The Colorado Rockies have begun the second half of their season with a series loss against the Cincinnati Reds at home. Tonight, they begin a three-game set against the Washington Nationals and then set out on the road to face the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres.
There are 61 games left in the season, and there are a few storylines worth watching as we look to the second half.
The trade deadline
The first, and perhaps most important, storyline of the second half is what the Rockies will do ahead of the August
3 trade deadline. They are clearly in line to be sellers — if they want to be. Historically, the Rockies have not been terribly active at the trade deadline, but that could change this year under a new front office.
There are some interesting potential trade chips this year. The most likely players to be traded will be a combination of veteran players, as some of the younger players such as TJ Rumfield, Kyle Karros and Cole Carrigg, are seen as part of the team’s future. These could include the following:
- Antonio Senzatela
- Jake McCarthy
- Mickey Moniak
- Willi Castro
However, it’s also possible that the Rockies move some of their younger non-rookies:
- Hunter Goodman
- Juan Mejia
- Brenton Doyle
- Ezequiel Tovar
The Goodman question is, perhaps, the most intriguing one — Do you keep your 26-year-old, back-to-back All-Star and build the next contending Rockies team around him? Or do you trade him for what could potentially be a massive haul for the next contending Rockies team?
Moving on from Moniak and/or McCarthy would open up a space for Charlie Condon and/or Zac Veen (more on that later), while moving on from Senzatela during his renaissance season could bring back a good return as well.
The rookies
The three rookies mentioned above — Rumfield, Karros and Carrigg — have all made their marks in the early season. Rumfield is making a Rookie of the Year case for himself, while Carrigg might be sneakily making his own under-the-radar case.
Through July 18, Rumfield is slashing .302/.384/.485 with 35 extra-base hits through 97 games. He took the bull by the horns in his first game and hasn’t turned back. Sure, he’s had some stretches where he’s struggled a little bit, but Rumfield made adjustments as the league has adjusted to him. And he’s been a defensive wizard at first base, which is not something that’s happened in a long time.
Carrigg has so far lived up to his “hair on fire” reputation. After making his MLB debut on June 9, Carrigg has played in 33 games and slashed .288/.371/.529 with 14 extra-base hits. He has only stolen two bases, but that should tick up as he stole 30 in Albuquerque before his call-up. Carrigg has also brought a spark to this team, as they have gone 15-18 since his debut.
Karros started off slow, slashing just .215/.316/.319 with 11 extra-base hits through May 31. Somewhere in early June, Karros made some swing adjustments and has hit .319/.409/.588 with 18 extra-base hits.
This trio of young players is likely part of the next Rockies’ core, and is showing the characteristics that the Rockies are looking for. Rumfield has the slugging capability; Carrigg has the speed on the basepaths and the “never say die” attitude; and Karros has the plate discipline and high OBP. All three have defensive prowess. They will certainly be players to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Call-ups
If players are traded, that should make room for some prospects to get promoted. We’ve already seen eight players make their MLB debuts for the Rockies:
- Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP)
- Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP)
- TJ Shook
- TJ Rumfield
- Gabriel Hughes (No. 12 PuRP)
- Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP)
- Eiberson Castellano
- Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP)
But there should be more call-ups on the horizon.
Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) made his MLB debut last year and struggled mightily. Behind the scenes, there was a bigger story behind his struggles. But now that Veen is clean and sober, he has been absolutely tearing up the Pacific Coast League. Through July 18, Veen has slashed .314/.389/.578 with 48 extra-base hits (27 doubles, 5 triples, 16 home runs) and 15 stolen bases in 17 attempts. In his first cup of coffee, Veen played in just 12 games and went 4-for-34 with a double and a home run, but also struck out 14 times (41.2%). Perhaps with a new perspective (and a new body), Veen would be more successful in a second stint.
Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) has also been demolishing Triple-A and knocking on the door for his debut. The 2024 first-round pick also participated in the Futures Game for the second straight year, and probably won’t be long for Albuquerque. In 81 games, Condon is slashing .287/.409/.573 with 42 extra-base hits (16 doubles, 6 triples, 20 homers). He has just six stolen bases in eight attempts, but that’s less a part of his game than Veen’s. While Condon competed with Rumfield for first base in spring training, it looks like that position is locked up for the foreseeable future, so Condon would likely slide into the outfield once he’s called up. He’s spent about equal time at first base (47 games) and right field (37 games), so he could serve as a right-handed platoon bat at either position.
The others on the above list will likely make at least another cameo, except for Herrera who is recovering from a torn UCL. And there may be other call-ups. We just won’t know until the dust settles after the trade deadline.
The rotation
The Rockies’ rotation is filled with question marks once again, as the veteran signings haven’t quite panned out like they hoped they would, and Chase Dollander suffered a season-ending elbow injury in May that resulted in internal brace surgery.
The biggest questions will be who they keep at the end of the year, and if they trade anyone at the deadline. Of the Opening Day Five — Kyle Freeland, Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano, José Quintana and Ryan Feltner — the first four are on expiring contracts, though Freeland and Lorenzen have options for the 2027 season. Feltner is entering his third year of arbitration, while Gordon is still under full team control until 2029 when he becomes arbitration eligible.
However, they have been auditioning younger guys — namely Sean Sullivan and Gabriel Hughes — to mixed results. Sullivan made his MLB debut on June 12 against the Athletics in Las Vegas, where he gave up just two hits and struck out two batters across three innings before being lifted due to illness. Unfortunately, it has all been downhill from there, as he has given up 22 runs across his last four starts (19.1 innings). Hughes, meanwhile, made his debut on July 3 (after being called up on July 1) and earned a three-inning save in the 15-3 victory. He’s since made two starts — one on the road at Dodger Stadium and the other at home — and has allowed five runs on nine hits with four walks and 13 strikeouts across 11.1 innings of work.
There will be a lot of decisions coming in the next few weeks to determine the outlook of the 2027 (and even the 2026) rotation.
Final record
The Rockies are on pace for about a 64-98 final record. That would be a 21-win improvement from 2025. For comparison, the Chicago White Sox improved by 19 games in 2025 after their historically bad 2024, so it’s not out of the question. And considering where this team has been the last few years, I will go on the record to say if they lose fewer than 100 games this year, Warren Schaeffer deserves Manager of the Year consideration (though he — like Rumfield, or any other Rockie in the last few years — won’t get it).
Closing thoughts
The final 61 games of the 2026 season are going to be a wild ride unlike any we’ve seen from the Rockies in recent years. It’s been an interesting year so far, and it will just get more so as we get to the trade deadline and through the final stretch.
Which storylines will you be watching most closely? Let us know in the comments!
On the Farm
Triple-A: Sacramento River Cats 5, Albuquerque Isotopes 1
The Isotopes struggled at the hands of the River Cats (Giants). They were held scoreless for the first six innings before Jordan Beck finally broke through in the seventh with a solo home run. Unfortunately, that was the only scoring of the game. Ryan Ritter, playing shortstop, went 2-for-3 with a walk. Beck, Charlie Condon, Conner Capel and Drew Avans each recorded a hit to total six for the lineup.
Andrew Baker started the game, pitching two innings and allowing just one run on three hits with three strikeouts. Eiberson Castellano then pitched the next five, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts over five innings of work. Seth Halvorsen then pitched a scoreless inning, but Victor Juarez allowed one final run in the ninth.
Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 5, Hartford Yard Goats 4
The Yard Goats fared a little bit better than the Isotopes, but they blew a late lead by giving up four runs in the seventh and eighth innings to the Baysox (Orioles). Jose Torres got things started for the Goats with an RBI single in the second to put them up 1-0. But Brandon Butterworth answered back in the fourth, belting a solo homer off (pitcher) to tie things up. Dyan Jorge singled in the sixth two score Torres and Andy Perez, but then Willy Vasquez hit a two-run double in the seventh to tie things once again. Mike Antico singled to score Torres in the eighth, but Thomas Sosa belted a two-run homer in the eighth to seal the victory for the Baysox.
Jackson Cox (No. 16 PuRP) had a solid outing, allowing just the one solo homer on four hits with six strikeouts. But Carlos Torres and Sam Weatherly struggled in the late innings, each giving up two runs in one inning apiece. Weatherly gave up the two run homer to Sosa, earning him both his third blown save of the year as well as saddling him with his fourth loss.
High-A: Everett Aquasox 21, Spokane Indians 3
It was a football-scoring game in Spokane, as the Indians managed just a field goal against the three touchdowns scored by the Aquasox (Mariners). They mustered seven hits, but the scoring went quiet after the fourth inning. The three RBIs came from Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP), Tanner Thach and Kelvin Hidalgo.
The Indians ran out six different pitchers, and none of them recorded a clean inning. Only two — Ismael Luciano and Francis Rivera — escaped without giving up a home run. Hunter Omlid took the worst of it, though, allowing seven runs on four hits with two walks and three homers across just one-third of an inning. In total, the pitching staff gave up 17 hits, 21 runs (all earned), 13 walks and six home runs.
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies 2, Visalia Rawhide 1
The Grizzlies were the only victorious affiliate tonight, as they held the Rawhide (Diamondbacks) to just one run scored in the second inning. The Grizzlies scored their two runs in the fourth and sixth, respectively.
The Visalia run came off a homer by Adrian De Leon in the second inning. But Derek Bernard answered back with a homer of his own in the fourth, while Kyle Fossum singled to score Bernard in the sixth and put the Grizzlies back on top. Riley Kelly pitched an outstanding game, going six innings and allowing just the one run with one walk while racking up 11 strikeouts. Yanzel Correa relieved him, pitching two scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out four. Dylan Crooks earned his sixth save of the year by allowing just one hit and striking out one in his singular inning of work.
Rockies First-Half Awards: MVP, Biggest Surprise and Biggest Disappointment | Sports Illustrated
Wesley Dixon outlines who he thinks are deserving of the Rockies’ own awards. You can probably guess who the MVP is, but what about the other two?
Kyle Newman writes about how Hughes has been adjusting to the majors, as well as his journey to get there. He also writes about how Hughes can potentially fit into a staff filled with “C-list veterans” as they haven’t been able to field many good homegrown starters. Perhaps Hughes can start the next wave of that.
Tovar hopes the All-Star break sparks offensive improvement | MLB.com
It’s been no secret that Ezequiel Tovar has struggled mightily in 2026. At the beginning of the season, after the World Baseball Classic, it looked like Tovar might take a big step forward after a down 2025. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened. But Thomas Harding caught up with the shortstop about how he hopes to take a step forward after the All-Star break.
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