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Colorado Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg (16) in the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\nOn Wednesday when the Rockies wrap up their three-game series with the Boston Red Sox at Coors Field, it will mark Colorado\u2019s 81st game of the season.<\/p>\n
Preparing to hit the middle of a 162-game schedule in a year when the Rockies are trying to shake off the ghosts of last year\u2019s 119-loss season, has Colorado truly improved this season? <\/p>\n
The answers from manager Warren Schaeffer and general manager Josh Byrnes on Monday were a \u201cyes\u201d \u2014 with an asterisk.<\/p>\n
Colorado has won seven series already this season as part of their 30 wins heading into Monday night\u2019s game. Last year, the Rockies won only two before the All-Star break.<\/p>\n
Their 30th win this season came on June 20. Last season, the 30th victory didn\u2019t appear until Aug. 2, pushing them to 30-80 on the campaign.<\/p>\n
Colorado Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg (16) in the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n
Little things are also showing up in the box score as well. Away from Denver this season, the Rockies are putting up runs in a way not seen in two decades. Colorado has scored at least four runs in nine consecutive road games since June 1, the second-longest single-season streak in franchise history, topped by only a 10-game run in April 2006.<\/p>\n
Scoring runs is great but, on the flip side, the other team is scoring runs against the Rockies at a head-shaking rate as well. Over the last 30 days heading into Monday, Colorado\u2019s combined ERA was 6.88, the worst in baseball.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the game is scoring runs and preventing runs. In April, we were probably better at preventing than scoring and in June we\u2019ve been better at scoring than preventing,\u201d Byrnes said. \u201cI think pitching is always going to be a challenge here when it\u2019s tested over six months. It\u2019s our daily ritual to see who\u2019s available and who\u2019s not.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been done here before, but we\u2019d like to build a playoff-caliber and hopefully sustainable (roster) for several years. And not just the players, but the methods behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schaeffer agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been a lot of things pitching-wise that we have driven forward,\u201d Schaeffer said. \u201cI know we are not winning as many games as we would like. I understand that, but the wins are starting to come and I think that\u2019s a byproduct of everything else. The way we\u2019ve been going about our business is a high level of commitment to elevate this organization.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the successes through the first half of the season include a pair of newcomers to the team in outfielder Jake McCarthy and first baseman TJ Rumfield. McCarthy entered Monday with a 10-game hitting streak and Rumfield\u2019s 12 home runs are the fourth-most by a Colorado rookie prior to the All-Star break.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26172653833415.jpg\")
Colorado Rockies right fielder Jake McCarthy (31) is congratulated as he returns to the dugout aftr hitting an inside-the-park home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) in the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n
\u201cI think part of what makes him (Rumfield) really good, and we probably didn\u2019t know this until after we got him (in a trade with the New York Yankees), I think he\u2019s just a creative hitter who can really compete against a variety of Major League arms,\u201d Byrnes said. \u201cDefensively, he\u2019s been very good as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first half of the season has also brought disappointments. Among them, Colorado\u2019s veteran-led rotation has scuffled with injuries and inconsistency. Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar has taken a step back at the plate, with his 62.2% swing percentage being the highest among any MLB qualified batter and his 28.5% strikeout rate well above the MLB average of 22.4 percent.<\/p>\n
Outfielders Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck have also struggled at the plate, with the currently injured duo relegated to mostly platoon duty before their injuries in May.<\/p>\n
There is a lot for the Rockies to improve upon moving forward, Byrnes said. There will also be plenty of personnel decisions to be made as the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline approaches. However, even with the uncertainty that may hover at that time, Byrnes is staying honest in the moment and seeing the progress being made.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we still have a long way to go,\u201d Byrnes said. \u201cI think we always have to maintain our standards as we climb out of this thing. I\u2019m really encouraged by the effort level and how much guys want to be better individually and as a team. We just have to maintain what we\u2019re really after, which is winning games and playing in October.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to be delusional. We still have a ways to go, but I\u2019m encouraged by the progress.\u201d<\/p>\n
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