season, the starters are beginning to fade. Lefty Kyle Freeland (1-4, 6.00 ERA) has a vesting option worth $17 million for 2027, but he needs to pitch 170 innings to activate that option, and it’s doubtful he will. There is a $9 million team option for right-hander Michael Lorenzen, but considering that he is 2-4 with a 6.92 ERA and a 3.56 batting average against, it’s doubtful the Rockies would pick up his option. But are either Lorenzen or Freeland tradeable?

That leaves lefty Jose Quintana (1-2, 3.90 ERA) and Sugano (3-3, 4.07 ERA) as the most attractive trade pieces. And throw in reliever Antonio Senzatela (2-0, 1.11 ERA), too, because he’s also in the final year of his contract.

Somehow, someway, the Rockies are going to have to restock their pitching cupboard for next season and beyond. It’s a predicament that DePodesta and company will have to solve.

Men of mystery: The hope was that this would be corner outfielder Jordan Beck’s breakout season, and that centerfielder Brenton Doyle and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar would bounce back. It’s early, but it’s not happening.

After going 1 for 3 on Sunday, Beck is hitting .169 with a .490 OPS. Doyle (.196, .529, 33.6% strikeout rate) is showing signs of rebounding, as is Tovar (.197, .277, 28.6%), who had two singles on Sunday. Still, the trio is underperforming. Beck and Doyle are often supplanted in the lineup by Mickey Moniak and newcomers Troy Johnston and Jake McCarthy.

He’s arbitration-eligible for one more season, leading to plenty of internet trade speculation. But if the Rockies don’t believe their outfield prospects are ready to carry the load, signing Moniak to a reasonable contract extension makes sense. He’s making $4 million this season.

First addition: Utility infielders Edouard Julien and Willi Castro, and outfielders Johnston and McCarthy have all contributed to Colorado’s improvement. But it’s rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield who looks like part of the Rockies’ foundation for the future.

He’s slashing .272/.337/.429 with five home runs and is tied with Moniak for the team lead with 21 RBIs. Among all qualified rookies, he is tied for first in games played (40), second in hits (40), fifth in RBIs (21), and eighth in batting average. He’s also a terrific fielder.

Rumfield is everything the Rockies hoped Michael Toglia would be.

Pitching probables

Monday: Off day
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-4, 6.92 ERA) at Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (5-2, 2.36 ERA), 4:40 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (1-2, 3.90) at Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (4-1, 2.87 ERA), 4:40 p.m.
Thursday: RHP Chase Dollander (3-2, 3.35) at Pirates RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (2-3, 4.50 ERA), 10:35 a.m.

TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Hernandez, the 1979 National League MVP with the Cardinals who played a central role on , was paid $15,000 to appear in a 1992 episode of the American sitcom. As Hernandez explained to The Denver Post ahead of the Mets’ series finale against the Rockies on Thursday at Coors Field, it was his first time acting and he had trouble controlling his nerves heading into filming.

“(My agent) Scott Boras told me I would probably have a few lines in a cameo, but when I first read the script, I went, ‘Holy (hell), I’m a costar here. I’ve got a lot of lines. This is not just a little cameo appearance,'” Hernandez, now a broadcaster with the Mets, recalled. “And I was petrified.

“I guess I did OK. It was a great experience. But I was nervous as heck. In the first take of the episode’s first scene at the soundstage in front of the (NBC) suits and a live audience, sure enough, I screwed up my line. It was cut. And I’m like, ‘Oh, crap.’ But I didn’t make a mistake the rest of the way.”

appeared in the third season of “Seinfeld” and was an hour-long special that aired during sweeps week. “The Boyfriend” became one of the more memorable episodes of the show’s nine-year run. Hernandez’s performance as himself in a plot in which he navigates a bromance with Jerry Seinfeld and dates Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character, Elaine Benes, was lauded as a strong guest-star performance.

Hernandez said that he’s now recognized more in everyday life as a character from “Seinfeld” than for his 17-year baseball career, in which he was a five-time All-Star and 11-time Gold Glove Award winner. In addition to winning the ’86 World Series with the Mets, he won the ’82 World Series with the Cardinals, and both Fall Classic victories came in seven games.

After his appearance on “Seinfeld,” Hernandez had a few more acting gigs, including “Law & Order.” But his performance on “Seinfeld”��resonated most, and Hernandez said he still earns about $5,000 a year in residuals from the show. Hernandez was also in the final episode of “Seinfeld” as a background character.

Hernandez was so spent after acting in “The Boyfriend” that he stayed in Southern California for an extra week after filming concluded, relaxing at a hotel in Santa Monica. To this day, Hernandez said he’s only seen the episode two times.

“I have a hard time watching it today,” Hernandez admitted. “I just get embarrassed looking at myself acting.”

Hernandez, who returned to the Mets’ SNY broadcast booth following last month’s back surgery, has family connections in Colorado. Two of the 72-year-old’s daughters live in Denver, and another lives in Breckenridge.

The former first baseman also recalled fond memories of hitting at Mile High Stadium in the minor leagues, when his Tulsa Oilers played the Denver Bears in Triple-A action in the early 1970s.

While he believes the underachieving Mets (14-22 entering Thursday, and last place in the NL East) still have a chance to turn their season around, he also expressed optimism about the trajectory of the Rockies (three consecutive 100-loss campaigns) under first-year president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta.

“(DePodesta) will get it going in the right direction,” Hernandez said. “It’s hard to win here in Denver. It’s hard to put a pitching staff together… it’s going to take time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but the Rockies have got the right guy at the helm. They’ve got a baseball guy that knows what he’s doing.”

“We’re certainly encouraged by a lot of what’s going on, but at the same time, far from satisfied,” the president of baseball operations said Sunday morning during a Q&A with the media. “I think there are a lot of things we know we can do better, and that we’re going to work to continue to get better. But, but all in all, I think sort of a positive first month.”

DePodesta, hired last November in the wake of Colorado’s 119-loss season, faced a major reconstruction project, not just with the roster but with the front office and coaching staff.

After getting swept by the Braves at Coors Field over the weekend, the Rockies were 14-21 entering Monday’s game against the Mets. Not great, certainly, but significantly better than last season when they were 6-29 after 35 games.

The following are highlights from DePodesta’s session with the Rockies media:

Assessment of the three veteran free-agent pitchers

Colorado signed right-handers Tomoyuki Sugano and Michael Lorenzen, and lefty Jose Quintana for a combined $18.85 million to stabilize a rotation that posted a 6.65 ERA last season, the worst since ERA became an official statistic in 1913. Entering Monday’s game, Colorado starters had a 4.81 ERA, though over the last 15 games, it was 3.97.

“I think by and large, probably the most consistent thing over the first month has been our pitching,” DePodesta said. “I mean, our pitching is giving us a chance to win virtually every night. Every team will have a bad start here and there, but for the most part, they’re giving us a chance to win. And I think those three guys have been central to that.”

Using an ‘opener’ in the first inning ahead of Dollander

Right-hander Chase Dollander is off to an excellent start, despite his hiccup on Saturday night in Colorado’s 9-1 loss to Atlanta. After eight games, including one official start, Dollander is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA. He’s struck out 42, walked just 12, and has a 1.15 WHIP.

“It’s actually about trying to get him as much length as possible in a game,” DePodesta said. “So it’s not so much about having him avoid certain hitters, because he’s been pretty good against the top of the lineup. We think he certainly has stuff that will play the third time through a lineup.

“But I think at least initially, this was about trying to, sort of, lengthen him out as much as we possibly could.”

Left-hander Brennan Bernardino started ahead of Dollander in Saturday’s game and gave up hits to the first three Atlanta batters, including Drake Baldwin’s two-run homer. It’s an extremely small sample size, but openers have a combined 10.80 ERA (5.0 innings pitched, six earned runs), and Colorado’s record when they used an opener is 1-5.

Faith in slumping outfielders Beck and Doyle

Jordan Beck entered Monday’s game hitting .167 with a .469 OPS and one home run. Brenton Doyle was hitting .213 with a .567 OPS and one homer.

“First of all, we don’t want to be reactionary,” DePodesta said. “We also don’t want our players thinking that, ‘Boy, if they 0 for 4 tonight, they’re not in the lineup tomorrow.’ Or worse, they’re going to Triple-A tomorrow, right? Or if they give up a run, or something like that. We believe in these guys. We also believe in a lot of the guys we have in Triple-A right now, but we want to give them ample opportunity to play.”

The chance of calling up prospects Condon and Carrigg��

Cole Carrigg, who plays both infield and outfield, was named the Pacific Coast League player of the week on Monday after going 9 for 13 with two doubles, one triple, one homer, and seven RBIs over three games. He’s riding a PCL-best 13-game hitting streak, during which he slashed .521/.574/.729 with three doubles, two triples, one home run, 14 RBIs, and nine stolen bases.

After a monster start, Charlie Condon has cooled off. He hit four home runs in his first 10 games, but none since. Through April 17, he posted a line of .339/.456/.589, but now he’s slashing .250/.403/.406.

“Something we talked about all winter was sort of creating enough competition and depth with our big-league roster that we never want to call a player up just because we didn’t have anybody else,” DePodesta said. “We want to call players up when they are banging down the door, where we have to make room for them because they’re just playing so well, and they have the underlying foundation in place to be successful up here. Not just to survive, but to be successful.”

Do the Rockies have enough power in the lineup?

Led by red-hot Mickey Moniak’s 11 home runs to go with his .327 average, and catcher Hunter Goodman’s nine homers, the Rockies had hit 35 homers entering Monday’s play, tied with the Tigers and Phillies for 17th-most in the majors.

Asked if the Rockies have enough power in-house now, or need to develop sluggers over the next few seasons, DePodesta answered, “I think probably a combination of two. I think we’ll hit for more power as the year goes on. You look at some of our guys right now, who traditionally hit 15- 20-plus homers, and they have one right now.

“So I’m confident those guys will end up hitting for more power as the year goes on. At the same time, Mickey and ‘Goody’ both have (hit homers). And Mickey missed the first week (with a finger), so I think, as a team, we feel like we have enough.”

We’re not talking about Paul DePodesta’s��2002 Oakland A’s. Those A’s were made famous by Michael Lewis book, “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” which was published 23 years ago, and made even more famous by the movie “Moneyball,” released 15 years ago.

Those A’s, hamstrung by a miserly $40 million payroll but powered by new-fangled sabrematics, went 103-59, had a 20-game winning streak, and made the postseason. DePodesta, now the Rockies’ president of baseball operations, was the right-hand man to Oakland general manager Billy Beane. In the movie, DePodesta was loosely portrayed by Jonah Hill, playing a character named Peter Brand.

Rather, we’re talking about the current teams with mega-jackpot payrolls that fell flat in the first month of this season:

• The Mets, with a tax payroll of $382.9 million, have the majors’ second-biggest payroll, ranking only behind the Dodgers ($416.7 million, ). The Mets entered the weekend with a 10-21 record that includes a 12-game losing streak. Last weekend, the Mets were swept in New York by the “lowly” Rockies, as the New York media put it.

• The Phillies ($296,6 million, fourth), off to a dismal 12-19 start, fired manager Rob Thomson last Tuesday.

• The Blue Jays ($290.6 million, fifth), last season’s American League champions, entered the weekend 14-17.

• The Red Sox ($266.8 million, sixth) are 12-19 out of the gate. They fired Alex Cora and , the son of former Rockies manager Jim Tracy.

There has been plenty of teeth gnashing and finger-pointing in those big-city baseball markets. Meanwhile, the thrifty teams (re: cheap) like the Reds ($142.2 million, 19th, 20-11), Cardinals ($110.1 million, 26th, 18-13), and Rays ($108.9 million, 29th, 18-12) have played solid baseball.

The have-nots might not be able to sustain their success for a full season, but it’s nice to see that Major League Baseball’s tilted financial landscape doesn’t guarantee that the dysfunctional big spenders will always win. (The Dodgers don’t count.)

I was curious if Rockies veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland, the team’s player representative,�� would agree with my sentiments. When the Rockies ($134.4 million, 23rd, 14-18) took the Big Apple by storm last weekend, surely the Rockies used the $248.5 million gulf between the Mets and Rockies as an incentive. A chip on their shoulder, right?

Nope, Freeland told me, shooting me a quizzical look.

“Not at all,” he said. “This is Major League Baseball. Any given team can beat another team on a given day. We’re aware of the payrolls and the caliber of players those teams have, but we don’t think about it like that.”

Well, maybe not any given team. Last year’s 119-loss Rockies come to mind, but I got his point.

But I countered, telling Freeland that the media and the fans made a big deal of Colorado’s sweep in New York. Rockies fans have a chip on their shoulder when the team plays the big spenders. Do Rockies players? This time, Freeland flashed a wicked grin.

“That’s why they’re the fans, and we’re the players,” he said. “We understand that it doesn’t matter if their payroll is the highest in the league and ours is the lowest. We can still come in any day and beat them.”

Which brings us to a big-picture subject. The failure of teams like the Mets, Phillies, and Red Sox will only enforce the MLB Players Association’s rock-hard stance that baseball doesn’t need a salary cap. With a labor battle brewing when the collective bargaining agreement expires in December, the players can ask, “If money matters so much for the owners to press for a salary cap, why are so many of the rich teams so bad?”

Veen, Colorado’s No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 draft, hit just .118 in that stint while striking out at a 37.8% clip. The outfielder’s at-bats were largely undisciplined, and judging by the entirety of his turbulent 2025 season, Veen clearly lacked the off-field maturity to be ready for his call-up.

Enter Paul DePodesta, the Rockies’ first-year president of baseball operations, and his belief that even the organization’s most prized minor leaguers needed more seasoning before getting a chance in LoDo.

“One of the things we really did purposely this winter was to try to help stabilize the big-league team,” DePodesta said. “The ancillary benefit of that was, and we’ve talked about this extensively (since I was hired), that it was going to force our young players to really earn their spot, to force their way onto the team, and not sort of skip part of what we think is really foundational experience at both Double-A and Triple-A.

“Sometimes players that are extremely talented will show up in the big leagues just a little too quickly.”

That philosophy is being exercised in real time this season with Veen as well as first baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon. Both players opened the season with Triple-A Albuquerque, and the Rockies seem in no rush to get Veen back up to the majors or to debut Condon, the club’s No. 3 overall pick in ’24.

Veen’s newfound sobriety

For , his biggest hurdle back to the bigs — a substance abuse issue — is now out of the way after the 24-year-old got sober in the offseason.

As Veen first detailed during spring training the outfielder was smoking marijuana every day last season and drinking excessively, too. Veen further explained those issues in an interview this week with The Denver Post, noting he got in trouble with the organization last season after getting caught smoking marijuana during a game at Isotopes Park.

“There where times last year where I had the world in the palm of my hand, or so it seemed, and I wasn’t feeling as fulfilled as I am since I stopped doing all that stuff,” Veen said. “I’m more fulfilled now, even if baseball or other things aren’t going my way, than if I was with the world seemingly in the palm of my hand when I was drinking and smoking.”

Veen, who says substance abuse issues are prevalent in his family, understands addiction recovery is not a straight line.

He’s been intentional with his actions to maintain sobriety this season, including attending Bible studies, recovery groups in Albuquerque and consistent calls with his pastor from his church back in his home state of Florida. Veen also leaned heavily for guidance on his former high school and club coach, Johnny Goodrich, whom Veen called “the closest thing to a father figure I have in my life,” considering the outfielder has not seen his biological father since the age of 15.

“I have gone to a few random (recovery) meetings since I’ve been in Arizona or I’ve been here (in Albuquerque),” Veen said. “And that’s kind of how I stay on that (sobriety). I just really appreciate being around people who want to better themselves and be the best they can be, which is what I want for myself.”

On the field, Veen is hitting .258 with two homers through 25 games. He’s played all three outfield spots this season, and DePodesta believes that finding the balance between being a free swinger and being selective when the situation or count calls for it will help Veen take the next step offensively.

“If he can rein in that (aggression) in a little bit because big league pitchers are better equipped to take advantage of that, he can do so much damage on so many pitches,” DePodesta said. “So if we can bring him in a little but still allow him to be aggressive on the right pitches, he has a really, really bright future. He’s still showing all the same tools. He’s got big power, he can run. He’s versatile defensively.”

Veen, who was limited to just 46 games in 2023 and 65 games in ’24 due to injuries, says his goal is to stay on the field all season.

“Best-case scenario is I get 500 to 600 at-bats and I play in the most games that I’ve ever played in,” Veen said. “That is the ultimate scenario for me. In a perfect world, I’m obviously in the major leagues (at some point in ’26), but in an even more perfect world, I’m just being the best version of myself every day. And at the end of the year, the pieces fell right where I wanted them to.”

Condon stacking ‘healthy reps’

While Veen bides his time, fans have been clamoring for the arrival of , who followed up a torrid spring training with a solid start to the season in Triple-A.

The 23-year-old is batting .269 with four homers through his first 21 games, but DePodesta says the debut of Colorado’s behind shortstop Ethan Holliday (who is currently in Low-A) likely isn’t imminent.

“It’s hard for any of us to say exactly what that time is or how long that takes, but we all want to make sure that he has that (base),” DePodesta said. “And I think he’s certainly showing signs of that. He’s doing all the right things. Now it’s just a matter of being able to do that longer and get even more experience under his belt so he feels really, really good about it before he gets a chance to come up to Coors Field. Hopefully, at that point, he never goes back.”

After struggling in his debut pro season in 2024, where Condon hit .180 with one homer in 24 games while dealing with a finger injury, he fractured his wrist at the start of the ’25 campaign. So ’26 has been his first fully healthy season as a pro, which Condon is relishing as he waits for the call that’s been expected since the day he got drafted.

“It’s been nice to be able to stack healthy reps,” Condon said. “There’s something to be said for being able to be healthy for an extended period of time and really finding a groove. And so that’s been refreshing for sure.

“Whenever that time comes (for my debut), I will 100% be ready.”

Condon, who led the NCAA with a BBCOR-era record 37 homers has yet to find consistent power in the minors. He has 19 homers in 145 games, and while DePodesta lauded Condon’s “mature approach” at the plate, Condon acknowledged he’s still searching for the right combination of average and power.

“For me, it’s really about blending the hit tool and the power tool,” Condon said. “I don’t want to be a guy that’s just all one or the other. I want to be a guy that handles the bat well but also runs a fair amount of balls out of the yard every year.”

In the field, Condon has split his time this season between first base and right field. He also played third base in college and briefly in the minors, but that position seems to be tabled for now.

“It comes pretty easy to him in the outfield — he feels comfortable there, he tracks the ball well,” DePodesta said. “He’s working hard in pregame in terms of getting even better jumps and covering more ground. But given his athleticism and his length (at 6-foot-5), he’s going to get some balls both down the line and in the gap. He’s got a chance to be a pretty good corner outfielder.”

Veen, Condon fit in 2026

With the Rockies outperforming critics’ expectations through the first month-plus of 2026 — Colorado is 14-18, matching the win total the club didn’t get to until June 15 of last year’s disastrous 119-loss season — the question becomes of how Veen and Condon could fit into the big-league roster.

Veen is on but Condon is not, so the latter would require designating someone for assignment. Triple-A outfielder is also on the 40-man roster, and given he’s currently hitting .308 with a .438 on-base percentage, he very well might get the call before Veen or Condon.

There could be a performance-based opening for one of those players sometime in the near future if current trends hold. In the outfield, Troy Johnston (who also plays first base) and Mickey Moniak have been two of the strengths of the lineup so far. But left fielder Jordan Beck (hitting .153 with one homer) and center fielder Brenton Doyle (hitting .220 with one homer) are struggling.

Both Beck and Doyle have options, though it’s unlikely Colorado would send Doyle down to Triple-A, given the importance of his two-time Gold Glove Award defense in the wide Coors Field outfield. DePodesta gave a vote of confidence to both players, especially considering the platooning that has been going on in the outfield with Johnston, Jake McCarthy and Tyler Freeman also seeing time out there.

Meanwhile, at first base, T.J. Rumfield is hitting .264 with three homers and is playing well enough to warrant an extended opportunity to keep that job for the time being. Rumfield tore up spring training to earn the job after being acquired via a January trade with the Yankees for reliever Angel Chivilli.

Condon, like Veen, isn’t putting extra weight on himself to force the Rockies’ hand for a call-up.

“This game is hard enough by itself, and it becomes even harder when you start putting external pressure like that on yourself,” Condon said. “So for me it’s about focusing on the day-to-day. Obviously (debuting this season) is a goal of mine. That’s something I’m working very hard for. But will I be upset and disappointed in myself if that doesn’t happen? Yeah, sure, probably a little bit. But it’s not something that I can focus too much on because so much of that is out of my control.”

“The ultimate goal is to bring consistent winning seasons to this organization,” Schaeffer said on the day he slipped off the interim tag and was officially named Rockies manager. “You’re going to see winning baseball in Denver a lot sooner than you think.”

Raise your hand if you were skeptical.

I don’t blame you. Three consecutive 100-loss seasons, topped off by last year’s 119-loss disaster, tend to squeeze the optimism out of even the most positive fans. But Scheaffer might be on to something.

Entering Sunday’s doubleheader vs. the Mets (Saturday’s game at Citi Field was rained out), the Rockies are 11-16. They have been solid at home (7-6), though predictably wobbly on the road (4-10). They are on pace to finish 66-96, which would be a 23-game improvement from last season. I picked the Rockies to lose 102 games, so they are exceeding my expectations — at least in the early going.

Some very early observations, questions, and predictions with 16.6% of the season in the books:

The bullpen has been excellent: Even with the Padres’ ninth-inning rally vs. Victor Vodnik last Thursday, the relievers have been the best thing about the Rockies this season. Colorado’s 3.77 ERA ranks 12th in the majors, and considering the Coors Field factor, that’s pretty good. Former starter Antonio Senzatela looks reborn. He’s given up two runs over 18 innings (0.50 ERA) with 18 strikeouts vs. four walks.

Is the bullpen’s excellence sustainable? History tells us no. The wear and tear of the season usually causes Rockies relievers to implode in August and September. Schaeffer and the front office are well aware of that history, which is a reason why we’re seeing Colorado use so many “bulk relievers.” Pitchers like Jimmy Herget, Chase Dollander and Senzatela have been purposely scheduled for multiple innings, with the hope that late-game relievers won’t be toast in August. We’ll see if it works.

Can Dollander become a true ace? Yes, he can. It’s not just that his stats — 2.88 ERA, .198 batting average against, 32 strikeouts vs. seven walks — but his demeanor, self-confidence, and easy power that give him a chance to be great. Of course, a true ace doesn’t have a reliever opening games for him, but I imagine that set up is going to change sooner rather than later.

Who’s a possible All-Star? Right now, the Rockies have two candidates — catcher Hunter Goodman (.264 average, .870 OPS, six homers) and outfielder Mickey Moniak (.315, 1.050, eight). But there are two caveats here. First, Goodman’s 37.3% strikeout rate is much too high. Second, Moniak has had hot streaks before. Can he be productive for a full season?

But wouldn’t it be cool if Moniak gets to play in the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia? Remember, the Phillies selected him with the first overall pick in the 2016 draft.

Ezequiel Tovar will play better: The shortstop has not played well thus far, at least not by his standards. His .967 fielding percentage ranks 10th in the majors, his 3.70 range factor is ninth, and his 0.0 DWAR ranks 23rd. His numbers will improve because he’s a talented, athletic shortstop who could still end up in the Gold Glove conversation.

However, Tovar looks lost at the plate right now, as evidenced by his .216/.255/.330 slash line that includes just one home run.�� His strikeout rate is 28.4%, his walk rate is just 2.9%, and his chase rate is a very hight 48.5%. Those are reasons why he’s hitting low in Schaeffer’s lineup.

When Tovar hit .269 with 26 homers and 45 doubles in 2024, I thought he was just getting warmed up. It’s early, but he needs to become a more disciplined hitter to become the star so many envisioned.

What’s up with Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck? There have been flashes that they could be pillars of the Rockies’ outfield for years to come. That’s not happening right now.

Beck isn’t getting on base consistently (.204 on-base percentage), so he’s not getting consistent playing time, which, in turn, is part of the reason why he’s hitting just .160 with one home run. He’s in no-man’s land right now. He might be a slow starter, but he’s going to need to earn more at-bats to climb out of his funk. That’s not easy in the big leagues.

Doyle is beginning to hit the ball hard again, and the Rockies need his defense in center field. But he’s striking out 35% of the time, and his track record shows he’s a streak hitter. Right now, he’s slashing .219/.288/.288 with one home run and a .143 average with runners in scoring position. The jury is still out on his future.

TJ Rumfield is a real find: The rookie first baseman is everything that former first baseman Michael Toglia was not. In Friday night’s win over the Mets, he put together a seven-pitch at-bat against Freddie Peralta with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. Rumfield didn’t get a hit, but he grounded out and scored a run. He takes unselfish at-bats, which is not always easy for a rookie. He’s hitting a solid .292 (7 for 24) with runners in scoring position.

Major decisions loom for the front office: Paul DePodesta, president of baseball operations, has been progressive since taking over the front office — pitch-calling “suggestions” from the dugout, a lot of new people on staff, and beefing up the analytics department.

Former general manager Bill Schmidt was criticized for holding on to players and getting nothing in return. So I’ll be curious to see how many veteran starters DePodesta will put on the market as the Aug. 3 trade deadline comes into view. Right-handers Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano, and lefty Jose Quintana, are all pitching on one-year deals. Lorenzen has a $9 million club option for 2027, but I doubt the Rockies will pick it up. Senzatela is also in the final year of his contract.

The wild-card here is lefty Kyle Freeland, who’s in his 10th year with the Rockies. He’s pitched terrifically so far, but his stint on the injured list means his player option likely won’t kick in. He needs to pitch 170 innings for his $17,000 option to vest for 2027.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ best defensive player, Frenchman Rudy Gobert, boasts a terrific nickname. And their second-best defender, Jaden McDaniels, is skilled at calling the Nuggets’ names.

With a 2-1 lead in the series, it is clear the Timberwolves don’t like or respect the Nuggets.

Worse? The Nuggets seem fine with it.

With Minnesota viewing them as soft, the Nuggets hardly seem bothered by the criticism. They were cool with the Timberwolves expressing their feelings, living their truth. Then, they let the bullies steal their lunch money and pour milk over their heads.

It is no surprise the Nuggets are in big trouble. They are taking everything passively. The Timberwolves are taking everything personally.

I wrote a few weeks ago that the Nuggets need a bad guy to hold them accountable, to sharpen the edge. None has emerged. And Aaron Gordon, the leading candidate for the role, is hurt again.

Blame coach David Adelman if you want. He deserves criticism.

But there is a salient truth in sports: if the coach cares more than the players, fire-and-brimstone speeches don’t matter.

Most disturbing about the Game 3 blowout was not the who, but the how. We know the Timberwolves are capable of beating the Nuggets — they are 16-15 against them over their last 31 games.

When McDaniels popped off, teammates had his back. When the Nuggets learned a few hours before the game that Gordon was out, they capitulated. It was so unbecoming of a former champion.

It seems like 2023 was so long ago. That team played with a bag of Doritos on its shoulder, ticked off by every slight. These Nuggets continue to believe they can win with great offense. The problem? It is not realistic in the playoffs.

Look at the champions since the Nuggets parade. Boston and Oklahoma City played high-level D and were freakishly athletic. That is not Denver.

So when the Nuggets shoot poorly, they become an easy mark.

Nikola Jokic is having the worst playoff series of his career, shooting 12 for 32 and 4 for 14 from 3-point range when defended by Gobert, per ESPN.

Jamal Murray, who enjoyed his best regular season, looks spent when facing McDaniels. He has shot 35.9% from the field, while missing 21 of 27 3-point attempts. He drained zero in Games 1 and 3.

No one else has contributed in a meaningful way. Thursday, the Nuggets turned to Zeke Nnaji to provide an offensive spark. Read that sentence aloud and try not to laugh.

At one point in the second half, McDaniels delivered a thunderous dunk. Presented with a similar opportunity, Christian Braun had his shot blocked, and he pleaded with the refs for help.

Minnesota is playing with aggression. The Nuggets are playing the victim.

This series is not over. But if the Nuggets lose Game 4, it might as well be because there is zero evidence that Denver can beat Minnesota three straight times. Not when they are treating this series like a book club, and the Timberwolves are acting like it is a fight club.

Ty one On: History screams that if you like a quarterback, take him in the first round. But Rams coach Sean McVay did not seem thrilled with the selection of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick. Hard to blame him. A team in Super-Bowl-ring-or-bust mode took a player who likely won’t take a snap next season. Three years ago, this selection might have looked like genius. Thursday, it looked worthless.

Rock this Way: The Rockies’ over-under odds have improved by six wins this month, per Betonline. It is tied for MLB’s biggest jump. Colorado is 10-16. When the Rockies won their 10th game last season on June 2, they had 50 losses. The Rockies might drop 100 games again, especially if they trade away a few pitchers for prospects in July. But isn’t it amazing what happens when legitimate, intelligent baseball minds — president Paul DePodesta, general manager Josh Byrnes — replace predecessors who were arrogant and incompetent.

So let’s get to a few of them:

• Will Broncos owners Greg and Carrie Walton Penner, the husband and wife team that form the Penner Sports Group, eventually become the controlling owners of the Rockies?

Such a deal is not imminent, but it wouldn’t shock me if it eventually happens. I’ve had a source close to the situation tell me there is no timetable for that to occur, but the source also told me it could very well happen down the line.

• Did Paul DePodesta, the Rockies’ new president of baseball operations, know about the deal when he left the Cleveland Browns to join the Rockies in November? Was he aware that the Penners were planning on buying a 40% ownership stake in the Rockies?

I’m told that DePodesta did not know that a deal was coming, meaning that his oft-quoted statement, “I’m a sucker for a challenge,” still rings true.

• Will Dick Monfort’s role as the owner of the Rockies change?

The short answer is no. He already backed away from his day-to-day involvement in the team when Walker Monfort, his oldest son, became team president. As Walker Monfort told me shortly before the season opened, “I’m more responsible for day-to-day than I have ever been, but I would say my dad is still the ultimate shot-caller, so to speak.”

• Will the Penners reduce their involvement with the Broncos and become hands-on owners at 20th and Blake?

Nope. As Denver Post Broncos beat writer Parker Gabriel put it: “The Penners are not going anywhere with the Broncos and the NFL. They will not have day-to-day roles with the Rockies, sources told The Post, and they are plenty busy with football.”

• The infusion of an estimated $672 million from the Penner Sports Group allows the Rockies to retire all of their outstanding debt. That provides additional capital that, theoretically, could be spent to increase player payroll. So, will the Rockies go on a spending spree this season? Or in the 2026-27 offseason?

That’s highly doubtful, for a couple of reasons. First, the team is still on the bottom floor of its rebuild and still assessing its talent level.

Second, even though the Rockies are playing better baseball than they did last season (how could they not?), it wouldn’t surprise me if the Rockies flirt with another 100-loss season. Spending big bucks now doesn’t make sense.

Third, and most important, it’s highly likely that Major League Baseball owners will shut down business with a lockout when the current collective bargaining expires in December. That’s going to complicate things and cool down any hot stove action.

• Will Dick Monfort abandon his quest for a salary cap and a more equitable financial landscape across MLB?

That’s a tongue-in-cheek question. I raise it because the Twittersphere has been filled with smart-aleck fans tweeting that the “suddenly wealthy” Rockies can now compete with the big boys. That’s not the case.

Plus, Monfort has a close relationship with baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and plans to be heavily involved in labor negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA. Monfort believes that baseball’s economic system is broken, and he wants to help fix it.

• The Dodgers, Yankees and Cubs all have their own lucrative television networks. Could the Rockies, eventually, do something similar?

This is pure speculation on my part, but it wouldn’t surprise me if, somewhere down the line, that happens, especially if the Penner Sports Group ever gains controlling interest in the Rockies.

• How can Broncos ownership invest in the Rockies when they already have a stake in the Arizona Diamondbacks?

This was also out in the Twittersphere. Here’s the deal: Last month, part of the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group that owns the Broncos, also has a 10% share of the D-backs. However, Greg and Carrie Walton Penner do not have a stake in the D-backs, thus allowing them to buy into the Rockies.

• Will the new ownership dynamic allow the Rockies to find a resolution to Kris Bryant’s contract situation?

It certainly appears that Bryant will never play baseball again because of lumbar degenerative disc disease. But, counting this season, he’s still owed $81 million through the 2028 season. One way or another, Bryant will get his guaranteed money. Can the Rockies work out a deal where Bryant would defer some of those millions of dollars? It’s possible, but I don’t think the infusion of the Penner’s money changes anything.