We keep reiterating how bad the 2025 season was, and for good reason. A 43-119 record, barely staving off the White Sox record from 2024, is nothing to laugh at. But beyond the pure badness of the team
and the roster and *gestures wildly*, there were also plenty of injuries and under-performances that did not help.
The question if they can reset for the 2026 season.
Ezequiel Tovar
Ezequiel Tovar burst onto the scene at the end of the 2022 season, becoming the youngest Rockies position player to debut at just 21 years and 53 days old. He continued to make a name for himself in 2023 and 2024, missing just 14 total games in his first two full seasons.
Defensively, Tovar was incredible. In 2023, he posted a .988 fielding percentage — good enough to break a record set by Troy Tulowitzki in 2007 (.987). He earned a .988 again in 2024, and it was good enough to notch the budding superstar his first Gold Glove.
But the wheels fell off in 2025.
As he often does, Tovar made a spectacular diving stop on March 29 against the Rays en route to the Rockies’ first victory of the season.
However, it came at a cost — he landed hard on his hip and after persistent soreness, Tovar found himself on the Injured List after 2+ years of near-perfect attendance.
He stayed there from April 16-May 16. But then just three weeks later, he found himself on the IL again with a left oblique strain that kept him out from June 6-July 18. In 2025, Tovar played just 95 games and hit .253/.294/.400 with 18 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 33 RBI and 44 runs scored. Comparatively, in 2024, Tovar slashed .269/.295/.469 with 45 doubles, four triples, 26 home runs, 78 RBI and 83 runs scored.
Knowing Tovar’s history, it’s difficult to not see how the injuries affected his performance in 2025. He is a prime candidate to bounce back in 2026, barring any other injury woes.
Brenton Doyle
Brenton Doyle is another Rockie who had a tough 2025 campaign.
Like Tovar, Doyle burst onto the scene in 2023 and took the Coors outfield by storm. Through 126 games, Doyle slashed just .203/.250/.343 with 10 home runs, but he posted a .997 Fielding%, 18 DRS and 14 OAA with just one error. That notched him a Gold Glove — the second Rockies rookie to win the award, and the first outfielder. (Nolan Arenado won at third base in 2013.)
Also like Tovar, Doyle took a major step forward in his sophomore season after making a big change to his swing in the offseason. In 149 games in 2024, Doyle slashed .260/.317.446 with 23 homers. His fielding also remained outstanding with him posting a .991 Fielding%, 11 DRS and 14 OAA with four errors. Not quite as good as his rookie year, but the declines
were nothing to be concerned about.
However, 2025 was a struggle.
First, Doyle dealt with left quadriceps soreness in April and then was placed on the bereavement list when his wife suffered a miscarriage. He was out of the lineup from April 17-23. While he was never formally put on the IL, he also missed a week in July with a sore shoulder.
In the first half of the season, Doyle was hitting just .202/.254/.322; in the second half, he upped that to .282/.307/.462. His defense stayed stellar, but he was not rewarded with a Gold Glove in 2025.
Evidence:
More evidence:
Because of the injuries and personal tragedy, Doyle is definitely a candidate to bounce back in 2026 (for the Rockies or for another team).
Ryan Feltner
Ryan Feltner has had a streaky (but potential-filled) Rockies career so far.
He debuted in 2021 and started just two games, posting an 11.37 ERA after allowing eight runs (three homers) on nine hits over just 6 1/3 innings. He took a slight step forward in 2022, but then was hit in the face with a line drive on May 13, 2023 that nearly ended his career. Feltner returned triumphantly in September, pitching two games against the Padres and Dodgers.
In 2024, Feltner took a big step forward. He made a career-high 30 starts and posted a 5.82 ERA — ranking him ninth in our “Ranking the Rockies” series behind Cal Quantrill (6) and Austin Gomber (5). The key for his success? Availability.
Unfortunately, Feltner was not available in 2025.
He pitched in just six games, posting a 4.75 ERA and 1.48 WHIP, before being placed on the 15-day IL with back spasms on May 2 (retroactive to April 29). That was the last time Felter would pitch at the MLB level in 2025. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on June 15, and made a few rehab appearances before being activated on July 4. Feltner pitched six games for the Albuquerque Isotopes, posting an 8.57 ERA an d2.48 WHIP over just 21 innings. Feltner pitched his last game of 2025 on July 24, and was placed on the 7-day IL on July 30 for the rest of the season.
Given the injuries and also an entirely new front office and coaching staff, Feltner will be an interesting case in 2025. How much of his struggles could be attributed to coaching, or how many of them are his own issues he needs to work through? In 2026, fans will have a chance to see if he bounces back.
Chase Dollander
Chase Dollander is the most interesting case for a 2026 bounce-back season. He was a rookie in 2025, so is he a “bounce-back” candidate or a “development” candidate?
The Rockies drafted Dollander ninth-overall in the 2023 draft, where there were a lot of comparisons between him and Paul Skenes. Dollander rocketed his way through the Rockies’ minor league system, eventually making his MLB debut on April 6 against the Athletics. However, his debut was more out of necessity than readiness. Austin Gomber dealt with shoulder soreness in spring training to the point of needing to go on the 60-day IL. Since he wasn’t ready by the time the Rockies needed a fifth starter, Dollander was called up to take his spot.
In his first outing, Dollander looked decent — 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 6 K and the win. However, the home runs were something that nagged him all season. Out of 21 games, he had 10 where he didn’t give up a single homer. He also had five of those 10 games where he only gave up one.
Like our other three candidates, Dollander also spent time on the IL in 2025. In May, it was revealed that he was dealing with right forearm tightness that landed him on the 15-day from May 22 until June 3. Upon his activation, he was then optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. In the middle of his stint in Albuquerque, Dollander also spent a few weeks in Scottsdale working in the Rockies pitching lab. He was brought back to the big leagues in mid-August, and inconsistency plagued the rest of his season.
It ended on a positive note, though, when he went toe-to-toe with Tyler Glasnow in a no-hitter duel (but he unfortunately took a funky step in the middle of it and ended the season on the IL with a left patellar tendon strain).
Dollander’s biggest key for 2026 will be shortening the gap between his home and road splits. At home, Dollander posted a 9.98 ERA and 1.98 WHIP in 11 starts (46 IP). He also gave up 12 home runs (which is to be expected at Coors Field). But on the road, he posted a 3.46 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 10 starts (52 IP).
Like Feltner, perhaps a new coaching staff will help Dollander take a step forward in 2026. It might not be a bad idea for him to start off the year in Triple-A and work his way back again. But either way, his story will be one to watch in 2026 for sure.
Closing Thoughts
The Colorado Rockies have a lot of players who could bounce back in 2026 after a down year for nearly everybody not named Hunter Goodman. Who do you think are some others? Let us know in the comments!
Patrick Saunders sat down with new PBO Paul DePodesta and asked him about the coaching staff construction for 2026, as well as their plan to address the Rockies’ pitching needs.
Rockies Boss Indicates Unclear Path for Kris Bryant for Spring Training | Sports Illustrated
Spring training is just about a month away, so now it’s time to start looking to what might happen. The biggest question, as it’s been since 2022, is Kris Bryant’s health and his role on the Rockies. In his interview with Thomas Harding, Josh Byrnes shed some light on the Bryant situation.
As Matt Postins indicates, the Rockies don’t seem to have any answers as to what Bryant’s role will be in 2026 just yet. Hopefully we’ll have an answer soon!
Purple Row After Dark: Rockies sign RHP Michael Lorenzen | Purple Row
Late last night, the Rockies signed RHP Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen most recently pitched for the Kansas City Royals in 2025. They also acquired Keegan Thompson off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds earlier in the day. Evan Lang breaks down the move.
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