The Rockies will reach the halfway point on Wednesday afternoon when they play their 81st game of the season. Halfway to exactly what remains a question mark, but there is no question that the team is better and the vibes are markedly different than last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is definitely a different mentality this season,\u201d All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman <\/a>said Tuesday before the Rockies hosted the Red Sox at Coors Field. \u201cYou can feel it in the clubhouse, and we take that with us to the field. Now, it feels like we can beat anybody, any night.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong, we still want to \u2014 need to \u2014 win more than we have, and we are not where we want to be, in terms of wins and losses. But this year, there has been a lot better vibe, and much better results. We\u2019re winning games we would have lost last year.\u201d<\/p>\n True enough. The Rockies entered Tuesday night\u2019s game with a 31-48 record, on pace to finish 98-64 with a minus-182 run differential. Not good, certainly, but a quantum leap from last year when the Rockies finished the season with 119 losses and a minus-424 run differential that was by far the worst in major league history.\n<\/p>\n Six months ago, Goodman, the team\u2019s only All-Star in 2025, spoke bluntly about the state of the team.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year, we had a super young team, me included,\u201d Goodman said during Fan Fest.<\/a> \u201cI think we had a lot of people (who) were just happy to be here.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first got called up, I was just happy to be here. And you can\u2019t play like that. You\u2019ve got to walk on the field and be like, \u2018We\u2019re the best team. I\u2019m the best player on the field.\u2019 You\u2019ve got to walk on the field with a different level of confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n Goodman, whose 21 home runs ranked fifth in the majors entering Tuesday\u2019s play, feels that confidence growing.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a lot of energy, and we\u2019re going out to compete every night,\u201d he said Tuesday. \u201cWe didn\u2019t always have that last year.\u201d<\/p>\n Manager Warren Schaeffer was thrilled to hear about Goodman\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely, I\u2019ve felt that vibe,\u201d Schaeffer said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m glad he said it. It\u2019s their team. It\u2019s his team. (But) that makes me feel good, because I believe it. I\u2019m trying to facilitate that. We set a high standard, and everybody wants to live up to that.\u201d<\/p>\n Tangible evidence of Colorado\u2019s improvement is its ability to win close games, such as its dramatic, 3-2, walk-off victory<\/a> over the Red Sox on Monday night.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s big in the process of becoming a winning team,\u201d Schaeffer said. \u201cBecause winning teams win one-run games. The small things always show up in a game, but specifically in one-run games, there are make-or-break difference-makers.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether it\u2019s how you run the bases, how you execute on the mound, how you execute at the plate \u2014 situationally. Basically, what it all comes down to is, \u2018How do you handle pressure?\u2019 So, in one-run games, it\u2019s about who handles the tough situations better. We have been getting better at that. It\u2019s been good to watch these boys grow.\u201d<\/p>\n Dollander undergoes surgery<\/p>\n Right-hander Chase Dollander underwent internal brace surgery on his right elbow on Monday. Dollander was able to avoid Tommy John surgery, which would have required rebuilding his elbow.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything went well,\u201d Schaeffer said. \u201cEverything seemed to have gone well.\u201d<\/p>\n Dollander was removed from a May 14, 2026, game against the Pirates in the second inning with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Dollander is still looked upon as the future No. 1 pitcher in the rotation.\n<\/p>\n Depending on the extent of UCL damage, some athletes choose the brace procedure over Tommy John surgery, in part because it allows them to return to the playing field more quickly.<\/p>\n