The Rockies are 8-24 over the season’s first 32 games, ahead of only the White Sox (6-26) in the overall league standings. Even with five months remaining on the schedule, a turn-around doesn’t seem too likely, as Colorado did very little to improve last season’s 103-loss roster and was widely expected to again post one of baseball’s worst records.
Even amidst this dire beginning to the season, general manager Bill Schmidt still believes that “good things are going to happen” at Coors Field. In an interview with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, Schmidt discussed several topics related to the Rockies’ poor start, but cited “the inconsistency of our offense” as the main problem.
“We have been in a lot of games, but we haven’t figured out how to win those games….But at the end of the day, we haven’t gotten the big hit to put us ahead, to get us back into the game, to win a game. For me, it comes back to our offense and our lack of execution,” Schmidt said. When asked by Saunders whether the Rockies’ approach to hitting was an issue, Schmidt said “it’s not about our strategy….Our guys care, and they are trying hard, but they have to be more disciplined. [Hitting coach Hensley Meulens] and those guys talk about that all the time. They talk about the strike zone and being patient. The work ethic is great. Guys are trying, but at the end of the day, guys aren’t getting it done.”
Colorado ranks 24th of 30 teams in runs scored (120), 26th in home runs (25), and 28th (78th) in wRC+. The Rox haven’t been gotten the traditional benefit from the thin air of Coors Field, as they rank last in the majors in home wRC+, with only a 74 number. As Schmidt noted, players like Kris Bryant, Nolan Jones, and Brendan Rodgers were expected to be key parts in the lineup but they’ve all struggled to date, and Bryant and Jones are currently on the injured list.
A lower back strain has kept Bryant out of action since mid-April, continuing the former NL MVP’s run of injuries since signing a seven-year, $182MM free agent deal with Colorado during the 2021-22 offseason. Schmidt said that there isn’t yet a timetable for Bryant’s rehab or when he might return to the lineup, but “he’s feeling better” and “is starting to do baseball activities.”
While Schmidt isn’t wrong that the lineup hasn’t produced, for the GM to point the finger primarily at the offense overshadows the more obvious concern that the Rockies sit at or near the bottom of the league in most major pitching categories. Schmidt did admit that “it’s not a great bullpen” but also claimed that “for the most part, the starting rotation has been OK.” Even with a nod to the injury-depleted nature of the rotation, “OK” is a real reach considering that Colorado is 30th of 30 teams in ERA (5.79), SIERA (4.58), WHIP (1.58), and strikeout rate (16.5%). An argument can certainly be made that the Rox might still be struggling even if they had a top-ten lineup, simply because the pitching has been so poor. The rotation has been obviously hurt by the losses of German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela to Tommy John surgery and Kyle Freeland to an elbow strain, though that isn’t necessarily the most solid of top threes even if everyone was healthy.
Beyond just Meulens, Schmidt felt the coaching staff as a whole and manager Bud Black “are doing a very good job….because of the work ethic of the players. Our guys are playing hard. The effort level is there, night in and night out. That’s what I see.” Perhaps interestingly, Schmidt didn’t address the topic of a potential contract extension for Black when Saunders asked about the seeming lack of news on the subject of the skipper’s future.
Black is in his eighth season in Colorado, and his first two seasons with the club resulted in postseason appearances. Since then, however, the Rox haven’t posted a winning record, resulting in Black’s lackluster 484-580 overall record during his managerial tenure with the team. Black signed one-year contract extensions in March 2022 and March 2023, but despite some reports of talks during Spring Training, no new deal was announced this year.
It could be that an extension was quietly reached but not publicly revealed, as the Rockies have tended to take something of an unique approach to managerial contracts. With both Black and former manager Jim Tracy, the two sides operated on an unofficial year-to-year handshake deal, so it might be that the Rox didn’t see the need this time for a formal announcement of another extension. Or, the lack of an announcement might imply that Black is having some hesitation on his own end of the deal — Black turns 67 in June, so it might not be a surprise if he is considering retirement.
As for positives, Schmidt cited the improved numbers posted by Ryan McMahon, Brenton Doyle, Ezequiel Tovar, and the Elias Diaz/Jacob Stallings catching combo. Between these players, healthy and productive returns from Bryant and Jones, and just overall improved hitting, Schmidt is confident the Rockies can play some better baseball.
This type of semi-positive outlook might not be what Denver fans want to hear, but in fairness to Schmidt, it’s pretty rare that an executive in his situation would outright slam his players or his coaching staff over the 8-24 start. This doesn’t mean that harsher criticisms aren’t taking place behind closed doors, but Schmidt publicly calling out his team could very well cause more problems than it would solve.
On the other hand, the Colorado organization (from owner Dick Monfort on down) has long been accused of having a more optimistic view of the team than their talent level would seem to warrant. The Rox have long resisted the idea of a public rebuild, so such a course correction likely isn’t going to happen barring a big change of heart from Monfort. As such, it’s hard to determine how exactly the Rockies are going to be able to dig themselves out of his big hole, or even show clear signs that the team is making progress back towards contention.
Ronk325
A tough start seems to imply that this was unexpected and things will turn around. Everyone outside of the Rockies front office knew this team would be a joke
FartCopter
Hahaha. Get a load of this idiot.
pohle
only reason i came to the article was for the quotes and i was not disappointed… there is only one franchise strategizing winning their games from a comeback point, and it is the rockies, who despite all common sense, continue to do this instead of investing in internal and external pitching
case
Propaganda attempting to justify incompetence is always amusing. The article where Manfred was discussing how great the relocation process is going for the A’s was a laugh riot.
Old York
I blame the pitch clock for their slow start. Not fair to the Rockies.
Susannah
I blame the Fanatics uniforms.
Arnold Ziffel
those green unis dearevuglirt than their lousy play. I feel for Bud Black, he is the boy sane person on this ship of fools.
Joe says...
I blame not signing Trevor Bauer. LOL
case
Thanks Obama.
Old York
@case
Thanks, George Washington.
Rishi
I blame Mike Hampton. And the baseball gods.
RyanD44
The trading of Arenado and signing of Bryant was all you needed to see to know the front office of this organization was clueless.
Oh, and the fact that they refused to trade German Marquez when he was at his peak and they were clearly years away from relevancy.
bpskelly
They’re in a rebuild. They just don’t know it yet.
The Rockies are such an odd organization. But most of that starts with Monfort.
Arnold Ziffel
To have a rebuild implies that at one time something was built, they have been lousy since 1993. It will not change till Monfort sells and fans quit supporting this mess.
martras
Yeah, they were awful when they went to the World Series. The team truly has been lousy since 2018, but they were competitive for a about a decade prior.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
Why isn’t he fired yet
DonOsbourne
If I were a Rockies fan, I would hope for somebody to start calling out somebody. The rose colored glasses are not making the games any easier to watch.
1984wasntamanual
The Rockies fan that posts here is totally ok with this train wreck and constantly defends them.
DonOsbourne
Well, they are trying really hard. Schmidt said so several times.
martras
He did. In GM speak, he was pretty blunt in his assessment of the on the field product.
Hitters need to be more disciplined.
The starting rotation is okay for the most part.
The bullpen isn’t great.
That’s GM speak for “get your crap together”
DonOsbourne
True. But he laid all of the blame on the players. That’s not close to an accurate portrayal of the problem.
Everyone knew, based on the talent assembled, this was going to be a last place team. True to form, they are performing like a last place team. It’s hard to blame the players for performing as expected as a whole.
JoeBrady
The starting rotation is okay for the most part.
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Last in road ERA
BaseballisLife
What is absolutely unfathomable to me is that as consistently bad as the Rockies have been, no one is talking about Schmidt’s job being in jeopardy.
Can you imagine if he was the GM in NYC or Boston or just about anywhere that they actually care about winning?
Rollie's Mustache
Schmidt’s job isn’t in jeopardy because Dick Monfort is the most delusional owner in pro sports. He operates as if he has a 90-win team, when LOSING 90 games would be a sign of improvement.
Monfort may say he cares about winning, but he has a funny way of going about it.
martras
I don’t know what people expected. Schmidt inherited a bad team which had a bunch of short term assets which didn’t make sense for the Rockies to keep, a bottom dwelling farm system, and an out of prime, never great, aging face of the franchise. People keep talking about Nolen Arenado, but that wasn’t Schmidt’s call.
It will probably take years for the Rockies to rebuild. I imagine the push for Bryant was probably the Monfort’s.
JoeBrady
1-He did trade Story and Gray wen they were leaving as FAs.
2-He overpaid Bryant by at least $50M, then realized he wasn’t a 3B anyone, then found out he was not a LF either, then found out he wasn’t a RF either.
That’s a few major mistakes.
Never Remember
It doesn’t have to be about winning. Sports are for entertainment unless you are dumb enough to bet on them. The most important part is having a team of players that are fan friendly and fun to watch. Just enjoy the game and if they lose so what it has no impact on your life.
Rockieski
Dick Monfort burner account?
Arnold Ziffel
Who are you kidding? Did you get participation trophies when you were a kid. I will not attend any games until they get competitive as they are a total joke now!!!
scruffmcgruff
This guy could be a broken clock and still not be right twice a day
JoeBrady
but cited “the inconsistency of our offense” as the main problem.
===================
Is Bryant not working out to your satisfaction?
Past that, your rotation is 2-17 with a 6.15 ERA. And while I recognize some unfavorable home splits, they are still last in ERA on the road. Is he just making small talk to distract from the train wreck of a team, or does he truly believe that this is all about a lack of consistent hitting?
DonOsbourne
Imagine how the Pirates feel getting shutout by these guys for the second day in a row..
humphrey x boegarts
Derp
BMarty2323
Dude has no business being a GM. He built the 28th best farm system and gets promoted. Monfort is f’n clueless.
377194
Worst front office in professional sports.
Orange and Black Giants 4ever
Rockies are straight ass
GinaNCRaysFan
They really need an outsider to come in and right the ship. Monfort needs to find someone who will really tell him how bad things are in the organization. Or perhaps that’s being harsh on the Rockies’ staff, perhaps some do give him and Schmidt a more accurate assessment of the franchise, but are ignored, there’s no way to know. In any case, Schmidt’s comments don’t bode well for any kind of turn around anytime soon.
martras
The problem is Monfort is telling the front office how to do things. He doesn’t want to hear how things are, he thinks he knows.
MLBTR needs to hire editors
When “or” starts the sentence, there shouldn’t be a comma after it.
Hagatha Crusty
Like it’s funny and everything because he’s delusional but it’s an absolute black mark on the reputation of the sport and an abject embarrassment that this group is allowed the privilege of operating a baseball team.
Arnold Ziffel
The real downfall started when McGregor died, Monfort filled that spot with himself. But good things are ahead his son is going to eventually run scouting department and the family will run this garbage for a long time.