As the only team that plays in mile-high thin air for half of their games, the Rockies need to hit more homers.
With the days of the Blake Street Bombers long gone, and rosters with power hitters like Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story in the rearview mirror, the Rockies have struggled in recent years to field a roster bolstered by a home run hitter who can compete for the MLB long-ball title. As a team, Colorado has been in the lowest third in MLB rankings in homers five times in the last seven years.
Thanks to Hunter Goodman, a newly named Silver Slugger finalist, it’s starting to change. In 2026, the Rockies catcher hit a career-high 41 homers, which was tied for No. 6 in MLB and tied for third in the National League. That’s the highest total since Arenado hit 41 homers in 2019.
It’s not enough. The Rockies should seriously consider bringing in a homer-hitting free agent this offseason to help.
Even with Goodman’s big bat, the Rockies still finished 19th in homers in MLB. That’s largely because of the large gulf to the next-best Rockie, which was Mickey Moniak, at 23 homers. Moniak’s total is impressive, especially considering an injury limited him to 404 at-bats in 117 games. Next on Colorado’s list are three Rockies who were new to the organization in 2026: TJ Rumfield (16), Willi Castr0 (15) and Jake McCarthy (15). Ezequiel Tovar came in tied for fifth with 13 homers, a far cry from his career-high of 26 in 2024. Kyle Karros also hit 13 in his first full MLB season and Cole Carrigg rounds out the Rockies double-digit dinger hitters with 12 in just 333 at-bats in 93 games.
The Rockies only had five players with double-digit homers in 2025 (Goodman’s 31, Moniak’s 24, Jordan Beck’s 16, Brenton Doyle’s 15 and Michael Toglia’s 11). Having three more sluggers with double digits helped Colorado combine to hit 20 more homers in 2026 than they did in 2025 and move up the rankings.
The increase in homers is a nice improvement, but it’s not enough. The Rockies need more offense. Sure, more walks, more stolen bases and more hits would help. But nothing scores runs like home runs.
A possible solution could be to bring in a primary designated hitter who swings a homer-heavy bat.
The Rockies combined to hit 22 homers from the DH spot in 2026. Nine of those came from Goodman. Of course, it’s nice to have Goodman at the plate more often than an average catcher who uses his off days to rest. Goodman, who turned 27 in October, had 540 at-bats in 2025 and 518 in 2026. It might be sustainable, but it’s risky. Goodman only had one stint on the 10-day IL with a left shoulder strain in August. It might be better to actually give Goodman rest so he can catch and be a force at the plate and behind it
That’s where having a legitimate DH could be useful. After all, three of the top-eight home run hitters in 2026 are primarily or only designated hitters. DH Kyle Schwarber was the co-homer king with Pete Crow-Armstrong at 45, DH Jordan Alvarez tied for fourth with 42 and DH Ben Rice tied for sixth at 41. Further down the list, Shohei Ohtani hit 30 homers as a DH in a down year for the Dodgers.
Just a bit further down that list is free agent Joc Pederson. The long-time Dodger and former Giant has played for six teams in the last 13 seasons. For the last two seasons, the lefty played for the Texas Rangers, where he hit 26 homers. As a DH, Pederson hit 22 homers in 334 at-bats, while also filling in occasionally at first base, right field and as a pinch hitter.
Pederson, who will turn 35 in April, just opted out of the $18.5 million mutual option he had with the Rangers for 2027 to be a free agent. Before going to the Rangers, Purple Row’s Renee Dechert explored the value of signing Pederson in 2024. This season, Pederson hit .235/.329/.487 and a .816 OPS. He recorded a 1.7 rWAR, which would be sixth best if it were on the Rockies. One argument against the idea is that, unlike many former Dodgers and Giants, Pederson hasn’t especially torn it up at Coors Field. In 222 at-bats in 73 games, Pederson has hit .234/.333/.401 with an OPS of .734 and nine homers.
If Pederson’s price is too steep, Josh Bell could be a great option. The former first baseman-turned-DH hit 21 homers for the Twins last season and declined his $10 million option for 2027. At age 34, Bell would provide versatility as a switch-hitter. The 2019 All-Star hit .255/.319/.419 with a .738 OPS in 2026, posting a 0.7 rWAR.
Bell has been more effective at Coors Field in his career, but it is a smaller sample size. In 72 at-bats in 19 games, Bell has hit .306/.412/.528 with a .940 OPS and four homers.
Goodman and Moniak could still play some games at DH to increase their playing time and home run potential, but a primary DH could help at the plate. But a player like Pederson or Bell could add much-needed punch to the lineup.
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