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DENVER, COLORADO – JUNE 24: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies scores on a Michael Toglia triple against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Coors Field on June 24, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Colorado Rockies are a team without direction. They suffered 119 losses during the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season, narrowly avoiding tying the 2024 Chicago White Sox for the worst record in the modern era.
Clearly, changes are needed for the Rockies to regain relevance. The first change came from Bill Schmidt, the general manager, who stepped down from the position on Wednesday. Schmidt had held the position since 2021, and Colorado finished in last place in the National League West standings every year except in Schmidt’s first year, when they finished fourth.
To make matters worse, the last time the Rockies finished with a record above .500 was in 2018, when they won 91 games and lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in the Division Series.
Colorado Wants to Give Fans ‘The Competitive Team They Deserve’
The Rockies will look outside the organization to find their next leader of baseball operations. The club finished with the worst run differential (-424) in MLB history.
“As with any transition, Bill’s departure allows our club to seek a new leader of our baseball department, experienced in areas where we know we need to grow within the operation,” Rockies owner and CEO Dick Monfort stated in a news release made by the club on Wednesday. “A new voice will benefit our organization as we work towards giving our fans the competitive team they deserve.”
Schmidt joined the organization in 1999 and was the head of the Rockies‘ scouting department for over 20 seasons before accepting the position as senior vice president and general manager.
Warren Schaeffer took over as interim manager after the firing of Bud Black in May. Black led the team to a horrid 7-33 record through the Rockies‘ first 40 games of the season. Colorado showed improvements under Schaeffer, but still floundered to a 36-86 record the rest of the way.
Players of the Future
Before the 2022 season, Schmidt and the Rockies‘ front office surprisingly signed third baseman Kris Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million contract. The 2016 NL MVP played in just 170 of Colorado’s 648 regular-season games over the last four seasons due to multiple injuries.
In May, Bryant opted to undergo an ablation procedure to tackle lumbar degenerative disk disease in his back. Now a designated hitter, Bryant’s back issues limited him to 11 games in 2025.
Despite frustration within the Rockies‘ fan base, there are a few players who could help turn the team into a competitive one.
Catcher Hunter Goodman was their lone representative at this year’s All-Star Game in Atlanta. The 25-year-old had a breakout season, smashing 31 home runs with 91 RBIs and a .843 OPS in 144 games. Goodman led Colorado with a 3.7 WAR, followed by relief pitcher Jimmy Herget (3.0 WAR).
Right-hander Chase Dollander suffered the same fate that dozens of other Coors Field pitchers have in past seasons. The Rockies‘ former top pitching prospect had a 9.98 ERA in 11 starts at home this year and a 3.46 ERA on the road. The hope is that Dollander will develop into a pitcher more like the one who won the 2022 SEC Baseball Pitcher of the Year award at the University of Tennessee.
The organization must wait a few more years for the arrival of shortstop Ethan Holliday, the brother of Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson and son of former Rockies great Matt. The 18-year-old is Colorado’s No. 1 rated prospect on MLB Pipeline and played 18 games this year at Single-A Fresno.
Conor Liguori is a sports journalist covering the MLB for Heavy Sports. Conor has covered professional baseball leagues like the KBO, NPB, CPBL, and the LBPRC in Puerto Rico. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Connecticut State University. More about Conor Liguori
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