This Week in Purple: Ryan Feltner is embracing changes to the clubhouse and his arsenal in 2026

Scottsdale, Ariz. – Ryan Feltner had a forgettable 2025 season.

After a brilliant 2024 campaign, the right-hander made just six starts in 2025 before suffering from back spasms. He went on the 15-day IL on May 2 and was transferred to the 60-day on June 15. He made a few rehab starts in June, but was then optioned to Triple-A on July 4 and never returned to the major league clubhouse. In fact, his injury flared up again in late July, which ended his season. 

But Feltner isn’t letting an injury-plagued

2025 sour his goals for 2026.

“Last year, my body didn’t hold up quite the way I wanted it to,” he said, “but I did a lot of things in the offseason to prepare me for this year. I spent it at Cressey Sports Performance in Jupiter, Florida. It was a good time. I got stronger – that was my main goal. I feel really healthy right now.”

Clearly, a lot has changed since Feltner last set foot in the Rockies clubhouse: Bud Black was fired, and Warren Schaeffer was elevated (and since fully hired) as the manager; Bill Schmidt resigned as general manager and replaced by Josh Byrnes and Paul DePodesta; the entire coaching staff is new; and the whole vibe of the clubhouse is different. 

“I’m super excited (for Schaeffer),” Feltner said.

“I had him in Triple-A as my manager, and I’ve always had great respect for him. I think he’s doing a great job, and he’s already started to move things in the right direction. (And we’d) kept in touch over the offseason and things like that. I’ve known him for a while, so it definitely feels like a positive environment around here right now.”

And as far as the pitching coaches go, Feltner has hit the ground running when he arrived in Arizona.

“I’ve worked closely with the pitching guys for about three weeks now, just being here early, and they were all around,” he said.

“I think they’re excited because I have a very diverse arsenal. I have a lot of pitches that I can throw, and so I think if I’m given the right pitch grip or the right cue or whatever it is, I’m able to throw any pitch.

“We’re kind of shaping my arsenal,” he continued. “It’s going to look very similar, but we’re going to do little tweaks that, I think, shift things in the right direction. So there might be a new pitch coming along. And they’ve been super helpful, even with the mental side as well, just giving me the confidence to be in the zone a lot and attack it.”

Feltner then revealed that he has been working on a cutter. 

“I have a fastball. I have a two-seamer. I’ve always had a short slider, which has also doubled as a cutter to lefties,” he listed, “but there might be a designated cutter. We’re still working on it, but it’s still in the process.”

Something new pitching coach Alon Leichman likes to do is call pitches from the dugout, which has been intriguing to much of the baseball world – players and fans alike. Feltner hasn’t experienced it before, but offered his thoughts.

“I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I think the times when I’ve pitched the best are when I’ve really leaned into what the catcher is calling,” he said. 

“It doesn’t matter to me where the pitch call comes from. I think [Leichman] has a lot of good information that he can go off of, and if he wants to call the pitches when I’m pitching, I would love that. I think for me, it clears up a lot of mental space. It’s just another thing that I don’t have to deal with, and I can just focus on pitching.”

It’s still early in the season, but Feltner is already feeling a new vibe in the clubhouse as they head into 2026.

“I think [I’m most excited for] the new culture around here,” he said. “I think there’s new energy. You walk through the hallways and there’s music playing. I think it’s a little more relaxed, and I think guys are going to have a lot more fun.”

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To Read (Rockpiles)

• Monday (Guest): A Quick Fix for Rockies Starting Pitching: Ditch the Four-Seamers | HC Werner
• Tuesday: The Colorado Rockies and “optionality” | Renee Dechert
• Wednesday (Guest): How the Colorado Rockies can follow the rebuild of another Colorado team | Evan Liu
• Thursday: ‘Super exciting’ new Rockies chapter starts today in spring training | Joelle Milholm
• Friday: Tomoyuki Sugano is ready to bring leadership and experience to the Rockies rotation | Sam Bradfield

To Read (PuRPs)

Full Stream

• No. 14, Roc Riggio
• No. 13, Sterlin Thompson
• No. 12, Gabriel Hughes
• No. 11, Roldy Brito
• No. 10, Griffin Herring

To Read (Other)

• Staff Feature: The Rockies at the 2026 World Baseball Classic | Evan Lang
• Roster News: Rockies sign RHP Tomoyuki Sugano | Evan Lang
• Roster News: According to reports, Colorado Rockies to sign Jose Quintana | Renee Dechert
• Staff Feature: 2026 spring training storylines to watch for pitchers and catchers | Skyler Timmins
• Other News: Colorado Rockies announce 2026 spring training broadcast schedule | Skyler Timmins

Weekend Discussion Topics

Which signing are you more intrigued by — Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano or Jose Quintana? What do you think the starting rotation will look like now? Let us know in the comments!

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