“Very nice,” he said, giving me a wry, knowing smile and a short laugh.

Some background is definitely required here.

In 2014, Weiss was managing the Rockies on a hazy, humid September Sunday morning at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Somehow, Weiss, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, and I started talking about our 1970s crushes. We mentioned, of course, Farrah Fawcett and her famous poster, Cheryl Tiegs and her poster, as well as other supermodels and Hollywood stars. I said I once had a poster of pop singer Linda Ronstadt.

Then came the bombshell.

“I had a crush on Barbara Streisand,” Thomas said. “I thought she was hot.”

Walt and I were aghast. As Walt pointed out, “Babs” had a nose like his own. No way Thomas was telling us the truth, right? To this day, insists he was.

The kicker came after the Rockies lost to the Cardinals that day. Walt pulled us aside and said, “You know, when I was going out to the mound to make a pitching change, I kept thinking about Barbra Streisand. Thanks a lot, Thomas.”

The point of my ramble down memory lane? My nearly 28-year career at The Denver Post ends Wednesday when the Rockies host the Red Sox at Coors Field. I’ve covered World Series, Super Bowls, Final Fours, Nuggets games and scores of high school state championships alongside Kyle Newman. In the end, my fondest memories are not about games, highlight reels, strategy, upsets, or scoops. My fondest memories are about people. It’s what I wrote about best.

Being a baseball beat writer is the most gratifying of any of the major sports beats, in my humble opinion. You get to know the people, from owners and managers to players and clubbies to broadcasters and fellow writers. Meanwhile, the walls between the NFL and the media grow thicker and taller with each passing year. I can’t imagine Broncos beat writers talking about their boyhood crushes with coach Sean Payton.

I was hired by The Post in October 1998, joining Adam Schefter as a Broncos No. 2 beat writer, just in time to cover John Elway’s second Super Bowl title. In the summer of 2005, I was yanked off the Broncos beat and moved to the Rockies, as the No. 2 writer behind current Post columnist Troy Renck. It was a demotion for me, no doubt.

My wife, Nancy, and I were shocked by the grind of the baseball beat, especially back in the days when The Post still traveled to cover the Rockies. We eventually embraced the lifestyle, though it wasn’t easy.

Covering a team afflicted with chronic losing wasn’t easy either. I covered the Rockies for nearly 20 years, and during that time, they had five winning seasons, made the playoffs four times, and made one magical run to the World Series in 2007.

I’ve had to rewrite more deadline game stories than I can count. The adage in the Coors Field press box: “The Rockies blew another lead. And they blew another lede.”

But, all in all, it’s been quite a wonderful ride. What follows are excerpts from some of my favorite stories I wrote for The Post. The common theme is people.

McCaffrey family legacy

When I started covering the Broncos, first for the Longmont Times-Call and then with The Post, training camp was still held at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. The players stayed in one dorm, the media in another, and we shared the same cafeteria. Access to the players was incredible. I once interviewed Elway while riding in a golf cart as the fans screamed for autographs — Elway’s, not mine.

That’s how I got to know wide receiver Ed McCaffrey and his wife, Lisa. In 1999, I profiled their family’s rich sports legacy:

When 5-year-old Max McCaffrey plays soccer, his 3-year-old brother, Christian, can’t bear to watch.

“Christian is always trying to run out on the field to be with his big brother,” his dad said. “We have to keep reeling him back in.”

Christian can’t help it. The need for speed, the energy driving his little motor, the desire to follow the bouncing ball — they’re in his genes.

His grandfather won a silver medal in the 100-meter dash at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Uncle Billy became a legend in the Pennsylvania Rust Belt and later won a national basketball championship with the Duke Blue Devils.

When she was a pixie in South Florida, Christian’s mom scored so many goals for her high school soccer team that her mug shot ended up in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd.”

Christian’s dad? All he’s done is win three Super Bowl rings, earn a trip to the Pro Bowl, develop a stiff-arm that could stop a rhinoceros, become one of the best receivers in Denver Broncos history and destroy forever the notion that white men can’t run.

Arenado’s SoCal roots

In 2016, Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado was a budding star. I traveled to his boyhood home of Lake Forest, in Orange County, California. While the Rockies hosted the Blue Jays at Coors Field, I sat in the living room of Fernando and Millie Arenado as they watched the game on TV. It was a remarkable day, topped off with a trip to El Toro High School, less than 10 minutes from the Arenado home. I spent an hour reminiscing with Mike Gonzalez, Arenado’s high school coach.

Here’s the beginning of my story about Arenado’s baseball roots:

LAKE FOREST, Calif. — The trim, stucco home looks like many others in this quiet, middle-class Southern California neighborhood. There is a basketball hoop out front and a beautifully tiled swimming pool in the backyard.

Step inside and you’re enveloped by warmth. Family photos cover every wall, every shelf, every nook and cranny. The family dog, a white Havanese named Mojito (“Mo” for short), hops up on the comfy couch to greet visitors.

Baseball is everywhere, too. Indeed, the home is something of an impromptu museum. Near the TV in the living room sits Nolan Arenado’s gleaming 2015 Silver Slugger Award. Open a nearby cabinet, and one of Arenado’s three Gold Glove Awards sits among a sea of memorabilia.

Likely more baseball stuff will be added after Tuesday night����ap All-Star Game in San Diego, where Arenado, the Rockies’ third baseman, will be appearing, the second year in a row he was voted in by fellow major-league players. Who knows? Perhaps an All-Star Game MVP trophy will be his newest baseball heirloom. At the very least, his All-Star Game jersey will find a place in the Arenado home.

Upstairs is the “Bonus Room,” as the family calls it. In the middle sits a pool table, now overflowing with framed photos, jerseys and signed baseballs. On the couch in front of a big-screen TV sits a Star Wars stormtrooper helmet. Back in the day, Arenado wore it while playing video games.

A day in the life of Buddy Black

I covered five managers in my time with the Rockies: Clint Hurdle, a force of nature and philosophy; Loquacious Jim Tracy, one of the nicest men I’ve ever met; Weiss, a fellow Bruce Springsteen fanatic; Bud Black, a walking baseball encyclopedia who’s beloved throughout the game; and current manager Warren Schaeffer, full of incredible passion and heart.

Of all of the Rockies’ managers, I know Black the best. We’re near the same age and share the same sense of humor. We still text frequently. In 2018, in the midst of a race for the National League West title, Black allowed me to go behind the scenes and chronicle a day in the life of a big-league manager:

It����ap the second week of September, the Rockies are chasing their first division title, and Bud Black has former Bronco Peyton Manning on his mind.

He’s trying to figure out a way to get the legendary quarterback to appear in a video that would play on the giant scoreboard at Coors Field as the Rockies make their run to a possible National League West crown.

“I want Peyton, waving his arms up and down, to get the crowd going,” Black says. “Hey, we don’t care about the snap count! We want it loud! ‘Omaha! Omaha!’ ”

Later in the afternoon, he’ll call in Julian Valentin, the director of social media, to see if there has been any progress on Project Peyton. (Valentin tells Black that it����ap being looked into).

Black’s office, down the hallway from the players’ spacious clubhouse, contains a comfy black-leather couch and a tidy desk. Photographs of Coors Field adorn the walls, including one that captures the joy of a young boy watching a game. Encased in a glass frame is the lineup and a baseball from Black’s first game as Rockies manager. It����ap dated April 3, 2017, a game in which the Rockies beat the Brewers at Milwaukee, 7-5.

Black has plenty on his to-do list, though he goes about his chores with a relaxed, easy manner. Colorado’s second-year manager, age 61, plans to watch video, meet with his coaches, chat with some players and confer with head trainer Keith Dugger. The night before, the Rockies hammered the Diamondbacks, 13-2. With nothing to stew over and no second-guesses haunting him, he got an excellent night����ap sleep. Today, he’s open to having a reporter shadow him, from arriving at the ballpark just after noon through another critical game that night vs. Arizona.

Helton gets the call

Todd Helton is the greatest player in Rockies history. He’s a complex, moody, smart and extremely funny man. His sense of humor can be cutting and takes some getting used to. Somehow, we bonded.

In January 2024, Helton invited Thomas and me to his home outside Knoxville, Tenn., to be there with his family and close friends when he got the call that he’d been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. We all figured he’d get in, but there were no guarantees. It turned out to be one of the most memorable days of my career:

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Todd Helton, arms folded across his chest, nervously paced the living room of his home Tuesday afternoon.

“I haven’t been superstitious for 10 years, not since I retired,” the Rockies’ iconic first baseman said. “Today, I’m superstitious. I didn’t look at anything, I didn’t watch anything, I didn’t look at the internet.”

He could have spared himself the angst.

Because, fittingly, at 5:17 p.m. Eastern time, No. 17 got the call of a lifetime. Told that he had been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Helton pumped his fist and finally took a deep breath.

“It����ap the greatest honor you can get as a baseball player,” Helton said. “Getting your number retired and getting elected to the Hall of Fame are the two greatest achievements you can get.”

Still, Helton wasn’t quite ready to let it all go.

“I’m going to go (crazy) when y’all leave,” he said.

The sweet-swinging Helton, the beloved heart and soul of the Rockies for 17 seasons and one of the most accomplished players of his era, received 79.7% of the vote, clearing the 75% bar required by the Hall of Fame and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Matzek, ‘The Yips,’ and me

We’ve all got something. Mine is anxiety and depression, something I’ve dealt with for much of my adult life.

That’s why I was so interested in Tyler Matzek’s story. The former Rockies pitcher had such a bad case of the yips, brought on by performance anxiety, that it nearly ruined his baseball career. In December 2015, we met in a Southern California coffee shop and talked for nearly three hours. He was remarkably candid.

In 2021, he won a World Series as a shutdown reliever for the Braves. But before that, I wrote this story:

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. — On Sept. 5, 2014, at Coors Field, Tyler Matzek pitched a three-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres. Poised and confident, and throwing a 94 mph fastball with graceful ease, the Rockies’ rookie left-hander was dominant. Over his final six starts, Matzek went 4-2 with a 1.55 ERA. He looked like the Rockies’ ace of the future.

Yet demons lurked in the corners of Matzek’s mind, and by the time he took the mound for the Rockies’ 2015 home opener April 10, he was headed for trouble.

“Even when things were going the right way, there was this overwhelming stress inside me that just kept building and building and building,” Matzek said recently while sipping coffee at a Starbucks in Southern California. “(Then) I just couldn’t hold that stress any longer and my game collapsed.”

Matzek was suffering from performance anxiety.

It wrecked him on the mound and even began to creep into his everyday life.

“My wife, Lauren, said it was our worst time, relationship-wise, because I was so tight, so stressed, just waiting to explode from this thing,” Matzek said. “She knew it wasn’t about her, but it was hard.”

But the quiet, intelligent 25-year-old confronted his condition head-on, confident he would fulfill the promise that prompted the Rockies to make him the 11th pick in the first round of the 2009 draft. He is determined to compete for a job in the Rockies’ starting rotation in spring training.

Thanks, mom

The day after I cover my final Rockies game, Nancy and I are flying to Southern California. We’ll join my extended family to scatter the ashes of my mom, Anita, and my dad, Dusty, in Laguna Beach, their favorite vacation spot.

This is my final chance to say thanks, sharing past stories with you:

Somewhere up there, my mom is smiling.

Ryan McMahon hit a home run for the Rockies in their 4-3 win over the Giants on Thursday night. McMahon broke out of a horrendous slump.

“RyMac” was my mom’s second-favorite Rockie, right behind Todd Helton. Why? Partly because he’s Irish, mostly because I like RyMac.

She was thrilled when Helton invited me to his Knoxville, Tenn., home to witness his Hall of Fame phone call in January 2024. When my wife, Nancy, and I were invited to Helton’s party in Cooperstown last July, my mom felt like she was there.

During her last years, I watched Rockies road games with her when I could. She rarely asked why the team was winning or losing. Strategy was not her thing. She always asked, “Is so and so a good guy?”

That����ap the kind of sports fan my mom was. She knew nothing about OPS, yards after catch, 3-point percentages, or point spreads. She just liked how players played and hoped they were good people. She loved Dr. J, Nolan Arenado and Floyd Little.

In the Broncos’ infancy, when Little was their only star and the game plan was “Little off left tackle, Little off right tackle,” my mom would shout, “Don’t hurt Floyd!”

In her later years, she’d tried to stay up late enough to watch manager Bud Black’s postgame news conference, not because she wanted to hear his explanations but to hear me ask a question.

Thanks, dad

I wrote this journal a few months before my dad died in May 2022:

What do you get your dad for his 90th birthday?

I’ve been pondering that question for the past few weeks. I kept striking out.

Then, as I perused the web, I came across a cool T-shirt. Cardinals red, the shirt displays the image of Stan Musial, leaning on a baseball bat. The script simply reads: The MAN.

How many sports-related T-shirts, sweatshirts and books have I given my dad over the years? I’ve lost track. It doesn’t matter. My dad’s going to love his “Stan the Man” T-shirt.

A father and son bonding over sports is not unique, but it is different for every father and son.

Walter Patrick “Dusty” Saunders was born on Sept. 24, 1931, in Denver. He was a lonely kid. His father died when he was 9 years old, and his mom died when he was 10.

In the 1940s, my dad’s companions were the radio, books and sports. He became a St. Louis Cardinals fan because he could pick up the strong signal from KMOX radio in St. Louis. Musial was his favorite player.

In 2006, my first full year on the Rockies beat, I took my dad to St. Louis for Father’s Day to watch the Rockies play the Cardinals in the first year of the new Busch Stadium. He chatted with Clint Hurdle and Todd Helton. After the game, my dad, MLB.com Rockies beat writer Thomas Harding and I had dinner at former Cardinal Mike Shannon’s restaurant. Thomas and I still talk about that day.

With temperatures reaching 105 degrees, the wind blowing out, and a high desert sky making every flyball an adventure, the Rockies walloped the A’s 23-9 at Las Vegas Ballpark.

The 23 runs scored set a franchise record, surpassing the previous high of 20, which had been done four times, most recently on July 24, 2024, vs. the Red Sox. The Rockies’ 24 hits were the second most in the club history, one short of the 25 they hit in a 19-3 win over the Astros at Houston on Sept. 25, 2011.

Colorado broke a three-game losing streak and avoided getting swept by the A’s.

Manager Warren Schaeffer was visibly angry after the Rockies lost 7-5 on Saturday night, saying, “It was sloppy baseball. That doesn’t play in this league.”

Sunday afternoon’s offensive explosion brought a different response.

“It was great,” Schaeffer told reporters in Las Vegas. “The boys came prepared to play today. They responded. It was good. Again, it’s just one of 162, but every day matters, and how you go about your business every day matters, and they did a great job today.”

The Rockies launched six home runs, including two each by leadoff hitter Willi Castro and catcher Hunter Goodman. In the seventh inning, TJ Rumfield turned a routine flyball to right field into a triple when Carlos Cortes couldn’t locate the ball. Rumfield tacked on a solo homer in the eighth.

“This is a very, very tough environment to play baseball in,” Schaeffer said. “Obviously, the ball flies — the thin air, the heat. The sun seemed to be right above the baseball field today. Just hard. It’s a hard place to play.”

Castro’s career day included a two-run blast in the second and a grand slam in the eighth. He drove in seven runs. The second baseman raised his average 12 points, from .266 to .278.

Goodman’s average soared from .236 to .250 thanks to his five-hit game. Goodman hit a two-run homer to center in the first, the ball flying over the swimming pool and landing 421 feet from home plate. Goodman’s solo homer to left in the fifth was jet-propelled, leaving his bat at 110.7 mph and traveling an estimated 453 feet. The catcher now has 20 home runs, with 13 of them coming on the road.

Goodman entered Sunday on a 0-for-14 slide that included 10 strikeouts, and he committed a costly error in a 6-4 loss to the A’s on Friday.

“There were two frustrating games here, for the team and obviously for me,” Goodman told Rockies.TV. “I honestly just went up there in my first at-bat trying to relax. That first at-bat, I told myself I was going to make myself see strikes.”

Third baseman Kyle Karros went 4 for 6 for the first four-hit game of his career and drove in two runs. Karros has found his swing and is evolving into the hitter Colorado envisioned during spring training. Over his last 19 games, he’s batting .362 (21 for 58) with five doubles, one triple, two home runs, and eight RBIs.

Colorado right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano picked up the victory to improve to 7-4, despite giving up eight runs on nine hits over five innings and seeing his ERA climb from 4.08 to 4.79. Then again, for anyone who took the mound on Sunday, the game was a matter of survival.

“I thought Sugano was fantastic today, honestly, in a very, very tough environment,” Schaeffer said. “He had a high pitch count in the first inning, but he grinded through and gave us five innings and he got the win. So, that’s resilience, and that’s a professional, hard at work out there in a very difficult environment.”

Pitching probables

Monday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-8, 7.54 ERA) at Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (4-6, 4.44), 6:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (2-2, 5.20) at Cubs RHP Edward Cabrera (4-3, 4.86), 6:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Sean Sullivan (0-0, 0.00) at Cubs RHP Javier Assad (4-1, 3.99), 6:05 p.m.
Thursday: Off day

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

In his first three years in the majors — 237 games — the Rockies slugger stole a whopping three bases. In his time playing Triple-A minor league ball, he stole one. Two years of Double-A? One. High-A? One.

There was nothing to see here. Nobody was lamenting his lack of audacity on the base paths. Catchers can’t run, after all.

But Goodman can, he remembered recently. An All-Star in 2025 for his bat, he made noise with his legs last week, suddenly swiping two bags in as many games Wednesday and Friday. Somehow, that was the statistic that stuck out the most from a week in which he also clubbed three homers and drove in six runs. It was all part of a Rockies initiative that dates back to spring training — a common edict for losing teams looking for an edge.

“I move pretty well for a catcher, and one of the big things we’re trying to change is kind of creating some chaos on the base paths,” Goodman told The Denver Post before a 7-1 loss to the Brewers on Saturday. “Running a little better. Taking extra bases when we have the chance. So I think I run pretty well, and I think there’s opportunities out there for me to gain an extra base for the team. … I’m not gonna steal a base every game, but when there’s the opportunity, when a pitcher’s slow or when they’re not really paying attention, I feel like I have the ability to at least take advantage of that.”

Goodman aims to be a cunning thief. His sprint speed “could be better, could be worse,” he’ll readily admit. But he studies enough film of opposing pitchers — and inherently understands their cadences because of his own position — to feel confident picking his spots.

“I think it’s just watching video, seeing which guys are, I guess ‘gettable,’ you could say, for me and my speed,” the 26-year-old said. “I think it’s different for each guy, which guys you can swipe a bag on and which guys you kind of just stay at first and get a good secondary (lead). So I’m doing a little better job seeing that and realizing I don’t have to just stand at first on this guy.”

His latest heist was especially daring, at challenge used to one of the best catchers in the game at eliminating runners. The throw from Milwaukee’s William Contreras beat Goodman, but he evaded the tag and made it in safely with a smooth swim move.

“That the only chance I had,” Goodman said, “so I figured I’d just try it.”

It was his fifth stolen base in 58 games this season, one away from tripling the career total he brought into 2026.

It’ll never be his defining skill, but the Rockies want him to keep up the aggressive mindset. He’s realizing he can tap into a forgotten knack for running the bases freely that he possessed back in college, when he amassed 11 steals at Memphis in 2019 and nine more in 2021. He got away from that after entering the pros.

“Probably just me not focusing on it a ton and not really feeling comfortable doing it,” Goodman said. “But the more you do it, the more you get comfortable with it, and the better you get at it.

“I stole a decent amount in college. … So I think it’s great. I think getting to second is a big deal, especially in a ballpark like (Coors Field) where there are a lot of hits out there — getting to second base, giving that next guy an opportunity to get a single and drive in a run, versus having to put one in the gap.”

Goodman could be bound for a second consecutive All-Star Game next month. He ranked fourth in the National League with 16 home runs as of Saturday, on pace for another 30-homer season. He forced extra innings with a solid piece of situational hitting Friday, a ninth-inning RBI sacrifice fly. He’s 13th in the NL in slugging (.514) despite a downtick in average and on-base percentage from last year.

To some extent, that’s the cost of being one of the most aggressive swingers in Colorado’s lineup. He’s working on maintaining control of that aggression, on harnessing it for good.

Meanwhile, he’s also trying to apply the same trait on the base paths.

“We want that to be a big part of our identity,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “… Our three catchers can all run, which is abnormal. And we need to take advantage of that. Goody’s been doing a really good job of doing that.”

To bunt or not to bunt

Colorado’s home stand began with a thriller Friday night that tested Schaeffer’s philosophy in a situation that will come up often in the future. In the ninth and 10th innings of an eventual 9-7 loss, the Rockies had runners at first and second base with nobody out and a two-run deficit. Both times, they elected not to try moving the runners over with a bunt.

“Every situation is different,” Schaeffer said Saturday. “My natural inclination as a manager always — almost always — is to bunt.”

But these were not “natural” scenarios, from Schaeffer’s perspective. Down 5-3 in the ninth, he chose to swing away because the batter was Jake McCarthy — “arguably our hottest hitter right now,” the manager said. “There’s a lot of grass out there in the outfield. And it’s a great chance to score multiple runs with him up. And you hate to bunt with your best hitter at the moment.”

In the 10th, Colorado cut a 9-5 deficit in half before Milwaukee could record an out. The tying runners were on base. The batter was Brett Sullivan this time.

“An obvious candidate to bunt, no doubt about it,” Schaeffer acknowledged in hindsight. “But the situation for me dictated, (Brewers reliever Aaron) Ashby was having a very, very difficult time throwing strikes. And to give up an out (by bunting) when that’s occurring, I’m not crazy about it. Especially when you have a chance to win the game. If you bunt there, you’re basically saying, ‘We’re trying to tie the game here.’ I thought it was a great opportunity for us to try to win the game. Sully’s been good against left-handed pitching as well.”

So the Rockies took their chances. Sullivan grounded into a double play. Their rally stalled out.

“Obviously, the worst thing possible happened,” Schaeffer said. “Sometimes that happens. But the process of thinking about it was correct, I think.”

“Did he do it? Did he do it?” his teammates shouted. “Oh, he did it!”

A huge grin spread across Rumfield’s face.

Yep, home run to the third deck in right during Friday’s batting practice at Coors Field. A small slice of fun in a season that has the Rockies’ first baseman in the conversation for National League Rookie of the Year.

For most young players, their first season in the majors is a rollercoaster characterized by hot streaks and slumps. But the 26-year-old Rumfield has been remarkably consistent, never going more than three games in a row without a hit.

“I think I’m most proud of my ability to take my results day to day and not read too much into certain days,” the left-handed hitter said. “If I go 0 for 4, or if I go a 3 for something  … whatever happens that day, I feel like I can leave it at the yard. I have done a really good job of that this year and not taking it home to my wife (Hayden) and kid (Belle).”

Manager Warren Schaeffer has noticed.

“TJ has the ability to mentally stay the same every day, no matter the environment,” Schaeffer said. “Whether he’s at Coors Field or Dodger Stadium, wherever he is, he has the ability to stay like this.”

Schaeffer extended a steady hand to illustrate his point.

“He’s doing that for the first time in the big leagues, and that just shows me he’s going to be like that his entire career,”  Schaeffer continued. “That’s impressive.”

The Rockies have had only one player win Rookie of the Year, starting pitcher Jason Jennings in 2002. But with more than one-third of the season in the books, Rumfield’s qualifications are legitimate.

Entering Saturday’s game against the Giants, he was slashing .279/.356/.442 (.797 OPS) with seven home runs and 27 RBIs. His 15.3% strikeout rate is the lowest on the team, and his 9.0% walk rate ranks second to third baseman Kyle Karros (13.1%). He is hitting .280 (14 for 50) with runners in scoring position, ranking second to Troy’s Johnston’s sizzling .419 average (18 for 43).

“He’s mature, really mature,” outfielder Jake McCarthy said. “His approach at the plate is super-pro. Even when he gets beat, he manages to put the ball in play, see a lot of pitches, and swing at the right pitches.

“I’ve seen him have games where he has O-fers, and then the next day he comes back and has five really good at-bats. That’s a big part of this job. He does not play like a rookie. It’s really impressive.”

Colorado acquired the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Rumfield in a Jan. 28 trade with the Yankees for right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli. Chivilli made two appearances with the Yankees this season but has been on the injured list since April 25 with shoulder discomfort.

The Rockies had hoped that Michael Toglia, their first-round draft choice in 2019 (23rd overall), would be the long-term answer at first base. But Toglia’s exorbitant strikeout rate last season (39.2%) forced the Rockies to cut him loose.

When the Rockies traded for Rumfield, they hoped to get a player who would battle for the starting job at first base and fill in as a designated hitter. Rumfield has exceeded expectations.

“There is a real sense of timing and a consistent approach that stands out even more than the numbers,” general manager Josh Byrnes said. “He’s an adjustable, creative hitter. He can face a righty with this kind of arsenal, and righty with that kind of arsenal.  Ahead in the count, behind in the count, whatever tweaks you have to make as a hitter, he makes. He has quite a few clubs in his bag and has multiple ways to conduct an at-bat. That’s rare for a rookie.”

Rumfield’s minor-league numbers were strong, but he was blocked in the Bronx by Ben Rice, who has become a star at first base.

Last season, at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Rumfield had an .825 OPS with 16 home runs. He was ranked as the No. 22 prospect in the Yankees’ farm system. What Rumfield needed was a chance.

“I think you have to consider him a rookie-of-the-year candidate,” said Kyle Freeland, Colorado’s veteran left-hander. “He’s playing great defense at first base, and he’s been hitting the ball at a very consistent rate, all the way from spring training until now.”

Freeland agreed with McCarthy’s take that Rumfield conducts himself like a veteran, not a rookie.

“We see stuff in the clubhouse, behind the scenes, that the fans and the media don’t see,” Freeland said. “But I see him go about his day-to-day business like a true pro. If he has a bad game at the plate, he doesn’t dwell on it, and doesn’t try to make up for it the next day. He just goes out and tries to help the team win anyway he can. He’s done a good job of grasping that.”

According to Schaeffer, Rumfield’s solid defense is sometimes overlooked. Schaeffer has a point. Entering Saturday night’s game, Rumfield had a 1.000% fielding percentage, committing zero errors in 360 total chances at first.

“We don’t talk about it much, but his defense has been really, really good,” Schaeffer said. “He’s saving errors for guys, making really tough plays over there. He’s got good hands. Good hands on a big man.”

Awards season is a long way off, and Rumfield faces robust competition for Rookie of the Year, including Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt, Reds first baseman Sal Stewart, Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin, and Nationals right-hander Foster Griffin. But if Rumfield stays his consistent course — and adds some more power, something he’s quite capable of — he’ll be in the running.

Rumfield credits Schaeffer for much of his success this season.

“I’m playing free because ‘Schaeff’ has shown confidence in my abilities and trusted me, and that’s huge,” Rumfield said. “This game is so hard. I know we have two-thirds of the season left, and it’s going to be a day-to-day grind. My job is to stay on top of my craft and try to develop a game plan that can help this team win.”

Rumfield’s Rookie Resume

Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield is making a case for National League rookie of the year. A snapshot of his season:

• 55 hits: Leads the Rockies and ranks second among all major league rookies, (first in the NL)
• .281 average: Second in the majors
• 27 RBIs: Fifth in the majors
• 17 extra-base hits: Tied for fifth in the majors
• .807 OPS: Tied for fourth in the majors

Note: Through games of Friday, May 29.
Source: Colorado Rockies

Now, he’s a full-time professional who signed for $9 million. That’s not kids’ stuff.

But he’s thriving, and swinging a hot bat for the Single-A Fresno Grizzlies. Not an easy trick for a 19-year-old away from home for the first time.

“I think things are going well and I’ve settled into a groove,” Holliday said in a phone interview Tuesday before the Grizzlies played the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. “Last year was challenging, no doubt. And this is still challenging, but I’m starting to figure it out. I’m trying to keep things as simple as possible.”

Entering Tuesday, the shortstop ranked first in the California League in slugging (.580) and OPS (.984), was tied for first in home runs (nine) and RBIs (30), and was tied for 10th in walks (22). Last Saturday, Colorado’s top-ranked prospect launched two home runs and drove in three runs in Fresno’s 11-6 win over Visalia.

“I was feeling good and on time with my swing,” he said. “I got some fastballs over the middle, and I took ’em deep a couple of times.”

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Holliday is part of Stillwater, Okla., baseball royalty. Ethan’s dad, Matt, the former Rockies outfielder, was a seven-time All-Star and a World Series champion with the Cardinals. Ethan’s big brother, Jackson, was the first overall pick out of Stillwater High in the 2022 draft by the Orioles.

When Ethan was still in high school, some projected that he would have a better big-league career than his dad or his brother. Of course, nothing is guaranteed in baseball. During Ethan’s 18-game taste of pro baseball last summer with Fresno, he hit just .239 with two home runs and struck out in 39.3% of his plate appearances. There were whispers in the baseball industry that he was having trouble hitting fastballs.

The “Worries about swing-and-miss cropped up when he was on the summer showcase circuit, and he expanded the zone too much, and there were a lot of whiffs during his brief pro debut, but he has the chance to be a solid all-around hitter with big home run totals. ”

Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes likes what he’s seeing from Ethan.

“I mean, Ethan just turned 19 in spring training, so he’s got growth ahead of him,” Byrnes said Tuesday at Coors Field before Colorado hosted the Rangers. “In talking to Ethan and his dad, we talked about hitting the fastball better — without losing his other strengths. And in May, he’s really done a lot better with it.

“He’s made some slight swing changes, but taking that into your first full professional season is not that easy. But the overall production, and how he’s doing it has been really, really encouraging.”

Byrnes is also impressed by Ethan’s maturity.

“He’s his own person, but I think his family pedigree has helped,” Byrnes said. “Even so, when I’ve talked to Matt, he’s told me, ‘You don’t have to baby him. He’s a professional baseball player now. The thing is, Ethan loves talking the game, and he loves picking the brains of his brother and his dad.”

Jackson came off the injured list on Tuesday and started at second base for the Orioles for the first time this season. After undergoing right hamate surgery on Feb. 12, Jackson had to pause his rehab assignment twice, first due to right wrist soreness and then due to right hand discomfort. The hamate bone is on the lower outside edge of the hand.

“I’m so glad to see him back with the Orioles,” Ethan said. “Our schedules get crazy, so we can’t talk every day, but we talk a lot.”

And what does his big brother tell him?

“He says, this all the time: ‘Just give yourself some grace. Just go out there and play the game you have always loved. Don’t think too crazy about any of it. Go compete and have fun. And make sure to give it your all every night.’ ”

Jackson needed only 155 minor league games to reach the majors. It took Matt a lot longer. He appeared in 556 games over six years before debuting with the Rockies in 2004. Patience is a prerequisite in pro baseball.

“I tell Ethan all the time,” Matt told The Post during spring training. “I was 24 years old when I made it. I had some really lousy seasons. I let him know, ‘You are 19. Let����ap relax. You don’t have to get to the major leagues this year.’

“Everybody is on a different timeline. He doesn’t have to be like his brother. He is his own person. And I am proud of him.”

Ethan has taken his dad’s advice to heart.

“It won’t be sunshine and rainbows every day,” he said. “We have to understand that baseball is a game of failure, but you have to show up every day.”

And you have to get away from the diamond when you can.

Last Monday, Ethan and his girlfriend, Mary, drove from Fresno to Yosemite National Park and spent the day there.

“It was unbelievable, breathtaking,” he said. “I need that. Showing up every day, and playing every day is not easy. Thankfully, we have that built-in off day on Mondays. I try to make the most of it.”

For a franchise that has had almost zero success with selecting high school pitchers in the first couple rounds of the draft — Aaron Cook and, to a lesser extent, Jamey Wright are the only notable exceptions — it still remains possible that could buck that trend.

Cox is Colorado’s highest-drafted high school pitcher since the Rockies whiffed by taking Riley Pint at No. 4 overall in 2016. Cox was selected in the second round at No. 50 overall out of Toutle Lake High School (Washington) in 2022. In the time since, he went through Tommy John surgery midway through ’23, missed all of ’24 and then was on an innings limit in ’25.

But those speed bumps haven’t dented the confidence of Cox, who is currently in High-A Spokane.

“In the next couple of years, I definitely see myself as a starter in the big leagues,” Cox said. “I’ve just got to keep working and keep chasing that hunger to be the best.”

In a sport defined by what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, Cox’s recent returns are promising.

The 6-foot-2 right-hander struggled out of the gate in ’25, with a 15.43 ERA in four April starts with Low-A Fresno. But then he dialed in his curveball and finished the season with a 3.39 ERA in 23 starts. That featured several dominant stretches, including a sizzling July in which he had a 2.74 ERA in five starts with an 11.7 K/9 ratio and an eye-popping 15.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The 22-year-old has taken that momentum into this season in Spokane, where his K/9 rate is 12.4. He has a 4.25 ERA in six games this season heading into his next start for the Indians on Tuesday. In his last outing on May 5, he spun a career-high seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts in a win over the Tri-City Dust Devils.

“Outings like that, I’m just trying to show that that’s the standard I hold myself to and that’s what the Rockies can expect when I walk out onto the mound,” Cox said.

Cox’s goals for this season include 200 strikeouts and a sub-3.00 ERA. With swing-and-miss stuff, Cox’s fastball sits in the mid-90s and he can reach back to hit 98 mph when needed. His curveball is in the low 80s, and his four-pitch mix is rounded out by a changeup (which he added during his Tommy John rehab) and a cutter (which he added in this offseason as a bridge between the fastball and curveball), both of which sit in the high-80s.

“I’ve definitely implemented the curveball a lot more over the past couple seasons, especially earlier in the game, because that’s always been my best pitch,” Cox said. “But the development of my changeup and recently adding the cutter has been two weapons that I really like relying on now as well, just making sure that I’m not getting too predictable by throwing too many fastballs to hitters.”

Five more updates on Rockies prospects

While Cole Carrigg is one of the hottest hitters in the minors, Charlie Condon is knocking on the door of his debut, and Zac Veen waits for another shot in the bigs, here are five other  to watch entering the heart of the season.

SS Ethan Holliday

The No. 1-ranked Rockies prospect, drafted fourth overall last year, scuffled in his debut last season with Fresno. He’s back in High-A in 2026, and hitting better: .258 with six homers through 26 games. He still needs to work on striking out less, but he projects to be in Spokane by season’s end.

2B/CF Roldy Brito

Brito signed with the Rockies in 2024 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, was the Arizona Complex League MVP in ’25 and then tore up Fresno after getting called up. Back in Fresno in ’26, the switch-hitter continues to hit for average (.315) and show off plus-speed.

RHP Brody Brecht

Colorado’s No. 38 overall pick in 2024 out of Iowa, developing command has been a focal point over his first two pro seasons. At 6-foot-4, Brecht sits around 96 with his fastball and can touch triple-digits, with a nice slider to match. He has a 4.91 ERA in six starts this season for Spokane.

OF Sterlin Thompson

One of two minor-league outfielders on along with Veen, Thompson has played right and left in Triple-A this year. The lefty’s hitting .336 with a .473 on-base percentage in 33 games; given left fielder Jordan Beck’s offensive struggles, Thompson’s debut could be imminent.

LHP Konner Eaton

The 6-foot-3 southpaw turned a lot of heads with his performance last year in Spokane, when he posted a 3.56 ERA in 23 starts before a late-season call-up to Hartford. He came back down to earth there, with a 5.30 ERA in four starts, but has a 3.00 ERA in six starts so far for the Goats in ’26. ]]> 7755819 2026-05-12T15:56:41+00:00 2026-05-12T16:10:58+00:00 /2026/04/30/rockies-charlie-condon-zac-veen-prospects/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:20:19 +0000 /?p=7574268 In many ways, Zac Veen’s first dozen games in the majors last year summed up everything the Rockies’ new front office boss thought the club was doing wrong when it came to debuting top prospects.

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.”

Too often, he’d throw his 95-mph fastball over the heart of the plate. “Thwack!” Baseballs sizzled off the bat. Full Charlie Brown mode. Duck and cover. It was hard to watch.

Opponents had a .352 batting average against Senzatela’s fastball. It was one of the most hittable pitches in the majors. He posted a 6.65 ERA and served up a career-high 22 home runs. In 108 innings as a starter, Senzatela posted a 7.48 ERA and 1.91 WHIP. Manager Warren Schaeffer was forced to demote him to the bullpen as a cleanup reliever.

“Senza,” as everyone calls the Rockies’ veteran right-hander, has never come close to being a star, but he was a serviceable back-of-the-rotation pitcher. But, in retrospect, it seemed like a mistake to sign him to a five-year, $50.5 million contract extension in October 2021.

He’s been through a lot. He sustained a torn ACL in August 2021, worked his way back, blew out his elbow, and underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2023. Through it all, Senzatela has been a complete pro. He’s beloved by his teammates and is always friendly with the media. Most of all, he put in the work.

But Senza looked done. The $12 million he’s making this season looked like dead money.

But now, he’s one of baseball’s best stories in the early going. How many pitchers reinvent themselves at 31?

Entering the weekend, he had yet to give up a run over five games (12 1/3) innings as a long reliever. His 0.568 WHIP is ridiculously low. He’s struck out 15 and walked just three.

Schaeffer never gave up on Senzatela, but knew the right-hander had to change if he wanted to thrive as a long reliever under the Rockies’ new game plan, in which long relievers play a critical role.

“One hundred percent, he could have gone one of two ways — the other way or the way he’s going now — which is a credit to the way he went about it,” Schaeffer told MLB.com in San Diego last weekend. “None of us doubted that this was going to be the case. I’m extremely proud of the way he goes about his business, attacking it every single day.”

During the offseason, Senzatela trained at Push Performance, a Phoenix-area training facility. Under the tutelage of new Rockies pitching coach Alon Leichman and new assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas, Senzatela honed his craft during spring training. He experimented with different grips, adjusted his position on the pitching rubber, and changed his mentality on the mound.

Now, Senza looks like a different pitcher. His average four-seam fastball velocity has increased from 95 mph to 97.2 mph. More importantly, he’s become a less predictable pitcher. Last season, he threw his four-seam fastball 59.6% of the time. This season, he’s using it 39.6% of the time,

Last season, he threw his cutter 1.8% of the time. This season it’s up to 26.6%. Senzatela’s slider, a pitch he’s never commanded particularly well, has been put in the back pocket (18% in 2025, 3% in ’26). He threw a sinking fastball hardly at all last season (0.5%), but he’s throwing it at 95.9 mph this season (12.4%) and getting groundball outs with it.

Senza said that once he made adjustments to his pitcher repertoire and his daily routine, he’s come to like coming out of the bullpen.

“I feel really good,” he said Friday before the Rockies hosted the Dodgers. “I can feel my adrenaline when I come into a game. So it feels really good (coming out) of the bullpen and having that experience.

“It’s different knowing you have to be ready almost every day. It����ap different for me now, but it����ap going good.”

Actually, better than good. In April, he’s been praise-worthy, not cringe-worthy. Good for him.

Short-term memory and mental toughness are prerequisites for a major league pitcher, particularly for one who must ply his trade at Coors Field.

Last Tuesday night in Toronto, the Blue Jays’ Andres Gimenez scorched a 106 mph line drive back to the mound and off Feltner’s right hip.

I immediately recalled that chilling moment on May 13, 2023, at Coors Field when the Phillies’ Nick Castellanos hit a 92.7 mph comebacker. Feltner had just enough reaction time to dodge getting hit in the face, but the baseball struck Feltner in the back of his head, just above the right ear. He suffered a skull fracture and a major concussion.

I asked Feltner if that traumatic moment came roaring back when he got hit in Toronto.

“There wasn’t any thought of what happened before, none at all,” he said. ‘Once I got hit, I just wanted to make sure I had enough feeling in my leg to keep going. There was no association with what happened in 2023.”

Feltner finished the third inning in Toronto, but his right glute tightened up, and he was unable to continue. But the 29-year-old right-hander is fine and will make his scheduled start on Monday night against the Astros at Coors Field.

In those three innings vs. the Blue Jays, Feltner showed what he’s capable of. He allowed no runs, one walk, and struck out four. He mixed all six of his pitches: four-seam fastball, changeup, slider, sinker, sweeper and curveball. His strikeouts came via his fastball, slider, sinker and sweeper.

“He pitched awesome,” catcher Hunter Goodman said. “He had command of all of his pitches. That was the best I have seen him throw this year, including spring training. I’m excited for his next few outings. I think he can build momentum off those.”

Feltner did not have a great spring training — 9.65 ERA, 11 walks, 17 strikeouts over 16 innings — and his command was erratic. He barely beat out Chase Dollander for the fifth spot in the rotation.

“I think pitching in a regular major league game sharpens me up a little bit,” he explained. “It’s nice to be in the flow of a real game. I don’t look at spring training results, hardly at all. It’s about working on things. It’s about the process.”

Against the Blue Jays, Feltner looked very much like the pitcher who dominated hitters during the second half of the 2024 season. Over his last 15 starts, he posted a 2.98 ERA, the first Rockies starter with a sub-3.00 ERA through a 15-start span since German Marquez during his All-Star campaign in 2021.

The Rockies are waiting for Feltner to pitch like that again.

“He has what it takes to be an All-Star in this league,” new pitching coach Alon Leichman told me early in spring training. “He has some really cool pitches, and once he puts it all together, he will be a force in this league.”

Goodman concurred.

“I think you saw spurts of that the other night,” he said. “I 100% agree with Alon. I think it’s about Ryan taking that next step forward. It’s about being more in the attack mode instead of trying to be too fine. I think he did that well the other night. When he got to two strikes, he was putting guys away. I definitely think he has the stuff to be an All-Star.”

Manager Warren Schaeffer knows what he must see from Feltner.

“Baseball is a game of consistency,” Schaeffer said. “The greatest players are all consistent. ‘Felt’ needs to do exactly what he did the other night, in terms of his mentality. He was aggressive and got ahead in counts. That’s his formula. He knows that. He doesn’t need to change.

“It’s just a matter of putting it together, outing after outing, like big-league pitchers do.”

There is no question that Feltner has the want-to. Four months after fracturing his skull, he pitched five scoreless innings vs. the Padres in San Diego. Last season was a lost season due to back and shoulder injuries, but he revamped his offseason game plan to become a stronger pitcher and a better athlete.

Perhaps this season can be the season. 

“I think I’m in a good place,” he said. “I’m ready to put a full season together.”

Every hire an indictment of last season. Or the last seven.

Admit it, you grew disgusted with the Rockies. Might have stopped going to games, leaving great seats for opposing team’s fans. Maybe you gave up on them entirely.

Hard to blame you. The product the past three years has been major league baseball in name only.

A decade too late, the Rockies abandoned their insular thinking, fired dead weight president Greg Feasel and general manager Bill Schmidt. They ditched their AOL account. Exchanged their flip phones. And turned on Bluetooth.

The Rockies are connected to reality, harsh as it is. They are no longer in a state of denial.

With Walker Monfort in charge, president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and GM Josh Byrnes have been entrusted to excavate the Rockies from the ruins.

The first step on a 1,000-mile journey begins Friday in the season opener at Miami.

Could it be possible that arguably the worst team in baseball history won’t even be the worst team in baseball this season?

There is a plan. So, there is a chance. “We’re Here For The Climb” is the team’s marketing slogan. It is catchier than “Now We Suck Less Than Ever.”

The Rockies are asking for patience, recognizing this is likely a three-year project to return to relevance.

They will be bad. But they will not be boring.

The days of enjoyment will outnumber the days of embarrassment.

There are a few reasons why. DePodesta has infused analytics into a Rockies organization that had been living in the Stone Age. And manager Warren Schaeffer hired coaches who understand the information and can deliver it to players in a snackable fashion.

“The magic isn’t in the word analytics. It has been around 25 years with Paul,” Schaeffer said. “He’s not some nerd who lives in the stratosphere. He’s a great baseball guy. It is going to make us more efficient.”

DePodesta and Byrnes reconfigured the rotation around veterans with a plethora of pitches. Nothing is more demoralizing for a team trying to regain its balance than having its outcome determined by the third inning.

“How many sports in the world when you have the ball in your hand are you not on offense? Our pitchers have to adopt that mentality. Yeah we are going to give up some hits and we are going to give up some homers. That happens (at Coors Field),” DePodesta said. “We can’t back down. We are going to relentlessly attack. Look, it might be a 15-round heavyweight fight. We might get bloodied. But we’ve got to knock the other guy out.”

It is a change in mindset bordering on a lobotomy.

The Rockies want to be on offense. Especially when they are on offense.

Anyone familiar with baseball at altitude knows pitching remains a problem. It will always be difficult. But the fact that the Rockies could not hit the past two seasons was absurd.

No stadium awards contact like Coors Field. And the Rockies, instead, became human windmills, a trait amplified on the road where they averaged an MLB-worst 10.4 strikeouts per game over the past two years.

This must change, starting at LoanDepot Park on Friday night. There is no excuse for chasing and swinging and missing at this rate.

“There is no doubt we have to get more guys on base. We have to have more balls in play,” DePodesta said.

The additions of super utilityman Willi Castro and TJ Rumfield provide a lens into how the Rockies’ brass wants to reshape and improve.

Castro brings lineup and positional versatility. He was an All-Star in 2024, delivering 48 extra-base hits. Even in a disappointing 2025 season, he struck out 24.4% of the time. Ryan McMahon, by comparison, whiffed in 32.2% of his plate appearances.

Rumfield, the projected starting first baseman, struck out 18.3% in Triple-A. Michael Toglia, ditched by new management, posted a 39.1% K rate last season.

The best Rockies lineups have always offered a blend of characteristics.

“We need to be able to look at an individual, at his strengths, and determine how that puzzle piece fits. It is hard to find a guy who hits for average, gets on base, has power and is a great defender. Those are Hall of Famers,” said DePodesta. “But if we can find guys who have elements of those and put the pieces together in just the right way, then as a team we can do all those things and cover for individual weaknesses. I do think we are going to be developing hitters who fit as winning pieces that ultimately will be part of a larger puzzle.”

Ambush in hitter’s counts. Run a little bit, forever a foreign concept. Put pressure on the defense. Schaeffer is poised to be more aggressive. It won’t translate in the standings, but the offense will have a few electrified strings on the acoustic guitar.

The Rockies are more equipped to do damage with shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who has legit pop, and a healthy Brenton Doyle. Mickey Moniak brings 25-home-run potential as the primary DH, and Jordan Beck and Jake McCarthy should combine for 25 dingers.  Catcher Hunter Goodman returns as a slugging All-Star and, in an ideal world, top prospect Charlie Condon is hitting No. 2 in the lineup by July.

It is fine if you don’t give the Rockies the benefit of the doubt. They betrayed fans’ trust and loyalty for far too long.

They will have to improve by 20 wins to avoid becoming only the second team to lose 100 games in four straight seasons, joining the Washington Senators (1961-64).

The starting pitching and the hitting have not been the only problems since 2023. It has been everything.

There are times this season they are going to stink.

But they are going to compete.

Nobody is going to make any kind of promise. But, there will be progress, if not twinkles of excitement.