After years and years of trying to figure out the why, we at ESNY may have an answer about the Colorado Rockies. We’ve pored over the data, run every scientific study we could, and came to a shockingly simple conclusion:
The Colorado Rockies are a Quadruple-A team. It’s not ideal, but at least they can afford to be. Coors Field is a nice enough ballpark that, win or lose, ownership expects to finish at least among the Top 10 in average attendance. Unfortunately for CEO and principal owner Dick Monfort, the fans are starting to notice.
The 2024 season marked the second consecutive year in which the Rockies failed to finish in the Top 10. Worse yet, they dropped from 14th to 15th. People are realizing that the emperor has no clothes.
We’ll say it again: The Colorado Rockies are a Quadruple-A team. They lean on their nice stadium to draw people. The occasional free agency splurge often blows up in their face. Player development is a glorified game of “Spin the Wheel” and drinks on the house if one happens to be a star.
Quadruple. A. Team.
Greatest Addition: Thairo Estrada. The former Yankees infield prospect was, seriously, the Rockies’ only major offseason addition. Better yet for Estrada, he earned a one-year, $4 million deal with a $7 million mutual option for 2026. And after the worst season of his pro career too! Estrada hit just .217 with four home runs with a wRC+ of 64.
However, Estrada had back-to-back 14 home run seasons in San Francisco in ’22 and ’23. He’s moving to the wide open air of Coors Field as Colorado’s planned everyday second baseman. Estrada could quickly reap those benefits if he gets off to a strong start.
Greatest Loss: Charlie Blackmon. It’s never easy when a franchise icon retires, but the day comes for every player and this time was Blackmon’s turn. Blackmon debuted with the Rockies in 2011 and turned that into a successful 14-year career. He was a four-time All-Star and won the National League batting title in 2017.
He finished with a .293 lifetime batting average and 227 home runs, and as MLB’s active leader in triples. However, the Coors effect was real as he hit .329 at home compared to .256 on the road. He was also a black hole in the outfield.
Still, beloved Rockies icons are hard to find, and Blackmon checks all of those boxes. Bad as the Rockies have been, he’ll be missed.
Greatest Strength: High-upside hitters. Let’s talk about Ezequiel Tovar, the Rockies’ shortstop who broke out in 2024. He hit .269 with 26 home runs and 78 RBI, all career-highs. Tovar also struck out 200 times compared to just 23 walks, and cue the 95 wRC+.
Regardless, the Rockies will need Tovar and some of his teammates to produce similar stats to bring the fans back to the ballpark. First baseman Michael Toglia hit .218, but mashed 25 homers in 116 games. Brenton Doyle had 23 home runs and is a two-time Gold Glove center fielder.
If this young core hits, the Rockies may soon see a step upward. If not, then the team has a big, big problem.
Greatest Weakness: A bunch of “Maybes.” Look at how we’ve discussed the Rockies thus far, and this should make sense. The Rockies’ whole approach seems to be “Maybe this plan works” as opposed to committing to one.
Think about it. Maybe Thairo Estrada has a breakout year in Coors Field. Maybe prospects like Toglia, Tovar, and Doyle keep developing in the right direction. Maybe Kris Bryant will finally play 100 games and make his $182 million contract seem worth it just a little.
Championships aren’t built on maybe. The Rockies will eventually get it…we hope.
How bad will 2025 be for the Rockies? You never want to say things can get worse for a team that lost 101 games a year ago. But in the Rockies’ case, it’s hard to say otherwise. Colorado’s lineup has some plus signs, but is otherwise young and streaky. The pitching staff’s performance depends entirely on German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela’s returns from injuries.
Bryant, who’s supposed to be the star player, has played 159 games in three years. No more significant help from the farm is on the way.
Once more with feeling: The Colorado Rockies, who were in the playoffs as recently as 2018, are a Quadruple-A team.
FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: The Quadruple-A Colorado Rockies | Elite Sports NY