David Coors knows what it means to assume the throne of a Colorado institution. Pressure. Expectations. Public scrutiny. Family ties.
So, when Coors looks at the seismic changes taking place at 20th and Blake, he tips his cap to Walker Monfort, the Rockies’ president, who has assumed many of the ballclub’s major duties from his father, Dick Monfort, the longtime owner and CEO.
“I’m proud of Walker for not worrying about breaking any china in the room and just saying, ‘You know what? We’re going to shake things up and see what works, see what doesn’t, and then tweak that,” said Coors, the 44-year-old chairman of the board for Molson-Coors and head of business relations since May of last year. He succeeded his father, Peter.
The Rockies certainly need shaking up. They are coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons and seven straight losing campaigns. Colorado bottomed out with 119 losses last year, with a mind-boggling minus-424 run differential that was the worst since the 19th century.
Since his promotion last June, Walker, 39, has overseen the hiring of Paul DePodesta (the president of baseball operations), new general manager Josh Byrnes, two assistant GMs, five new major league coaches, and more than a dozen new front-office personnel. His goal is to restock the team on the field and reshape the Rockies’ business model.
Sitting in the lobby of the Rally Hotel at McGregor Square, the mixed-use residential and retail complex adjacent to Coors Field that was developed by his father and his partners, Walker explained his vision for the Rockies, who open their 34th season on Friday night in Miami.
Walker Monfort of the Colorado Rockies poses for a portrait at Coors Field in Denver on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
“I think the team and the organization are synonymous,” Walker said. “I think we can be ‘best in class’ amongst the teams that operate at our capacity. I’m talking about what I call mid-market teams.
“There is no reason why we can’t deliver consistent results and a winning team over the years to come. What we are trying to do now is build a framework for that.”
Walker points to teams like the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Cleveland Guardians as examples. Those franchises have experienced recent success even though they don’t have $300 million payrolls like the Dodgers, Mets, or Yankees.
“We want to be the best that we can, within that realm of teams like the Brewers,” he said. “We want to get to the playoffs — consistently. We want to be very proud of this organization and operation. We want the fans to be proud of it, too.”
Walker, who’s worked full-time in the organization since December 2009, now oversees both baseball and business operations, but clarifies that by adding, “I’m more responsible for day-to-day than I have even been, but I would say my dad is still the ultimate shot-caller, so to speak.”
Dick Monfort: ‘It was past time for a change’
The elder Monfort, who turns 72 in April, has been a frequent target of criticism from Rockies fans and the media. He agrees with many observers’ opinions that a change was needed. And overdue.
Asked if it was tough to turn over the reins to his son, Dick replied, “Yeah. But I think it was time for me, and it was probably time a ways back.”
He explained that his leading role on Major League Baseball’s labor committee and his hopes to spearhead economic reform in the sport are taking up much of his time, especially with MLB’s collective bargaining agreement set to expire on Dec. 1. A lockout by MLB owners seems almost certain.
Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort, left, during batting practice before the opening day game against the Athletics at Coors Field in Denver on Friday, April 04, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Dick, who spent 25 years in the cattle business and was the former president and CEO of ConAgra Red Meats, is used to juggling multiple jobs. But, as he’s gotten older, he realized there was too much on his plate.
“I was probably more spread out more than I should have been, to be in a position I was with (the Rockies),” Dick said. “And there was the frustration of our last three or four years, whatever it’s been.
“And watching the sport deteriorate in terms of the haves and have-nots and us sliding to the bottom, then the fallout of the TV deals … Dealing with all of those things, I think I’m just worn down.”
He also knew that the Rockies needed to make significant changes, though he admits he wouldn’t have shaken things up to the extent his son has.
“Well, listen, I knew that we were going to have to change direction on the baseball side,” he said. “We were going to have to get new minds in there.
“I knew that it was always easier, and it made sense to promote from within. That’s the way I was in the beef business. But it was obvious we needed to do something. So yes, we would have changed. But to the degree that it has changed under Walker? No.”
And what does the father think about what his son has done so far?
“He’s rattled things, for sure,” Dick said. “He handled the entire interview process of the baseball guys. I didn’t do anything. He told me when we were going to meet or when we were going to have a Zoom call. But he took charge.”
Colorado Rockies new President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta, left, and Rockies owner Dick Monfort during DePodesta’s introductory press conference at Coors Field in Denver on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Paul DePodesta and the front-office shuffle
Time and the Rockies’ record will be the ultimate judge of Walker’s moves and his vision for the franchise. But before the first pitch of the 2026 season has been thrown, he’s hitting a home run.
DePodesta was on Walker’s radar from the beginning and was his first choice to be president of baseball operations. Walker did a lot of homework, and after an initial phone call, two Zoom sessions, and an in-person interview, DePodesta was hired by the Rockies on Nov. 7.
DePodesta, who left a 10-year job with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns to return to baseball, did his homework, too, before taking on the Rockies’ job and proclaiming, “I’m a sucker for a challenge.”
“I’ll say this, I asked around about Walker — a lot — before I took the job,” DePodesta said. “Everybody just had glowing reviews of Walker, both as a person and as a professional. I knew he was someone I wanted to work with. I wouldn’t have come otherwise.”
Manager Warren Scheaffer added, “Walker is very driven. That trait, mixed with his undying and lifelong love for the organization, can yield very good results. He’s also a forward thinker and not afraid to try new things to push this place forward.
Colorado Rockies pitcher Tyler Kinley (40) hands the ball over to Colorado Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer (34), after giving up three runs in the 8th inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field in Denver, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) on the mound. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
“He’s also very down to earth and keeps it light. But making this organization a winner, year after year, is absolutely first on his mind. Walker offers a fresh perspective with youthful vigor. The changes he made this winter, starting with bringing in Paul, have been bold and set us on a new path.”
Brian Jones, director of research and development, who’s entering his 25th season with the organization, said the Rockies have taken a big step forward in the ever-evolving world of baseball analytics, an area where the team has lagged behind for years.
“Walker has fully bought into investing in the process,” Jones said. “He recognizes the importance of building out both the technological infrastructure and adding high-level personnel, on and off the field.”
In September 2023, as Colorado was on the verge of losing 100 games for the first time, The Post produced a four-part series called “The Rockie Way.” The Post found a franchise that lagged behind innovative industry leaders and remained stuck in the middle ground between going all-in for a championship and rebuilding its roster without ever fully committing to either.
But by promoting Walker, that perception might be changing.
The kid from Eaton High School
Walker, along with his younger brother, Sterling, Colorado’s director of professional scouting, has had a lifelong love affair with baseball. The two kids ran around Coors Field, sometimes joined by David Coors.
“My brother, dad, and I were all huge baseball fans,” Walker said. “It was probably our No. 1 sport. We like all of the sports, but we have always followed baseball.
“My first favorite player was either Larry Walker or Ken Griffey Jr. I grew up in that realm. I loved watching Barry Bonds. But closer to home, it was Larry and Todd (Helton).”
Walker graduated from Eaton High School in 2005 and was part of a baseball dynasty under legendary coach Jim Danley. Walker, who played second base, left field, and designated hitter, won four state championships: state high school titles in 2003-04 and summer Legion B titles in 2003-04. In Eaton’s 8-5 win over La Junta in the 2004 Class 3A state title game, Walker delivered a key, RBI single in the fifth inning as the Reds won their fourth consecutive prep championship.
“He was a great kid and would do anything you would ask,” Danley recalled. “He was eager to please and always trying to improve one aspect of his game or another. He was very good under pressure, and he put up a lot of great at-bats for us in clutch times. He was an invaluable guy for us.”
Walker called himself “a late bloomer, who could hit and was an on-base percentage guy.”
“I was probably 5-foot-2 to begin my high school career,” he said with a laugh. “I might have grown a little bit. I was 5-2, 5-3 in my junior year. I grew 9 to 10 inches from the start of my senior year to my freshman year at Colorado State.”
Filling his father’s shoes
Walker was a mediocre student at CSU, earning a degree in broadcast journalism and communications with a minor in business. His dad recalled a conversation he once had with a friend who had seats near his at Coors Field. Dick’s friend was bragging about his kid’s academic prowess.
“I told my friend, ‘I had two kids, at the same time, on the dean’s list at CSU,’ ” Dick recalled, chuckling as he told the story. ‘So, my friend is thinking, ‘He’s going to one-up me here.’ So I said, ‘One was on the dean’s good list, and one was on the (expletive list).’ ”
Dick’s daughter, Lyndsey, now a doctor, was the good student.
“Walker wasn’t a good student, but he’s a smart kid,” Dick said. “I probably partied too much in college, too, but Walker never shied away from work.”
Just as important, Walker was never “the fortunate son,” even though he grew up in the most prominent family in Greeley.
“You would never imagine that he came from the background that he does with wealth and all of those things,” Danley said. “He was definitely one of the guys. He liked to laugh, joke and have a good time. He had a very outgoing personality. He knew just how far to go without going too far. He was a great kid to have around.”
Walker and David Coors see each other fairly often, usually at Rockies games or at charity functions around Denver. They have talked about their shared challenge.
“I have had big shoes to fill following my father’s footsteps, and I’ve talked to Walker about that,” Coors said. “We can relate to that on the basis of these great organizations that our fathers and forefathers built — and what that means for us.
“What I love about Walker is that he has seen the organization from every angle and he’s worked it. We both have a family principle: You don’t get inserted at the top. You’ve got to earn your way to the top. My dad started with Coors at a wastewater treatment facility. I started as a sales rep in Indianapolis.”
Climbing the franchise ladder
During his college days, Walker worked summers for the Rockies as a member of the grounds crew at Coors Field, in the visiting clubhouse, in the ticket office, and on the gameday promotions team. He impressed people with his diligence and hard work.
“I remember Dick coming to me first and saying he wanted Walker to see behind the scenes in multiple departments — and you’re one of them,” recalled Mark Razum, the head groundskeeper at Coors since its inception. “I was kind of nervous about the whole deal. I was like, ‘Oh, here’s the owner’s son working on the crew. How’s that going to work? What if I have to get on him?’ But it was great. There was no favoritism.
“‘Walk’ wanted to learn the job; he wanted to be hands-on. He wanted to be there late at night and be there the next morning.”
After graduating from CSU in December 2009, Walker joined the Rockies full-time, starting on the bottom rung of the player development department, sometimes tasked with driving minor league players around during spring training. He had to pass an intense interview with former GM Dan O’Dowd to land the job. But Walker had to pass a final test from his dad to secure the job.
“Walker called me and said, ‘Dad, I’ve got the job, but there is a problem,’” Dick recalled. “I said, ‘OK, what’s the problem?’ He said he was going to take the month of January off with Bubba — his best friend and roommate — to travel.
“I said, ‘That’s no problem.’ He said, ‘It’s not?’ I said, ‘There will be other jobs.’ So Walker postponed the trip and took the job.”
As Walker worked his way up the Rockies’ ladder, his dad often sat back, observed, and asked around about how his son was doing. The feedback was positive. When it became clear last summer that longtime team president Greg Feasle was approaching retirement, Walker told his father that he was ready to run the Rockies’ day-to-day operations.
Upon hearing that, Dick flashed back to his own career and his own father, Kenneth Monfort, the cattle baron who revolutionized the beef industry and died in 2001 at age 71 after suffering for years with emphysema.
“When my dad got sick in 1989, I was in charge of about 60% of this huge company, and I was just 35,” Dick recalled. “My dad told me he couldn’t do it anymore. He said, ‘I don’t wanna leave you to have to do all of this.’ I said, ‘Dad, I can do it.’ That’s almost the exact words that Walker told me. So here is my kid saying he could handle it. So I said, ‘Let’s do this.’”
Colorado Rockies Infielder Ezequiel Tovar connects for a single during a spring training game agains the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Field at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona on Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Walker’s rebuilding blueprint
Walker stressed that he’s not flying solo. If, for example, the Rockies have a major trade pending or plan to spend millions on a free agent, it will be a team decision.
“For any baseball moves, Paul (DePodesta), Josh (Byrnes) and his team are the ideators,” Walker said. “They are the ones who are coming up with what we could or should potentially do. It worked that way this offseason.
“I would say that my dad and I are not ideating. … Ultimately, our job — my job, specifically this past year — is to establish the budget. Then Paul is sitting down with both of us, saying, ‘This is what we want to do. And here is the why behind it and what we think it could mean for our team for a few years to come.’ Then we decide.”
Despite their woeful record and just one playoff victory since 2009, the Rockies continue to draw crowds at Coors Field, though many games are packed with fans wearing opposing teams’ colors. Colorado ranked 16th out of 30 in the majors in attendance last season, with 2.4 million fans, according to Baseball Reference. However, the Rockies’ average of 29,687 per game marked the first time since 2007 (28,797) that they failed to average 30,000 (excluding the pandemic-affected 2020-21 seasons).
Walker’s worn it all: the losses, declining interest, and public criticism of the team and his father, all while watching the Broncos, Nuggets, and Avalanche make the playoffs and chase championships.
But he sees the 2026 season as a new beginning.
“Yes, over the past couple of years, it’s been very difficult,” he said. “But at the same time, it makes me feel like, ‘Hey, I think if we did some things differently, if we change course, we can take this organization in a different direction.
“We have the ability to do it. That’s really exciting, and I’m very motivated because the people I brought on board are just as motivated. I think our players are motivated. And it’s because we have changed course.”
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