The sun has set on the 2026 Colorado Rockies season. Perhaps fittingly, it came with a 4-2 loss against the playoff-bound Chicago White Sox—a team that found themselves in a similar situation to the Rockies just two years ago.
With today’s loss, the Rockies finish their season at 58-104. It is their second-worst season in franchise history by both losses and winning percentage. However, it is also a 15-game improvement from their dire and historically bad 2025 campaign.
“We’re not where we want to
be,” said skipper Warren Schaeffer in a pre-recorded interview shown during the game. “We’ve seen incredible growth this year in a lot of areas. And the trajectory is like this [gestures in an upwards motion]. It’s not like this [gestures in a downwards motion] like it’s been in the past. We’re headed in the right direction. The win-loss record is something that… This isn’t who we think we are. Obviously, it is who we are at the moment. That’s what matters. But, we have to look at all the positives that happened this year and there’s a whole ton of them. We all need to work to get better in the off-season to come back ready to fight next year. To get better and move this thing forward.”
Schaeffer also pushed for improvement over the off-season as the club continues to rebuild in his post-game interview.
“Continuing to push this thing forward. Continuing to take what we’ve built on this year and get better with it. Every aspect of the game. Just put it all together and winning more ballgames next year, which, I know we will,” he said.
“Individually we all need to get better. Every player. Every coach. Me. Come next year and be ready to roll.”
Feeling finality for Freeland
Today, 33-year-old Kyle Freeland made his 257th career start in a Rockies uniform. It’s hard to feel as though it was not his last. While the start lacked the emotional gravitas of his final Coors Field start last week against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, the weight of the day was not lost on Rockies fans.
The broadcast implied there was no pitch count for Freeland and he would leave everything on the mound. However, he went just four innings with 62 total pitches before Mark Manfredi was summoned from the bullpen.
The outing started well enough with a 1-2-3 inning in the first. Freeland then kept the White Sox off the board in the second inning despite a one-out Sam Antonacci double. Where things fell apart was the third. Luisangel Acuña led off the inning with a single and a stolen base before former Rockies outfielder Randal Grichuk hit a two-run home run. Japanese star rookie Munetaka Murakami (村上 宗隆) struck a well-hit double off the center field wall and former teammate Brenton Doyle hit a two-run home run of his own. Freeland also hit a batter and gave up another single, but was able to stop the bleeding and end the inning without allowing any more runs.
Freeland’s outing ended with a scoreless fourth inning. Catcher Drew Romo hit a double but was caught in a baserunning error.
Where Freeland goes after this is unknown. The terms of his most recent contract—signed back in 2022—have come to a close. While the chance he returns to the only organization he has ever known isn’t zero, one has to imagine life without the Colorado Kid starting in 2027.
“[I told him] how much I respect him and love him,” said Schaeffer. “What a career he’s had here. I couldn’t be more thankful for him. What he’s done in that clubhouse and on that field for the Rockies for a very long time. If he leaves, we’ll miss him.”
More farewells
In addition to Freeland, long-time coach and organizational staple Ron Gideon has suited up for the Rockies in the dugout for the final time as he will be retiring this off-season. A former minor league first baseman and reliever, Gideon joined the Rockies’ system as a coach in 1996 and was a tremendous fixture in the team’s farm system. He was promoted to the big league coaching staff in 2017.
“You have friends in this life, but not a lot of them would literally do anything for you and lay down their life for you and I believe that Giddy would do that,” said Schaeffer. “He’s an incredible man. He’s meant so much to this organization. We’re all going to miss him dearly. It’s just unbelievable to me that he’s going to be gone. It’s a tough one, but I love the man with all my heart.”
Long-time coach and scout Rick Matthews is also retiring from the organization.
Young bullpen shines
After the game was turned over to the bullpen, the Rockies kept the White Sox off the board for the remainder of the game.
Rookie Mark Manfredi pitched two hitless, scoreless innings with a strikeout. The 26-year-old, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers organization at the deadline, finished his season with a 3.06 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 17.2 innings of work. His fellow rookie Nick Frasso ended the season on a positive note as well. Frasso did not allow an earned run over his final four appearances of the year including today. In his single inning of work this afternoon he worked a 1-2-3 frame with a strikeout.
Jaden Hill also made his final appearance of the season. Although he gave up the only hit from the Rockies bullpen allowed today—and that baserunner advanced on a wild pitch—he tallied two strikeouts in a scoreless inning.
A few bright spots despite little offense
The Rockies scored just two runs on six hits in their season finale against the White Sox. They scored first with a run in the top of the third inning. After Jordan Beck and Ezequiel Tovar hit back-to-back singles, Jake McCarthy laid down a sacrifice but and Connor Norby drove Beck home with a sacrifice fly.
For Beck, the single and a walk in today’s game allowed him to finish the year at the Mendoza line. Tovar’s single also represents an upwards trajectory. After struggling through much of the season, Tovar hit .304/.328/.500 in the month of September with two doubles and three home runs.
Connor Norby as also a strong addition to the Rockies lineup. After joining the Rockies via a trade with the Miami Marlins, Norby hit .302/.387/.457 with three home runs, 11 doubles, 18 RBIs, and 16 walks over 40 games. He also accomplished this while playing at less than 100% physically. Norby is expected to have off-season knee surgery but should be ready to go for spring training.
The Rockies rookies also had their chance to shine. Cole Carrigg hit his 12th home run of the season to finish the season at .279/.341/.477 with 22 doubles, four triples, 53 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases.
TJ Rumfield did not play today after being removed from yesterday’s game to preserve his .300 batting average and .390 on-base percentage. Rumfield finishes his season tied for the best batting average among all MLB rookies, in sole possession of the best on-base percentage among all MLB rookies, and with the second-best OPS. TJ Rumfield also becomes the first rookie to lead his respective league in on-base percentage since Walter “Cuckoo” Christensen in 1926 and the second since “Shoeless” Joe Jackson in 1911.
Coming Up Next
A long, dark off-season awaits for the Rockies. There will be more introspection, roster changes, departures, and arrivals as the rebuild continues. Come December the league may once again be embroiled in a lockout and labor dispute as a new CBA must be agreed upon. Should all that be navigated successfully, Opening Day is slated for March 25th on the road against the San Francisco Giants.
Purple Row will continue to be here every step of the way. So please, stay with us, and we shall greet the morning together.
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