Rockies Receive Promising New Outlook Ahead of Opening Day

Colorado looks to take a step in the right direction after three straight 100-loss seasons.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The Colorado Rockies are coming off a historically bad 43-119 season in 2025, but there is optimism surrounding the team heading into the 2026 season. The Rockies made changes in the front office, hiring Paul DePodesta as president of baseball operations and Josh Byrnes as general manager. They also removed the interim tag from manager Warren Schaeffer, who players lobbied to have return. While the Rockies are not expected to contend this season, MLB.com's Mike Petriello placed them in a tier of teams that are "Lots of losses ahead, but finally headed in the right direction."

Why it matters

The Rockies have struggled mightily in recent years, posting three straight 100-loss seasons. However, the changes made in the front office and the support for manager Warren Schaeffer suggest the team is headed in a new direction, even if the wins and losses don't immediately reflect that this season.

The details

The Rockies made several key changes in the offseason, hiring Paul DePodesta as president of baseball operations and Josh Byrnes as general manager. They also removed the interim tag from manager Warren Schaeffer, who players lobbied to have return. While DePodesta didn't make many major roster moves, he is focused on evaluating the current players to determine which ones are part of the team's future and which could help in trades to aid the rebuild.

  • The 2026 MLB season is just three weeks away from Opening Day.
  • The Rockies are coming off a historically bad 43-119 season in 2025.

The players

Paul DePodesta

The new president of baseball operations for the Colorado Rockies.

Josh Byrnes

The new general manager of the Colorado Rockies.

Warren Schaeffer

The Rockies' manager, who had the interim tag removed after players lobbied to have him return.

Mike Petriello

An MLB.com writer who placed the Rockies in a tier of teams that are "Lots of losses ahead, but finally headed in the right direction."

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What they’re saying

“Here we have the three teams that lost more than 95 games last year, and one, the Rockies, that posted a wild 43-119 mark and was outscored by more runs than any team in modern history. And yet, we're moving them up a tier from last year's Tier 9! It's still going to be a long season, full of a lot more losses than victories. But for some of these clubs, for the first time in a very long time, you can see the future plan starting to move along.”

— Mike Petriello, MLB.com writer (MLB.com)

What’s next

The Rockies will open the 2026 season on March 28 against the Miami Marlins in Florida.

The takeaway

While the Rockies are still expected to struggle this season, the changes made in the front office and the support for manager Warren Schaeffer suggest the team is headed in a new direction. If some of the young players make strides and the veteran additions have good seasons, the Rockies could start to see the fruits of their rebuild efforts.