We keep repeating how bad the 2025 season was, and for good reason. A 43-119 record, which barely matches the 2024 White Sox record, is nothing to laugh about. But aside from the sheer badness of the team and the roster and *gestures wildly*, there were also plenty of injuries and underperformance that didn’t help.
The question is whether they can reset for the 2026 season. Here are four of the many prospects who have suffered from injuries and/or underperformance and are ready for a bounce-back season in 2026.
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 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 again earned a .988 in 2024, which was good enough to earn the budding superstar his first Gold Glove.
But in 2025 the wheels fell off.
As he often does, Tovar made a spectacular diving stop against the Rays on March 29 en route to the Rockies’ first win of the season.
However, it came at a cost: he landed hard on his hip and after persistent pain, Tovar found himself on the injured list after more than two years of near-perfect presence.
He stayed there from April 16 to May 16. But just three weeks later he found himself on the IL again with an oblique tension to the left that kept him out from June 6 to 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. By comparison, 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 hard not to see how the injuries affected his performance in 2025. He’s a prime candidate to return in 2026, barring any other injury woes.
Brenton Doyle is another Rockie coming off a tough 2025 campaign.
Like Tovar, Doyle burst onto the scene in 2023 and took the Coors outfield by storm. Through 126 games, Doyle hit just .203/.250/.343 with 10 home runs, but he posted a .997 Fielding%, 18 DRS and 14 OAA with just one error. That earned him a Gold Glove: the second Rockies rookie to win the award, and the first outfielder. (Nolan Arenado won at third base in 2013.)
Like Tovar, Doyle took a big step forward in his second season after receiving a big change in his swing in low season. In 149 games in 2024, Doyle hit .260/.317.446 with 23 home runs. His fielding also remained excellent, posting a .991 Fielding%, 11 DRS and 14 OAA with four errors. Not rather as good as his rookie year, but the declines were nothing to worry about.
However, 2025 was a struggle.
First, Doyle suffered left quadriceps pain in April and was subsequently placed on the bereavement list when his wife suffered a miscarriage. He was out of the lineup from April 17 to 23. Although he was never formally placed on the IL, he also missed a week in July with a sore shoulder.
In the first half of the season, Doyle hit just .202/.254/.322; in the second half he increased that to .282/.307/.462. His defense remained excellent, but he was not rewarded with a Golden Glove in 2025.
Due to the injuries and personal tragedy, Doyle is certainly a candidate to bounce back in 2026 (for the Rockies or for another team).
Ryan Feltner has had a streaky (yet potentially filled) Rockies career thus far.
Debuting in 2021, he started just two games and posted an ERA of 11.37 after allowing eight runs (three home runs) on nine hits in just 6 1/3 innings. He took a small step forward in 2022, but was then hit in the face with a line drive on May 13, 2023 that nearly ended his career. Feltner made a triumphant return 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, which ranked him ninth in our “Ranking the Rockies” series behind Cal Quantrill (6) and Austin Gomber (5). The key to his success? Availability.
Unfortunately, Feltner was not available in 2025.
He appeared in just six games, posting a 4.75 ERA and 1.48 WHIP, before being placed on the 15-day IL on May 2 (retroactive to April 29) with back spasms. That was the last time Felter pitched at the MLB level until 2025. He was placed on 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 ERA of 8.57 and a WHIP of d2.48 over just 21 innings. Feltner threw his last game of 2025 on July 24 and was placed on the 7-day IL on July 30 for the remainder of the season.
Considering the injuries and also an entirely new front office and coaching staff, Feltner will be an interesting case in 2026. How many of his struggles can be attributed to coaching, or how many of them are his own issues that he needs to work on? In 2026, fans will get a chance to see if he bounces back.
Chase Dollander is the most interesting example for a rebound season in 2026. He was a rookie in 2025, so is he a bounce-back candidate or a “developmental” candidate?
The Rockies drafted Dollander ninth overall in the 2023 draft, where there were many comparisons between him and Paul Skenes. Dollander worked 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 willingness. Austin Gomber suffered so much shoulder pain during spring training that he had to start the 60-day IL. Because he wasn’t ready by the time the Rockies came necessary After a fifth starter, Dollander was called up to take his place.
In his first outing, Dollander looked good: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 6 K and the win. However, the home runs were something that bothered him all season. Of the 21 games, he had 10 in which he didn’t give up a single homer. He also had five of those ten games where he only conceded 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 tightness in the right forearm, which landed him on the 15th day from May 22 to June 3. After his activation, he was subsequently optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. In the middle of his time in Albuquerque, Dollander also spent a few weeks in Scottsdale, working in the Rockies pitching lab. He was returned to the major leagues in mid-August, and the rest of his season was plagued with inconsistency.
It ended on a positive note, however, as he faced Tyler Glasnow in a no-hitter game (but he unfortunately took a funky move halfway through and ended the season on the IL with a left patellar tendon strain).
Dollander’s biggest key for 2026 will be narrowing 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 along the way, 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 the year in Triple-A and work his way back up. But either way, his story will definitely be one to watch in 2026.
The Colorado Rockies have a lot of players who could bounce back in 2026 after a down year for almost everyone not named Hunter Goodman. Who do you think are some others? Let us know in the comments!
Paul DePodesta is counting on new staffers to improve Rockies’ terrible starting pitching | Denver Post ($)
Patrick Saunders spoke with new PBO Paul DePodesta and asked him about the construction of the 2026 coaching staff, as well as their plan to address the Rockies’ pitching needs.
Rockies Boss Indicates Unclear Path for Kris Bryant Out of Spring Training | Sports illustrated
Spring training is only about a month away, so now is the time to look at what could happen. The biggest question, as it has been since 2022, is Kris Bryant’s health and his role in the Rockies. In his interview with Thomas Harding, Josh Byrnes shed some light on the Bryant situation.
As Matt Postins points out, the Rockies don’t appear to have an answer yet as to what Bryant’s role will be in 2026. Hopefully we will have an answer soon!
Purple Row After Dark: Rockies signs RHP Michael Lorenzen | Purple row
Late last night, the Rockies signed RHP Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen last 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 up the move.
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