Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

This is the first time in a long time that I feel good about the future of our team. What do you think is the most optimistic yet realistic expectation we should have? I feel like 70 wins is the ceiling, and a couple of our prospects emerge with solid seasons, like Zac Veen and Chase Dollander. What do you think?

— Marshall, Parker

Marshall, your optimism is refreshing. I do feel like there was a new energy at spring training, and the players have bought into the Rockies’ new direction under Paul Depodesta, the president of baseball operations, and manager Warren Schaeffer.

To reach 70 wins, the Rockies would have to improve by 27 games from their 43-119 record. That would be a quantum leap, and I don’t see it happening. You have to remember that Colorado was outscored by 424 runs last season.

The infamous Chicago White Sox went from 41-214 in 2024 to 60-102 in ’25. If the Rockies lose only 102 games this season, that would be progress.

Renck: What’s new with Rockies pitching staff? Chase Dollander will show you

I think Dollander will improve markedly this season, though he's not a lock to break camp as a member of the starting rotation. I don't believe that Zac Veen will make the 26-man roster out of camp, and I don't know if he'll make a big-league impact this season.

The three young players I'm most intrigued by are third baseman Kyle Karros, first baseman TJ Rumfield, and utility player Ryan Ritter.

And, of course, the Rockies need comeback seasons from shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and center fielder Brenton Doyle, whom I wrote about on Sunday.

Rockies’ rebuild in 2026 depends on Gold Glove performances by Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle

Great spring training reports and insight into 2026. I was looking over the Rockies' players who made the World Baseball Classic rosters. The only one of note was Ezequiel Tovar playing for Venezuela. Tovar is one of the best-performing Rockies so far. I am not sure who to come to the ballpark to really get a glimpse of stardom (from the home team, of course), who do you see being worthy to pay to see, and who might emerge at this year's Troy Tulowitzki or Nolan Arenado?

— Robert Emmerling, Limon

Thanks for the compliment, Robert; it's appreciated.

I don't see anyone bursting on the scene as Arenado did in 2013 when he won a Gold Glove as a rookie, or as Story did in 2016 when he mashed 27 home runs and hit .273 in 97 games. Story likely would have been the rookie of the year if he hadn't torn ligaments in his left thumb and missed the rest of the season.

But, to answer your question, I'll go with third baseman Kyle Karros. He's capable of Arenado-like plays, and I think he's going to become a force at the plate, too.

I'm kind of blown away that the oldest hitter on the Rockies' roster is 28. That has to be a record for the youngest offense. They know Kris Bryant is not going to be there. It appears to be a poor decision by the GM and the manager not to have a veteran professional hitter mentoring these kids. No team does this. Why didn't they pick up a Randal Grichuk or Justin Turner, Tommy Pham, or Rhys Hoskins, all still available? The Rockies just keep doing things nobody else in MLB does. Why?

— Harvey, Denver

I totally disagree with you, Harvey. The Rockies brought in Willi Castro, 28, to be a veteran catalyst on the team. Given the team's payroll constraints right now (they owe Bryant $27 million this season) and with a labor war looming, it wouldn't have made sense to spend money on an over-the-hill veteran hitter. The Rockies need their young players to play.

I think you're going to see growth from players such as Jordan Beck, Kyle Karros, and TJ Rumfield. Where the Rockies desperately needed some veteran stability was in their starting rotation. They addressed that issue by signing Tomoyuki Sugano, Jose Quintana, and Michael Lorenzen.

Can Rockies fix swing-and-whiff offense from disastrous 2025? New hitting coach keeps it simple

Has covering the Rockies gone from one of the worst beat jobs to one of the most interesting? They've gone from unwilling to change (and change from being horrible) to willing to try anything new with a cutting-edge coaching staff and upper management that went from never doing or saying anything to Moneyball 2.0 at altitude, where moves are frequently made and always explained in depth by Paul Depodesta. It also seems like a much more interesting mix of players this spring than in the past five years. Are you enjoying the switch as a reporter as much as I'm enjoying it as a fan?

— Isaac Bowen, Fort Collins

Holy cow, Isaac! Hold your horses!  I love your enthusiasm and optimism, but I've become much too cynical to jump on your bandwagon (wow, I used three cliches in three sentences).

I will say this: things will be more interesting. I'm thankful for that, and it should be fun to watch this team improve. But it's not one of the most interesting beats in baseball. Covering a team in the thick of the race in August and September is what I hope for before I retire.

He was interested in becoming the long-term GM. He didn’t believe the Rockies needed “rebuilding.” And he said Job No. 1 was to “Get everybody pulling on the rope in the same direction. Not only the players, but the whole organization.”

Then there’s this: “At the end of the day, I realize we need to win games.”

Schmidt was named the long-term GM on Oct. 2, 2021, but his vision of what the Rockies could become has never materialized.

Now, as the Rockies near the end of the worst season in franchise history and remain on track for one of the worst seasons in big-league history, it’s clear Schmidt’s tenure has been a failure. Colorado entered the weekend with a 40-107 record (on pace to lose 117 games), and the team had a 224-407 record on Schmidt’s watch, a .355 winning percentage that is by far the worst of any Colorado GM.

The Rockies have not publicly commented on Schmidt’s future, but it appears likely that he will be fired or reassigned at the end of the season.

When the club fired longtime manager Bud Black after the team opened the season with a 7-33 record, owner Dick Monfort issued a statement that read, “Our play this season, especially coming off the last two seasons, has been unacceptable. While we all share responsibility in how this season has played out, these changes are necessary. We will use the remainder of 2025 to improve where we can on the field and to evaluate all areas of our operation so we can properly turn the page into the next chapter of Rockies baseball.”

“Unacceptable” and “evaluate all areas of our operation” were key points in that statement, and they surely apply to Schmidt — not just Black and the players.

The following is an analysis of Schmidt’s tenure as GM:

Free-agent signings

Relative to many major league teams, the Rockies have been minor players in baseball’s free-agent game during Schmidt’s tenure. The exception was the spring 2022 signing of Kris Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million contract, the largest in franchise history.

Bryant has played in just 11 games this season and only 170 in his first four seasons with the franchise. He has been worth a minus-1.6 rWAR over that time and hit only 17 home runs. His chronic lower back condition — the team calls it “lumbar degenerative disc disease” — could mean that his career is over. Regardless, the Rockies still owe Bryant $27 million in 2026, ’27 and ’28.

Schmidt initially envisioned Bryant as the Rockies’ “aircraft carrier,” but national baseball pundits almost universally panned the signing immediately after it was reported. While it was Monfort who pushed for Bryant to come to Colorado, there’s no indication Schmidt pushed back on the deal, either.

Schmidt’s other “major” free-agent signings:

• Outfielder Juricson Profar, 2023, one year, $7.75 million.

• Right-handed reliever Alex Colome, 2022, one year, $4.1 million.

• Right-handed starter Jose Urena, 2023, re-signed, one year, $3.5 million.

• Utility player Kyle Farmer, 2025, one year, $3.25 million.

• Second baseman Thairo Estrada, 2025, one year, $3.25 million.

Whether it was because of injuries (Estrada) or poor play (Profar), none of those deals yielded a big return.

It should be noted that Monfort’s desire to sign Bryant to a mega-deal, coupled with his decision to reduce the club’s 40-man payroll from $171 million in 2023 to $122.3 million this season, hindered Schmidt’s efforts to build a better team.

The Rockies have rarely been active in free agency, even before Schmidt’s tenure, but the GM’s inability to mine the margins of the market for productive players didn’t help.

Contract extensions

Schmidt, who served as Colorado’s head of scouting since 2007 before his promotion, certainly believes in the players he drafted or acquired. During his tenure as GM, he extended the contracts of several players, most notably left-hander Kyle Freeland and third baseman Ryan McMahon in the spring of 2022, and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar during spring training 2024.

Tovar’s seven-year, $63.5 million extension appears to be a big win for the Rockies and is easily one of Schmidt’s best moves. The other extensions are more questionable.

Three days after signing Bryant, Colorado signed McMahon to a six-year, $70 million extension, revealing Schmidt’s blueprint.

“We don’t have all we need yet, but we have quality pieces,” Schmidt said at the time. “Let����ap tie them up and move forward.”

A month later, the Rockies signed Freeland to a five-year, $64.5 million extension. The 32-year-old remains with the team as a steady, veteran presence in Colorado’s historically bad rotation. McMahon was traded to the Yankees in July for prospects. Though he was Colorado’s lone All-Star in 2024, his high strikeout rate and streaky hitting prevented him from ever becoming the player the Rockies envisioned.

The Freeland and McMahon signings ended Schmidt’s most active stretch as a GM. In the fall of 2021, after the Rockies lost star shortstop Trevor Story and right-handed starter Jon Gray to free agency, Colorado brokered long-term deals with right-hander Antonio Senzatela (five years, $55 million) and catcher Elias Diaz (three years, $14 million), and also re-signed first baseman C.J. Cron for two years ($14.5 million).

Dias and Cron were both All-Stars, but the Senzatela extension has aged poorly. A knee injury at the end of the 2022 season and Tommy John surgery in July 2023 cost him dearly, and he’s been bad since his return. This season, the 30-year-old was 4-15 with a 7.15 ERA in 24 games (23 starts), and batters were hitting .356 against him when he was demoted to the bullpen in August. Senzatela has one year remaining on his contract and is set to earn $12 million in 2026.

Reliever Daniel Bard’s contract extension also backfired on Schmidt. In late July 2022, just ahead of the trade deadline, Bard inked a two-year, $19 million contract to stay with the team through 2024. He was a solid closer at the time, and teams were interested in acquiring Bard. But he was also 37 with a history of the yips.

Bard’s control issues resurfaced in 2023 when he posted a 4.56 ERA across 49 1/3 innings while walking more than 21% of opposing hitters. Injuries wiped out the second season of the deal.

Trade or no trade

Schmidt’s first summer as GM included two major decisions. The Rockies did not trade Story or Gray, both impending free agents. Instead, the Rockies offered Story an $18.4 million qualifying offer, which he declined. As compensation, when Story signed a six-year, $140 million deal with the Red Sox, the Rockies received the 31st overall pick in the 2022 draft and selected Florida outfielder Sterlin Thompson, now the club’s 16th-ranked prospect.

The Rockies were hopeful they could retain Gray. During the final week of the 2021 season, they approached him with an offer thought to be three or four years in the range of $35 million to $40 million. He turned it down, entered free agency, and the Rockies got nothing when he walked.

Such inaction at the trade deadline has been a hallmark of the organization. While that’s also been true during Schmidt’s tenure, he has strengthened the big-league roster and farm system by making some solid moves over the last two years.

On the current roster, right fielder Tyler Freeman, closer Victor Vodnik and right-handed starter Tanner Gordon were all acquired via trades. Players on the 40-man roster acquired via trade are right-handers Bradley Blalock, Luis Peralta and Jeff Criswell.

At this summer’s traded deadline, the Rockies made multiple trades for their future, shipping McMahon to the Yankees for two prospects; trading reliever Jake Bird to the Yankees for two more prospects, and dealing veteran right-handed reliever Tyler Kinley to Atlanta in exchange for minor league right-hander Austin Smith.

It remains to be seen if any of those trades will pan out

Draft and develop

Before Schmidt became GM, he had been the point man for many drafts as the head of the scouting department since 1999.

During his tenure, several notable players were drafted, including Troy Tulowitzki, Jeff Francis, Brad Hawpe, Garrett Atkins, Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, Freeland, Gray, Story and McMahon.

But there’s been a landslide of early-round disappointments in recent years, including second baseman Brendon Rodgers (third overall, 2015), right-hander Riley Pint (fourth, 2016), infielder Ryan Vilade (48th, 2017), lefty Ryan Rolison (22nd, 2018), and first baseman Michael Toglia (23rd, 2019). The jury is still out on outfielders Zac Veen (ninth, 2020) and Benny Montgomery (eighth, 2021).

Catcher Hunter Goodman (109th, 2021) and center fielder Brenton Doyle (129th, 2019) were picked later in the draft but have emerged as pillars of Colorado’s future.

Still, over the past nine years, the Rockies have had five top-10 picks and nine others in the top 42, and those 14 picks have combined for -1.7 bWAR.

Former GM Jeff Bridich had the final say on several of those picks, but Schmidt had the final word starting with the 2022 draft. Early results are solid. His selections include right-hander Gabriel Hughes (10th, 2022) and first baseman Charlie Condon (third, 2024), both of whom could debut next season.

Already on the big-league roster are right-hander Chase Dollander (ninth, 2023), infielder Ryan Ritters (116th, 2022) and Kyle Karros (145th, 2023), and outfielder Jordan Beck (38th, 2022).

Change on the horizon?

When Schmidt replaced Bridich in early May 2021, he provided stability to a dysfunctional front office. There was, however, an expectation that the Rockies would conduct a search outside the offices at 20th and Black for a permanent GM.

That didn’t happen. After a 10-18 start under Bridich, the Rockies went 64-69 after Schmidt took over. That was good enough to convince Monfort and then-team president Greg Feasel to keep Schmidt in place.

“It was what he did over the four months, and then it just kept building, and I mean, really, he didn’t give us a choice,” Feasel said at the time. “I mean, the intent was that we were going to go outside.

“But, I mean, how many times do you need to be hit over the head with a bat? And he was the right guy for us at the right time.”

Three 100-loss seasons later, the Rockies have hit a new low in their 33-year history. Will someone from the outside have the talent, vision and guts to tackle the challenge of a rebuild? Will Monfort and his son Walker, the team’s executive vice president, cede power to an outsider?

Some candidates with ties to Colorado might be considered. Thad Levine, who was in the Rockies’ front office from 1999 to 2005 before becoming assistant GM of the Texas Rangers and GM of the Minnesota Twins, would be a good fit. So would Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto, who pitched for the Rockies and served two stints in their front office, or perhaps Mariners assistant GM Andy McKay, who was Colorado’s minor league peak performance director from 2012-16 before joining Seattle as farm director.

Whatever happens, front-office changes in LoDo appear inevitable.

Rockies general managers, by record

The Rockies have only had four general managers in their 33-year history, and none of them posted a winning record during their tenure. The best of the bunch, as measured by winning percentage? The very first one, Bob Gebhard.

Just because the Rockies promoted Walker Monfort to executive vice president does not mean that baseball’s worst team is moving in the right direction.

They need to repo the franchise, not a nepo hire.

If the Rockies aspire to mediocrity in five years, then this move makes sense. And when team president Greg Feasel officially exits at season’s end, they will be better for his absence.

But Monfort, who is humble enough to know what he doesn’t know about baseball, will not make a difference without bringing in an outside mentor. The Rockies must hire an external president for baseball operations, a window left open with Walker’s new title (Former Rangers, Twins and Rockies executive Thad Levine should be a candidate).

Walker, remember, has learned under his dad, Dick Monfort, and Feasel. That doesn’t inspire confidence.

You know what would? If the first directive to his father is to fire general manager Bill Schmidt. Feasel’s exit needs to be a domino, not a single tree falling in the forest behind the center field fence at Coors Field.

Everyone knows Schmidt will get canned. The only question is when. All layers of insulation are gone with Feasel on the way out and manager Bud Black pink-slipped. Schmidt has proven he is not good at his job, which extends beyond the record to a roster that features roughly nine to 12 big leaguers on a given night.

The MLB draft and trade deadline remain the two most important days to reshape a franchise. It makes no sense to leave Schmidt in charge of these decisions. He lost that privilege with too many empty early-round picks and letting Jon Gray and Trevor Story walk in free agency.

The Rockies will argue that Schmidt should stay for the draft on July 13 because, unlike good general managers, he immerses himself in the process. That should be left to scouts and their directors, which it is in effective organizations. But Schmidt was forever in charge of the selections and continues to be involved by all accounts.

Keeping him in place empowers the silo thinking that has doomed this franchise (and yes, that is why Walker Monfort’s new title deserves extreme skepticism). Schmidt has whiffed too many times to be in a position of power. He needs to go, and take assistant GM Zack Rosenthal with him.

Scouts surely know Schmidt will get axed, which normally would create freedom to take chances. But if Schmidt stays in the room and on the text chain, it will prevent them from disagreeing or veering from his mindset.

If you want the food to taste differently, you hire a new chef. You don’t sprinkle salt and pepper.

There is nothing to be gained by Schmidt staying, other than Dick Monfort staying loyal for all the wrong reasons.

And the trade deadline on July 31 only strengthens the argument for Schmidt����ap dismissal.

He has a history of operating out of fear, afraid to make seismic changes. He is not completely to blame. The Rockies, for years, have cultivated a leadership style of CYA and self-preservation. Better to sit tight and play the victim than take a risk with independent thinking and innovation.

Baseball industry folks insist that Schmidt is serious about making trades this July, looking to ship out Ryan McMahon, German Marquez, Austin Gomber and possibly even Jake Bird. For McMahon, it is a year too late, but he could fetch a decent prospect because of his power and defense. Marquez and Gomber have minimal value and Bird, the Rockies’ best chip, likely will be kept because this is how Schmidt operates (see Daniel Bard, Brent Suter).

So again, why do they need him around?

Schmidt is not in a high-stakes staredown with franchise icons like Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado. He is playing at the penny slot machines. Anyone in pro scouting and baseball operations — ideally, a fresh set of eyes from a consultant — can execute these moves. Heck, a few more teams might call if Danny Montgomery, the assistant GM of scouting, is in charge.

Regardless, Schmidt should not be the one charting the future.

For all of my criticism of Feasel and Schmidt, Dick Monfort put them in positions where they were not capable of doing the job or challenging authority. This mess is on him more than anyone.

Walker Monfort must take that into consideration. Don’t act like you hit a triple because you were born on third base. This job, more than any other time in franchise history, demands humility and transparency.

Walker has always been open to new ideas. And he has strong opinions. That cannot change now because of his new title. If anything, that part of his part personality must be amplified because the obvious question lingers: Will he become a yes man to his dad like so many before him?

The Rockies finally did something Thursday that almost hints at self-awareness. But this first step off the porch will be another rake in the face without a complete overhaul and Dick Monfort empowering the front office to make decisions without his influence.

Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

Hi Patrick! Longtime fan of the mailbag. I have been boycotting this team since watching upper management squander DJ LeMahieu, Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado, and getting nothing back for any of them. In my view, it doesn’t matter what hot young prospects we hit on; ownership and our general manager don’t know how to build a franchise in the most basic ways. Given that, what hope is there that Dick Monfort sells the team (none?) or appoints a qualified outsider as head of baseball operations (as opposed to organizational nepotism)? How bad would things have to get? They can’t get much worse!

— Sam, Denver

Sam, I’ve had recent conversations with several people who used to be with the organization and genuinely care about the Rockies. They are discouraged and embarrassed about what’s happening.

Knowing that Dick Monfort is not going to sell the team and is also reluctant to make sweeping changes, one savvy baseball person offered suggestions. According to him, the Rockies should:

• Hire a strong, independent baseball mind from outside the organization to do a thorough evaluation of the franchise.

• Examine all departments, including front office, scouting, manager, player development, big-league coaching, analytics, and even ticket sales.

• Evaluate the organization for the remainder of the season and then implement necessary changes.

• Hire a new team president to oversee baseball operations; someone who has the power to take most baseball decisions out of Monfort’s hands. Perhaps the new president is the person hired to evaluate the organization, or maybe it’s someone else.

Hey Patrick, I’m a lifelong Rockies fan and recently, as I think we all can agree, it����ap been quite disheartening.

I love our players, our ballpark, and childhood memories with my family at 20th and Blake. Now I proudly represent Colorado in New York City amongst a sea of Yankees and Mets fans. However, lately I’ve been asking myself: Who am I rooting for?

It����ap feeling like I am rooting for an organization that doesn’t care about me as a fan at all. Which leads me to my ultimate question: What can we, as fans, do? I’ve heard whispers about boycotting games. I’ve refrained from buying a sleek new City Connect jersey until I feel the team is headed in a better direction in order to “vote with my dollar,” but even that all feels pointless.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Somebody has to change something: Could the fans be the ones to inspire a more competitive culture? Can we demand that ownership increase the analytics department?

Thanks for your time!

— Erik, New York City

Erik, I don’t usually respond to such lengthy opinions/questions. However, you effectively summarize the feelings of many fans who have reached out to me.

I don’t have any real answers to your questions. I am not an advocate of boycotting the team because it would hurt the workers at Coors Field, as well as the businesses around the ballpark. Also, it’s not my place to tell fans how to spend their money, but I completely understand why some fans have given up on a team on its way to a seventh consecutive losing season and started this season 4-24 through Monday night.

Should the Rockies increase the size of their analytics department? Yes. However, I’m unsure how anyone can “demand it.”

Zac Veen is now performing worse, statistically speaking, than Jordan Beck, the man who was sent down to create room for Veen. Should we expect the two of them to change places again? Question two: Do you have any good news to share about Thairo Estrada’s status?

— John Godfrey, Sebastopol, Calif.

John, your question was submitted before the Rockies recalled Beck and sent Veen back down to Triple-A Albuquerque.

It was clear that Veen was not ready to face major league pitching. The Rockies knew that but when Beck struggled so mightily to begin the season, the club figured promoting Veen was worth a shot. Let him test the waters.

But Veen was consistently getting beaten by fastballs up in the zone. In 12 games, he hit .118 with one home run and two RBIs. He struck out 14 times in 37 plate appearances (37.8%). He was also unsteady in the outfield. The demotion to Triple-A was needed.

Beck seemed to have found his swing during his short stint with the Isotopes. When he returned, he was timing up fastballs much better and put together a nice hot streak, getting a hit in six of eight games, batting .346 (9 for 26) with one triple, five home runs and nine RBIs.

At this point, Beck is a better overall player than Veen.

As for Estrada, he was recently placed on the 60-day injured list, but he’s making steady progress as he recovers from his fractured wrist. I don’t have an exact timetable for his return, but it will be in May.

Like many, I have been shocked at the inability of many Rockies players to make contact with fastballs in the strike zone that are catching a good chunk of the plate. We know they can’t acquire good hitters (Kris Bryant, Daniel Murphy, Ian Desmond …) but do you have any sense on if the failure of young Rockies hitters is more from a scouting/drafting side or does it have more to do with a failure to coach and develop players along the way? Or will we forget this question when Zac Veen, Jordan Beck and Michael Toglia are 2026 All-Stars?

— Isaac Bowen, Fort Collins

Isaac, the Rockies’ inability to hit fastballs and put the ball in play is maddening, to you, me, manager Bud Black, the front office, etc. The Rockies’ 28.3% strikeout rate is the highest in baseball.

In comparison, the Padres’ strikeout rate is 18.4% and the Dodgers’ is 22%. Plus, the Dodgers have hit 46 home runs vs. 24 by the Rockies.

It’s a massive problem without a simple solution. Perhaps Clint Hurdle, the new interim hitting coach, can make a difference, but he won’t turn things around in a few months.

In my opinion, the Rockies have done a poor job of drafting players who profile well at Coors Field. Or, if they did pick the right players, those players haven’t developed as the team hoped at the major league level.

However, make no mistake, the players themselves must also be held accountable. There is a stubbornness, or simply an inability, among many players to make the necessary adjustments. Michael Toglia and Ryan McMahon come to mind. Brenton Doyle is an exception. After a tough 2023 season (.203 average, 10 home runs, 35.0% K rate), he made significant adjustments in his swing and improved dramatically in 2024 (.260, 23, 25.4%)

Is Scott Servais a candidate to replace Bud Black?

— Garland McGarvey, Coon Valley, Wis.

I have not heard that. Nor have I heard that Black will be fired, though it wouldn’t shock me or anybody if he is. I have no idea if Servais would be a good fit for the rebuilding Rockies.

I would think that if the Rockies are going to make significant changes, both general manager Bill Schmidt and Black would be fired, a new GM would be hired, and he would play a major role in hiring the next manager. That would be the logical way to do it — if the Rockies clean house.

By the way, Servais was in his ninth season with Seattle when he was fired by the Mariners last August. He was the majors’ second-longest-tenured manager with the same team, along with the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, and behind only the Rays’ Kevin Cash. Servais was 680-642 with the Mariners.

What is going on with Michael Toglia? The strikeouts are high, of course. However, it looks worse with the at-bats he’s giving. Is he being too stubborn to make adjustments to increase his contact rate? Lastly, if improvements do not materialize, is there any chance the Rockies could move on from him next season?

— Jason, Visalia, Calif.

Jason, great question. I’ve been hard on Toglia because he has so much potential. The Rockies believe that, too. The fact that he’s a terrific first baseman and a switch-hitter makes him a tantalizing talent who has a lot left to prove.

Toglia has hit much better lately. Over his last 10 games (entering Tuesday night), he was slashing .294/.342/.412 with one home run and six RBIs. His strikeout rate was 23.7%.

However, for the season, Togila is slashing .214/.257/.316 with two home runs, 11 RBIs and a strikeout rate of 39%.

Toglia has a long swing and “long levers,” so he is strikeout-prone. I do believe he’s stubborn, especially when it comes to shortening his swing and altering his two-strike approach.

With the hiring of Clint Hurdle, is it possible he’s being put in the position to take over as manager, perhaps as an interim bridge to a new manager or a more permanent one?

— Colin Orr, Castaic, Calif.

Colin, there was a lot of speculation about that when Hurdle was hired as the interim hitting coach, replacing Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens. It’s possible that Hurdle could step in as manager if Bud Black is fired, but I don’t believe that’s the reason Hurdle was hired. I also don’t think Hurdle wants to be the manager of the future, nor do I think he should be. If Black does get fired, the Rockies need to hire someone from outside the organization.

What letter grade do you give the Rockies for their effort and record after one month of the season? Better yet, why that grade?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Ed, the effort is a solid B. The players are trying hard, but the team lacks talent and experience. The results are a solid F. There is no other grade you can give a team that opened the season 4-24, joining the 2003 Tigers, 1988 Orioles and 1936 St. Louis Browns as the only teams since 1901 to lose at least 24 of their first 28 games.

After 32 years, assuming the Monforts keep control of the team, what year would you honestly predict that they will first win the division? What odds would make you want to bet that they will EVER win the division under current ownership?

— WGLarry, Denver

WG, or is it Larry? Anyway, that’s a loaded question. I have no crystal ball, so let me put it this way: The Rockies’ best shot to win a division title would come sometime in the 2030s when, or if, Major League Baseball expands to 32 teams and realigns the divisions. If the Rockies were no longer in the NL West with the Dodgers, perhaps they could win their first division title.

Is it tough to report on a team that is this bad year in and year out?

— Rece Lampe, Fort Collins

Rece, the answer is yes, for several reasons. First of all, when a team is as bad as the Rockies have been, interest (and readership) goes down. Secondly, most players, who are already guarded when talking to the media, become even more guarded. Plus, it’s challenging to find players to talk to in a losing clubhouse. Third, it’s not nearly as much fun to write about a losing team. Ultimately, covering baseball is a grind, regardless of a team’s performance.

Having said all of that, I have to remind myself that I have a pretty cool job. I was reminded of that on Monday night when I took a group of University of Colorado students to the game at Coors Field (I teach a sports journalism class at CU). Witnessing their level of excitement reminded me that I have a cool job. But it would undoubtedly be more fun covering a 100-win team versus a 100-loss team.

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

30. Spoiler alert

Date: Sept. 27, 1998

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

29. LoDo snow job

Date: April 16, 2013

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

28. A 20-spot vs. BoSox

Date: July 24, 2024

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

27. Catcher pitches a win

Date: Aug. 22, 2000

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

26. Avs ice Red Wings

Date: Feb. 26, 2016

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

25. Opener in time of COVID

Date: July 31, 2020

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

24. Alonso shells Coors

Date: July 12, 2021

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

23. Independence Day Marathon

Date: July 4, 2010

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

22. In-game fireworks

Date: July 4, 2008

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

21. Nine-run ninth

Date: July 6, 2010

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

20. Helton belts 2,500th

Date: Sept. 1, 2013

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

19. Spilly’s walk-off slam

Date: Aug. 24, 2009

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

18. Grand larceny

Date: June 30, 1996

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

17. Helton’s grand finale

Date: Sept. 25, 2013

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

16. Lansing’s four-inning cycle

Date: June 18, 2000

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

15. Nomo’s no-no

Date: Sept. 17, 1996

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

14. K-Free’s near no-no

Date: July 9, 2017

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

13. Marquez’s near no-no

Date: June 29, 2021

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

12. One hell of a Story

Date: Sept. 5, 2018

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

11. Chuck Nasty’s grand opening

Date: April 4, 2014

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

10. Jon Gray’s 16K gem

Date: Sept. 17, 2016

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

9. Humidor’s debut

Date: March 31, 2002

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

8. CarGo’s walk-off cycle

Date: July 31, 2010

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

7. 1998 All-Star fireworks

Date: July 6-7, 1998

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

6. Helton’s walk-off ignites Rocktober

Date: Sept. 18. 2007

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

5. 1995 wild-card clincher

Date: Oct. 1, 1995

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

4. Dante’s walk-off inferno

Date: April 26, 1995

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

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

3. Arenado’s Father’s Day cycle

Date: June 18, 2017

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

2. Rockies clinch NL pennant

Date: Oct. 15, 2007

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

1. Game 163, Holliday crash-lands at home

Date: Oct. 1, 2007

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

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

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

Call it whatever you wish; the Rockies are working from the ground up to become relevant again.

But after six consecutive losing campaigns capped by back-to-back 100-loss seasons, there are glimmers of hope at 20th and Blake. And it starts with a youth movement that hints at a potential breakthrough in 2025.

To be even more specific, it starts with the triad of shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, center fielder Brenton Doyle and first baseman Michael Toglia.

“That’s three pretty good players to start with,” said Doyle, the 26-year-old two-time Gold Glove winner.

All three turned a corner in 2024.

Toglia found the power bat that was promised when he was drafted out of UCLA in 2019. Tovar turned his glove golden and bat productive in a promising sophomore season. And nobody in the National League played better than Doyle during a red-hot July that revealed a complete player waiting to break out.

Take their development a step or two further, and they can be the cornerstones of a Rockies rebound at Coors Field.

“I have always admired the Rockies’ ability to develop position players,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “Guys like Charlie Blackmon, (Trevor) Story, Nolan Arenado, D.J. (LeMahieu) and CarGo (Carlos Gonzalez). I think this is their next wave of great young players.

“It����ap not just potential. Those three, especially Tovar and Doyle, have shown the ability to go out and compete at a high level.”

Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt is reluctant to single out three players as the key to Colorado’s planned redemption, but he understands the importance of Doyle, Tovar and Toglia. With those three as the foundation, a path to competitiveness in the rough-and-tumble NL West is finally materializing.

“There are others — young starters and relievers,” he said. “If we get the 2023 version of (left fielder) Nolan Jones, he fits right in there. But those three guys, in terms of the age group, those guys do stand out.”

Brenton Doyle, The Athlete

Doyle, a muscular 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, doesn’t sprint across the most enormous outfield in the majors; he glides.

“He’s a pleasure to watch,” San Diego manager Mike Shildt said. “And he’s a key for (the Rockies). It����ap important to have a good center fielder, even in a pitcher’s park like ours (Petco Park). But at a park like Coors Field, having a good center fielder is vital. He does it all. He’s got instincts and takes the right routes and angles. He’s got a strong arm. He’s the real deal.”

Last year, Doyle became the first outfielder in National League history to win a Gold Glove in his first two major league seasons. In 2023, he became the first NL rookie outfielder to win the award.

Ryan Spilborghs, a former Rockies outfielder who now works on the team’s television crew, says Doyle is already the best defensive center fielder in franchise history.

“What sets Doyle apart is that he flies,” Spilborghs said. “He covers more ground than anyone before him with the Rockies by running great routes. That makes him extremely efficient going after the baseball, like a Pro Bowl wide receiver.

“He also plays shallow, which allows him to get the soft contact hits in front of him, which is the true separator at Coors.”

Doyle ranks among baseball’s best in sprint speed (94th percentile), range (98%) and arm strength (99%).

But Doyle wasn’t close to being a complete player, let alone a franchise cornerstone, until he improved his offense. As a rookie in 2023, he slashed .203/.250/.343 and hit 10 home runs. His 34.9% strikeout rate was the highest in the majors (minimum 400 plate appearances).

Doyle responded by retooling his swing during the offseason. Last season, he slashed .260/.317/.446 and reduced his strikeout rate to 25.4%. He hit 23 homers, 24 doubles, and 30 bases, becoming one of four players in Rockies history to equal or surpass those numbers in a season, joining Larry Walker (1997), Dante Bichette (’96), and Ellis Burks (’96).

“I’m very proud of Brenton,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “It’s not easy to make changes at this level. Guys’ skills have got them this far, so sometimes they think they don’t need to change. But Brenton embraced it and worked at it. It’s made him a better offensive player.”

At no point was that transformation more evident than during a sizzling July that saw him hit .333 with a 1.94 OPS, 11 homers, seven doubles, one triple and 27 RBIs in 24 games. Doyle was named National League Player of the Month, becoming the Rockies’ first player-of-the-month winner since C.J. Cron in August 2021.

“He’s a difference-maker,” Shildt said. “And he’s going to keep getting better with the bat.”

The Rockies certainly hope so.

Doyle will hit leadoff, as franchise icon Charlie Blackmon did so well in 2017-18, the last time the Rockies made the playoffs. Blackmon hit 37 homers and drove in 103 runs from the top of the order in 2017. Doyle wants to follow in the footsteps of his mentor, who retired after the 2024 season, with his name prominent throughout the franchise’s record book.

“I think that����ap good for my career, and I know how well ‘Chuck’ did there (leading off),” Doyle said. “I’ve talked to him about it. Leadoff is a very crucial position in the lineup and I think it����ap going to be fun to hit there.”

Blackmon played his entire career in Colorado. Doyle would like to become a franchise icon, too. The Rockies have had internal discussions about signing him to a long-term contract and bypassing arbitration, but nothing has materialized yet.

“I would love to be a foundation piece for this organization,” Doyle said. “When I got drafted in 2019, I knew I was a homegrown player. To be here long-term with some security would be awesome.”

Ezequiel Tovar, The Old Soul

Tovar, of course, already has that long-term security.

The native of Maracay, Venezuela, began playing pro baseball at age 16. He married his wife, Laura, when he was 20. He became a father to his son, Luciano, when he was 21. And he signed a seven-year, $63.5 million contract extension last March at age 22.

Tovar shrugged when asked about his adult approach to life and baseball.

“That’s how I was raised,” he said through interpreter Edwin Perez. “As a (major league player), we have a lot of responsibility, so we have to be mature.”

Rolando Fernandez, Colorado’s vice president of international scouting and development, was impressed when he first saw Tovar at 14.

“When he was young, Ezequiel showed a lot of baseball IQ and instincts,” Fernandez said. “And he was very professional for such a young kid. When we scouted him, we knew he was mature beyond his years. But in reality, we didn’t know how advanced he was.”

They know now.

Tovar won his first Gold Glove last season, becoming the youngest shortstop to win the award in National League history. He led the NL with 45 doubles, hit a team-high 26 homers and ranked second in the league with 75 extra-base hits.

“I think he’s one of the most — no, make that the most underrated player in the league,” Doyle said. “He doesn’t get a lot of attention, but the sky is the limit for that kid.”

But those in the know know Tovar.

“He’s a born hitter,” Lovullo said. “He can pick the ball at short as well as anybody. He’s an anchor that I’m sure the Rockies are counting on for a long time.”

Tovar’s nine defensive runs saved ranked fourth among MLB shortstops last season, and his 11.2 UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) was the third-highest among all qualified position players. He ranked second among MLB shortstops with a .988 fielding percentage.

“He’s just so steady, that’s the thing that stands out to me,” Black said. “There are shortstops who might be naturally flashier, but ultimately, every manager, coach and teammate knows that when a play has to be made, it has to be made. That����ap what ‘Tovie’ does.”

But Black quickly added: “There’s a wow play in there, too.”

The tall and lanky Troy Tulowitzki made the jump throw from the hole between short and third better than any shortstop in Rockies history. Quick-footed Trevor Story was adept at vacuuming up the baseball and making a spinning throw to first. Black said Tovar is spectacular when charging an infield grounder.

“Those are tough plays because you’re on the run, and if the ball doesn’t take a big hop — thigh-high, shin-high — it’s tough,”  Black said. “When the ball stays down, that’s a tough play. It takes an athlete to make it. Tovar makes that play as well as anybody I’ve ever seen.”

Tovar said that doesn’t come by happenstance.

“You have to have instinct, but it’s something I always practice,” he said. “You do the extraordinary plays in practice, over and over, so that it doesn’t surprise you in a game.”

Yet, for all that Tovar has already accomplished, his game has a significant flaw. He strikes out too much and doesn’t get on base enough. Last season, he became the first Rockies hitter to strike out 200 times. Yes, that came in a league-high 655 at-bats, but he walked only 23 times. His 62.3% swing rate was the highest in the majors.

Tovar knows he needs to be more selective. After a Cactus League game in February, he quickly said: “I got a walk today.”

If Tovar isn’t already a franchise cornerstone, he’s on his way to becoming one.

“He has to eliminate the chase, and I think he’ll do that,” Schmidt said. “He can be a very special player.”

Michael Toglia, The Golden Slugger

Rockies Hall of Fame first baseman Todd Helton is the ultimate foundational player. He played all 17 seasons of his career in Colorado. Since Helton retired in 2013, fans have asked, “Who’s the next Helton?”

The ultra-confident Toglia has an answer.

“I don’t want to have his career; I want to have my own,” the 26-year-old said. “I want it to be something that I build, not chasing his career.”

It’s taken time for Toglia to blossom.

Last season, he was on the Opening Day roster for the first time but was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 24. At the time, he led the Rockies with four home runs during their 6-18 start. But he was slashing .106/.143/.362 with a strikeout rate of 40.8% (20 strikeouts in 49 plate appearances).

His perseverance and self-belief paid off. Following his final recall to the majors on June 6, he slashed .232/.331/.470 in 100 games, tying for 10th in the NL in home runs (21) during that span and tying for third in walks (53).

And he posted up, starting 90 consecutive team games at first base through the end of the season, tied for the third-longest stretch in franchise history and the longest since Andrés Galarraga’s 90-game stretch from Aug. 6, 1999, to April 15, 1997.

“Staying resilient was a big thing for me,” he said. “Keeping that belief in myself, knowing I didn’t have to make a huge change to succeed at this level. Knowing that what got me here, what got me drafted, was enough. I have put in the work over the last five years, and I knew I could succeed.”

There was never a question that the 6-5, 230-pound Toglia was an elite defender.

“He can win a Gold Glove,” said Helton, a three-time winner. “You can see that. And he definitely has the potential to be an everyday first baseman for many years.”

As the GM’s special assistant, Helton has worked one-on-one with Toglia. He sees the hurdles that still need to be cleared.

“Every time I see him, I forget how big he is. He’s a big ol’ boy,” Helton said. “With that, he’s got so much power, but he needs to hit better. He needs to find a way to get on base more. He needs to find ways to move a runner. He needs to find a way to put the bat on the ball more and cut down on strikeouts.”

Overall, Toglia slashed .218/.311/.456 with 25 homers, three triples, 14 doubles, and 55 RBIs in 116 games. But he struck out at a 32.1% clip and hit just .156 with runners in scoring position.

Asked what he needs to do to cut down the K’s, Toglia was blunt: “Strike out less. That����ap all it is. Put the ball in play more.”

Toglia had a 41.5 chase contact percentage, according to Baseball Savant. That’s well below the MLB average of 57.8%. (Chase contact measures the percentage of pitches outside the strike zone that a batter makes contact with).

On the plus side, Toglia gave the Rockies much-needed power on the road, hitting 17 homers away from Coors Field.

Toglia expects an overall improvement in 2025.

“I would say my preparation has gotten better,” Toglia said. “There’s a maturity there, and watching guys like Chuck (Blackmon) and studying his process and how he attacked a pitcher and did scouting reports helped me. After watching that over the last couple of years, I think I have a grasp of what (he was) doing.”

Toglia has yet to establish himself like Doyle and Tovar, but Black believes Toglia has the tools to become a cornerstone.

“No doubt he can become one because he’s an everyday player,” Black said. “He plays defense, he hits for power, he’s durable. He just needs improvement in incremental ways offensively.”

Five notable numbers for Rockies’ three positional pillars: Brenton Doyle, Ezequiel Tovar, Michael Toglia

For the Rockies to turn the corner in 2025, they’ll need strong seasons out of three key positional players: center fielder Brenton Doyle, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and first baseman Michael Toglia. A look at five notable numbers for each player heading into the season.

Brenton Doyle

31:��Dating back to 2023, Doyle’s outs above average are the most among all MLB outfielders.

2: Consecutive Gold Glove Awards; a third straight in ’25 would make him the active positional leader.

35:��Doyle’s K percentage as a rookie. He cut that to 25.4 in ’24. Another substantial drop would be big.

52:��Stolen bases through two seasons, including a team-high 30 last season using elite sprint speed.

19:��Doyle’s whiff percentage in ’24, which ranked in the bottom fifth of baseball for all hitters.

Ezequiel Tovar

200:��Strikeouts by Tovar in 2024, a Rockies record. Less Ks is imperative in ’25.

5:��All-time shortstops, including Tovar, to have 45-plus doubles in a season before age 23.

26: Homers in ’24, a team best, as he flashed power reminiscent of Troy Tulowitzki and Trevor Story.

38.5:��Launch angle sweet spot percentage by Tovar, among top 13% in MLB, hence his ’24 power surge.

.988: Fielding percentage over the past two seasons, which is second among all shortstops in that span.

Michael Toglia

32.1:��The first baseman’s strikeout percentage in 2024, which ranked in the bottom 4% of baseball.

11.8: Toglia’s walk percentage in ’24, which ranked in the top 8% of baseball.

25:��Homers last season; Toglia emerged as a much-needed power threat in his first full year as starter.

17.3: Barrel rate last season, up from 5.5% in ’23, and which ranked him in top 2% of baseball.

116:��Games played by Toglia in ’24 after just 76 across his first two seasons; he solidified his job at first base.

No. 10 George McGinnis for Alex English

Date: Feb. 1, 1980

Details: The Nuggets traded former ABA MVP George McGinnis for third-year pro Alex English and a 1980 first-round pick that eventually became Carl Nicks.

Synopsis: McGinnis’ best days were behind him, and he was out of the NBA by 1982. English, on the other hand, was just getting started. The silky smooth forward averaged 25.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists over the next 11 seasons with the Nuggets, including eight all-star nods and three All-NBA selections.

No. 9 Tulo to Toronto

Date: July 27, 2015

Details: First-year general manager Jeff Bridich dealt Troy Tulowitzki and reliever LaTroy Hawkins to the Toronto Blue Jays for shortstop Jose Reyes and pitchers Miguel Castro, Jeff Hoffman and Jesus Tinoco.

Synopsis: Trade rumors swirled around Tulo all offseason before Bridich pulled off a deadline deal. The Jays reached the ALCS that October and the next, with Tulo hitting 29 homers over 172 games before injuries derailed his career. Of the four players Colorado got back, Hoffman’s 6-5 season in 2017 represented the apex.

No. 8 Clinton Portis for Champ Bailey

Date: March 4, 2004

Details: The Broncos sold high on running back Clinton Portis, sending him to Washington for Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey and a 2004 second-round pick.

Synopsis: After topping 3,000 yards over two years in Denver, Portis posted four more 1,000-yard seasons for a Washington team that won one playoff game over his seven years there. Bailey was a first-team All-Pro his first three years in Denver and second-team All-Pro two more times over a 10-year stint with the Broncos that cemented his Hall of Fame status.

No. 7 Carmelo Anthony & Chauncey Billups

Date: Feb. 22, 2011

Details: The three-way trade involving the Knicks and Timberwolves saw the Nuggets acquire Kosta Koufos, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and four New York draft picks. The Knicks got franchise icon ‘Melo and homegrown hero Billups, plus some other non-marquee players such as Shelden Williams and Corey Brewer.

Synopsis: GM Masai Ujiri blew up the Nuggets’ roster a year and a half following the team’s Western Conference Finals trip. Denver used one of the first-round picks it got to draft Jamal Murray in 2016.

No. 6 Mikko Rantanen

Date: Jan. 24, 2025

Details: With Mikko Rantanen months away from unrestricted free agency, Avs general manager Chris MacFarland sent the winger to Carolina in a three-team deal that netted forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury and second-round (2025) and fourth-round (2026) picks.

Synopsis: Only time will tell if MacFarland made the right move dealing Rantanen in-season rather than risk losing him for nothing in free agency. If this move sets up another deal down the line, Colorado’s Stanley Cup aspirations remain intact.

No. 5 Holliday for CarGo

�ٲ��ٱ�:��Nov. 10, 2008

�ٱ�ٲ�������:��GM Dan O’Dowd flipped Matt Holliday, a central figure in the team’s 2007 pennant run, in exchange for one of the top young outfielders in the game, Carlos Gonzalez. Colorado also got closer Huston Street and starter Greg Smith.

Synopsis: Holliday lasted a half-season with the A’s before being traded to St. Louis; the Rockies got a three-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and two-time Silver Slugger in CarGo. Plus, they got a reliable closer in Street (84 saves in three years).

No. 4 Patrick Roy

Date: Dec. 6, 1995

�ٱ�ٲ�������:��The Avalanche acquired the 30-year-old Roy and winger Mike Keane from Montreal in exchange for Andrei Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky and Jocelyn Thibault.

����ԴDZ������:��Roy turned a great career into a Hall of Fame one with Colorado, leading the Avs to a pair of Stanley Cup titles. Keane made an impact on the 1996 title team as well, while none of the players the Canadians got so much as made an all-star team. The trade immediately altered the trajectory of the Avs, who had just relocated from Quebec.

No. 3 John Elway

�ٲ��ٱ�:��May 2, 1983

�ٱ�ٲ�������:��Baltimore took Elway with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1983 draft, but the Stanford product refused to play for them. Using the leverage of a potential pro baseball career, Elway forced a trade to Denver six days after the draft in exchange for quarterback Mark Hermann, offensive tackle Chris Hinton and the Broncos’ first-round pick the next year (Ron Solt).

����ԴDZ������:��Chris Hinton was a perennial Pro Bowler on the Colts’ offensive line, but beyond that, this was a fleecing. Elway racked up 148 regular-season wins and played in five Super Bowls, winning the last two over the Packers and Falcons.

No. 2 Nolan Arenado

�ٲ��ٱ�:��Feb. 1, 2021

�ٱ�ٲ�������:��GM Jeff Bridich traded Arenado to the Cardinals, and sent over approximately $51 million, to unload the Rockies star to St. Louis in exchange for one young left-handed pitcher (Austin Gomber) and four prospects (infielder Mateo Gil, right-hander Tony Locey, infielder Elehuris Montero and right-hander Jake Sommers).

Synopsis: GM Jeff Bridich’s last big move doesn’t look quite as bad as it once did. Arenado turned in three more All-Star seasons in St. Louis, but his production has since tailed off and now the Cardinals are looking to deal him. Gomber (4.75 ERA) is coming off a solid 2024, but is the only real asset Colorado got back.

No. 1 Russell Wilson

�ٲ��ٱ�:��March 8, 2022

�ٱ�ٲ�������:��General manager George Paton traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant to the Seahawks for quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick.

����ԴDZ������:��The biggest trade in Colorado sports history also doubles as the biggest dud. Wilson signed a five-year, $242.6 million extension with the Broncos a few months after being acquired … and didn’t play one down of that deal before Denver cut him in March 2024.

Honorable mention

• Nuggets trade David Thompson to Supersonics for Bill Hanzlik and first-round pick (1982)
• Nuggets trade Kiki Vandeweghe to Blazers for Wayne Cooper, Fat Lever, Calvin Natt and two draft picks (1984)
• Nuggets trade Fat Lever to Mavericks for two first-round picks (1990)
• Rockies trade Larry Walker to Cardinals for Jason Burch, Luis Martinez and Chris Narveson (2004)
• Nuggets trade Allen Iverson to Pistons for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb (2008)
• Nuggets trade Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two first-round draft picks (2007) to 76ers for Allen Iverson and Ivan McFarlin.
• Broncos trade Jay Cutler and fifth-round pick to Bears for Kyle Orton and three picks (2009)
• Rockies trade Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland for Alex White, Joe Gardner, Matt McBride and Drew Pomeranz (2011)
• Avalanche trade Matt Duchene to Senators for Sam Girard, Shane Bowers, Vladislav Kamenev and three draft picks (2017).

“When I say that ‘Tulo’ has a screw loose, I mean that as the highest possible compliment I could give him,” Messinger said.

Translation: Tulo, aka Troy Tulowitzki, the hitting and infield coach at Texas, still brings mind-boggling intensity and passion to the baseball diamond. Those traits made him one of the greatest players in Rockies history, enshrined him in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame’s class of 2025 and landed him on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time.

Injuries cut down Tulowitzki in his prime. The shortstop exceeded 140 games in a season just three times, not once after 2011, his age-26 season. So Tulowitzki will never be enshrined in Cooperstown, and when the votes are announced Jan. 21, he might not receive the 5% of the vote required to remain on the ballot.

But Tulo, who turned 40 in October, says he doesn’t dwell on what might have been.

“No regrets at all,” he said during a phone interview from his home in Austin, Texas, where he’s coached since 2020. “Look, I never saw myself as the most talented guy on the field. If you look at my skill set, I was just average across the board. I wasn’t that super-gifted athlete who was the best player on the field.

“Maybe, with time, I became that — because of the work. I just got the most out of what I had. I did it with toughness and work ethic.

“So, yeah, that became a beatdown on my body. Still, I enjoyed the grind. I loved those batting cage sessions. Just swinging and swinging and swinging.”

Early in his career, when the “Tulo chant” reverberated throughout Coors Field, Tulowitzki looked to be Cooperstown-bound. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder once hit 14 home runs in a 16-game span. As runner-up as the 2007 National League rookie of the year, he helped the Rockies win 21 of 22 games and reach their only World Series. After his contentious trade to Toronto in July 2015, he was part of the Blue Jays’ drive to the American League championship series in 2015 and ’16.

From 2009 to 2014, he slashed .309/.385/.553 with 143 homers and collected 50% more WAR than any other shortstop. He won two Gold Gloves (2010-11), and nobody could make an electrifying jump throw from the hole like Tulo.

“The most exciting player I ever saw growing up,” said Messinger, who graduated from Niwot High School.

Ryan Spilborghs supplies a more analytic observation to the discussion.

“When you look at Tulo’s peak WAR for a seven-year stint (40.2), his numbers are better than the average Hall of Fame shortstop,” said Spilborghs, a Rockies TV analyst who played alongside Tulowitzki from 2007 to ’11. “And he’s No. 2 in fielding percentage by a shortstop in the history of baseball behind only Omar Vizquel, by the slimmest of margins (.9847 to .9846).

“Tulo, being the type of power hitter he was, and with his size, in his prime, was just ridiculous.”

When Tulowitzki’s career ended after a five-game stint with the Yankees in 2019, his bottled-up passion and energy had to go somewhere. The five-time All-Star found his second calling as a coach.

“The first word that comes to my mind about Tulo is ‘intense,'” said , drafted out of Texas by Cincinnati in the seventh round in 2022. “That guy loves baseball. He’s a baseball rat, and he’ll talk baseball until you don’t want to talk baseball anymore.

“And I think one of the reasons why we got along so great is that we both had that football player’s mentality on the baseball field. I grew up playing football, and I brought that to the baseball diamond. Tulo was the first coach I had who had that same kind of fiery attitude about baseball. You don’t see that too often.”

Tulowitzki — he insists that his players call him “Tulo,” not Coach Tulo or Coach Tulowitzki — is content in Austin, where he lives with his wife, Danyll; son, Taz, who turns 11 in January; and Taylee, his 2-year-old daughter. Tulowitzki has declined job offers in the majors and turned down the head coaching job at Southern California two years ago, partly because he’s so involved in raising Taz.

When Taz was just a toddler, he could be found whistling line drives off a batting tee in the Rockies clubhouse. Tulo can envision his son, who, naturally, is a shortstop on an elite travel-ball team, playing in the majors someday.

“For sure, he can take it to the next level,” Tulowitzki said. “He’s athletic and he’s going to be a lot faster than me. He’s big, he likes it, and he works. He’s got all of the qualities, he’s just got to keep attacking it, day by day.”

When asked if Taz has a chance to be as good as the celebrated sons of former Rockies All-Star teammate Matt Holliday, Tulowitzki said, “Yep.”

Baltimore selected Jackson Holliday with the No. 1 overall pick in 2022, and Ethan is projected to be a top-five pick in the 2025 draft.

Chasing excellence has always been part of Tulo’s DNA. He demanded it of himself and his teammates. He could be harsh and edgy and rubbed some people the wrong way.

“Listen, my bottom line was winning,” he said. “We did that early in Colorado. I’m proud of that.”

Nolan Arenado, the 10-time Gold Glove third baseman with a solid chance to become a Hall of Famer, was initially taken aback by Tulowitzki’s criticism. Then, Arenado embraced it and credited Tulowitzki for helping steer his career in the right direction.

In December 2011, Tulo invited Arenado to Las Vegas to work out at “Camp Tulo,” a desert proving ground replete with weight training, cardio workouts, hours in the batting cage and bushels of groundballs. Arenado, a 20-year-old, slightly chunky Rockies prospect at the time, could barely keep up.

“Tulo has been absolutely huge for me,” Arenado said in 2014 when his All-Star career began taking off. “Knowing that I have somebody who cares for me and wants the best for me and my career, it����ap been unbelievable.”

At Texas, Tulo, the tough-love teammate, morphed into a tough-love coach.

“Tulo would always be with us in the batting cage, late into the night, grinding away just like the players,” recalled Messinger.

“His work ethic and what he instills in his players is off the charts,” continued Messinger, who played for the Rockies’ High-A affiliate at Spokane this past season. “The dude is all in. He cared so much about our success. I mean, I had a rough start at Texas. I knew that Tulo was losing sleep over it, just like I was.”

As a redshirt senior at Texas in 2022, Messinger hit .364 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs in 67 games and was drafted by the Rockies in the 19th round.

“I owe him so much,” he said.

Coach Tulo still loves the daily grind. He embraces the players who follow his lead.

“The batting cage is, basically, my office,” he said. “If we have a kid who wants to take it to the next level, we get close. I just try to teach them about work ethic — not only what it takes in college but what it’s going to take in pro ball.”

Tulowitzki has toyed with becoming a head coach, but that job is not in his wheelhouse, at least not right now.

“I’m not really after that,” he said. “I just want to be involved in the college game and baseball in general. That’s what drives me. I have to be competitive. Right now, I like what I’m doing. I want to win a national championship at Texas. That’s my main goal right now.”

The trio consists of Mikaela Shiffrin, who is on the cusp of surpassing 100 alpine skiing victories on the World Cup circuit before she turns 30 in March; former Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, a five-time major league all-star; and Larry Brown, who coached the Nuggets for five seasons, including their first three in the NBA, and earned ABA coach of the year honors in 1975 and ’76 while leading the team to prominence.

The other three members of the Class of ’25 are Simon Fletcher, who owns the second-most sacks in Broncos history; Denver-born Negro Leagues player and World War II veteran Theodore “Bubbles” Anderson; and Lisa Van Goor, who totaled more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her University of Colorado basketball career.

The 60th annual banquet is scheduled for April 9 at the Hilton Denver City Center.

Shiffrin, who was born and raised in the Vail Valley, has won 98 World Cup gold medals, a record for any skier, man or woman. Shiffrin surpassed Ingemar Stenmark’s career mark of 86 World Cup wins in 2023 and eclipsed the women’s mark of 82, previously held by Colorado Sports Hall of Famer Lindsey Vonn, earlier in 2023.

Shiffrin has won two gold medals and a silver at the Winter Olympics and seven golds, four silvers, and three bronzes at the World Championships.

Tulowitzki played the first 10 years of his 13-year career in Colorado, helping lead the Rockies to their only World Series as a rookie in 2007. “Tulo” won Gold Gloves in 2010 and ’11 and hit .299 with 188 home runs and 657 RBIs during his Rockies tenure.

Tulowitzki, who retired in 2019, is now an assistant coach for the University of Texas baseball team.

Brown won an NCAA title with Kansas in 1988 and coached Detroit to the NBA title in 2004. He is the only head coach in history to have his teams win NBA and NCAA championships.

During Brown’s five-year run in Denver, the Nuggets were 251-134 (65.2 winning percentage). He also played two seasons with the Denver Rockets in the ABA, averaging 8.9 points and 6.9 assists.

For ticket information to the banquet, contact the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame at www.coloradosports.org or 720-258-3535.

That year resonated because that is when Charlie Blackmon began growing his beard. Blackmon announced his retirement this week, tying a bow on a 14-year run with a dive into the Hot Tub Time Machine. He is leading off, ripping triples, smashing homers and scoring runs. He’s partying like it����ap 1899. Or at least his beard is, cascading down his face with joy.

The Rockies will surely retire Blackmon’s number in the future. He ranks second in almost every meaningful category in franchise history. But Blackmon going out while the team stinks provides a sobering reminder. After four All-Star selections and a top-five finish in MVP voting, his career will be remembered for his beard, his walk-up song and statistics.

In that order.

Blackmon became part of the culture when his facial hair sprouted like a Chia Pet. Now, he doesn’t know what he looks like clean-shaven. And neither does his wife. It is kind of cool that any silhouette that reminds us of a bird’s nest is immediately identified with the outfielder.

But, he deserves to be viewed through a wider prism. He has been really good for a really long time. He’s not Todd Helton, but he’s in the conversation among Rockies greats — a list that includes The Toddfather, Larry Walker, Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki, Matt Holliday and Vinny Castilla.

Blackmon made his debut June 7, 2011. He will play his last game Sunday. In between, the Rockies reached the playoffs twice — in 2017 and 2018.

Blackmon, like Helton before him, learned to deal with the losing. He loved this state and how the fans embraced him. Even without his beard, his walk-up song, “Your Love” by The Outfield, made him an icon, the crowd finishing off the “Toniiiiiiiight” lyrics.

Blackmon deserves a tip of the cap. But let����ap not just identify him by his beard and his tune. He is better than that.

Mr. Rodgers: Nobody does passive-aggressiveness better than Aaron Rodgers. Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” this week, he praised the Broncos defense, singled out Pat Surtain II and took some subtle jabs at Denver’s offense. You know, the one steered by Sean Payton. Both sides have played down acrimony this week, saying Payton ripping Nathaniel Hackett is old news, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it surface on Sunday.

Clark bar: Caitlin Clark finished her outstanding rookie season with a first-round playoff exit. The WNBA leadership has been an embarrassment in not understanding Clark’s impact and creating an environment that has pitted players against one another. This needs to be addressed moving forward.

Mail Time

I will Bo-lieve if Sean Payton will Bo-lieve. Check the tape, Troy. It was not just Bo, but a much-improved scheme (against Tampa Bay).  Unusual for a behind-the-curve head coach. Do we Bo-lieve? Payton answered your question.

John, email

There is no question that Payton has to customize the offense for Nix. And he has to stop asking him to do too much. Nix ranks fourth in the NFL in dropbacks with 127. That����ap a ridiculous number. Give Nix sips. There is no need to have him drink out of a firehose, even if he knows the offense. Aim for 25 to 30 passes and 10 rush attempts per week. That will show Payton not only believes in Nix, but also understands how to develop him.