Good morning, Purple Row!
Here’s what’s going on with the Colorado Rockies and the rest of Major League Baseball.
Rockies news & links
Effectively Wild Episode 2554: Is MLB bad for NPB? And can the Rockies catch up? | FanGraphs ($)
Late last month, the Rockies announced they promoted Michael McClellan, PhD, to director of baseball analytics. (He has a background in physics, engineering, and atmospheric science.) Prior to joining the Rockies, he spent eight years with the Tampa Bay Rays. Last week, he sat down with Ben Lindbergh
and talked for an hour about his time with the Rockies. He began working for the organization in 2025 after Josh Byrnes noticed that McClellan was working remotely in Colorado and spent last season focused on hitting. (He worked closely with hitting coach Brett Pill.) Now, however, he oversees the entire analytics department.
McClellan describes where the Rockies are now and what they’re working on. Among things that stood out? He’s wondering if it would be possible for the Rockies to collaborate with the Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, and Denver Nuggets to address issues of rest and recovery at elevation. In addition, they had more than 1000 applicants for their intern position. (He also provides some tips on applying for a analytics job.)
There’s too much here for me to go into detail, but if you have access to this podcast, it’s very much worth your time.
Biggest offseason needs for all 30 MLB teams | Fox Sports
If you thought the answer might be “find more pitching,” Rowan Kavner and Deesha Thosar instead recommend, “Get a haul for Hunter Goodman.” They write, “With a limited number of power bats in free agency, Goodman’s market should be strong.”
Ulloa’s journey to becoming a Fall Star | MLB.com
Thomas Harding spoke with the Rockies righty as he continues to focus on developing his changeup. “It’s about surrendering the result – the outcome of the at-bat – and just feeling comfortable with where you’re releasing it, and trusting that the pitch is going to move the way you want,” Ulloa said. Since finishing the season with Double-A Hartford, Ulloa has been on fire in the Arizona Fall League.
Interview with Ethan Katz | Loud Outs/MLB Network Radio ($)
I did not get to listen to this interview — I caught the end of the program. But here’s an outtake from Ryan Spilborghs and CJ Nitkowski’s interview with the Rockies new pitching coach.
Around MLB
4 things to listen for at the 2026 MLB GM meetings in Las Vegas | Yardbarker
The General Manager Meetings start today in Las Vegas. Kevin Henry is following four stories: What happens with Tarik Skubal? Who signs Teruaki Sato? What will the Tampa Bay Rays do? How will the qualifying offers play out.
Look for more on the GM Meetings in my Rockpile later today.
PCA, Bellinger awarded Platinum Gloves; Team Gold Gloves to Cubs & Jays | MLB.com
Awards season is truly underway with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cody Belligener emerging as big defensive winners. Tonight, MLB will announce the Rookie of the Year winners.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
Download the SB Nation app on iOS or Android.
Please keep in mind ourPurple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!
