It’s Christmas Eve and the Colorado Rockies have been hard at work improving themselves for the 2026 season. The front office is in disarray and the big league coaching staff has taken shape. The players all lie in their beds, dreaming of home runs and slick plays, while their stockings are carefully hung on their lockers. ‘Tis the season of giving, so here are some gifts I’d leave for some Rockies heading into 2026.
Hunter Goodman – A repeat of 2025
2025 was undoubtedly a spectacular year for Hunter Goodman. Statistically, not only did he put together the best offensive season for a Rockies catcher, but it was also among the best for a catcher in MLB history in several respects. He was the best Rockies player in 2025, so it’s only right that his talent will be a repeat in 2026. The Rockies saw their top player take a big dip the following season (see Nolan Jones after 2023 and Brenton Doyle after 2024), making it difficult to maintain any team momentum if players are always just a flash in the pan. Goodman showed consistency throughout the season, so there is hope that this year wasn’t just a fluke and that he can repeat the success and lead the Rockies’ offense to greater heights.
Ezequiel Tovar & Brenton Doyle – Golden Gloves
One of the toughest parts of the 2025 season was Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle struggling all year. Injuries robbed Tovar of much playing time, while Doyle had to deal with injuries and off-field tragedies for his family. However, we did see flashes of their old selves at the plate, which would be a big step forward for 2026, but it was their top-level defense that was sorely missed. My gift to them is to reclaim their crowns in their respective positions. Doyle is undoubtedly the best midfielder the franchise has ever had to patrol the midfield. He had to deal with inexperienced players in the corners, which took a toll on his defensive attributes, among other things, but as the year went on he was able to shine in the outfield and show why he is already a two-time Gold Glove in center. Hip problems bothered Tovar, as did the inconsistency on the field. If he stays healthy, there’s no doubt he can once again rise to the top defensively as the league’s best shortstop.
Chase Dollander – Coors Field Comfort
It’s been a rough year for the Rockies’ best pitcher. The ninth overall pick of the 2023 draft was taken to the majors earlier than he probably should have and struggled to find consistency all year. Dollander fell victim to a problem as old as Colorado’s time, of intense struggles at home followed by quality performances on the road. In 11 starts at Coors, he posted a 9.98 ERA with 12 home runs surrendered over 42 innings of work. In 10 road starts, he had a 3.46 ERA with six home runs allowed over 52 innings of work. With the new pitching corps established in the front office and dugout, the hope is that players like Dollander can learn to pitch better at Coors Field and close the gap in inequality between home and away. He has the talent, now hopefully he will get the tools to use it better.
Jimmy Herget – A rubber arm
Jimmy Herget was a revelation for the Rockies’ bullpen in 2025. He ate up a lot of innings for an ineffective starting rotation and likely saved the arms of several other relievers throughout the season. He was forced to record more than three outs in 30 appearances this season, more than any other reliever in baseball, and did so with incredible success. Now my gift to him is a brand new arm made of rubber. The hope is that he can have a lighter workload than last season, and that 2025 is detrimental to his health. We’ve seen what can happen to an overworked player like Jake Bird and Justin Lawrence and it would be a shame if the same thing happened to Herget. When push comes to shove, a rubber arm could come in handy if he has to take on more of the workload, especially if the Rockies follow through on the potential idea of starting him.
Jordan Beck – A 20/20 season
It was a pretty decent season for Jordan Beck in 2025, but there is still a lot of room for growth for the young outfielder. Although he managed 16 home runs this year, his power was still a bit inconsistent. Outside of the five home runs in three games he hit in April, Beck averaged two long balls per month for the rest of the season. He took a big step forward at the plate across the board, but finding a consistent power shot would be an important development for him. He has the potential to hit at least 20 home runs per season and after leading the team with 19 stolen bases, a 20/20 season is certainly in store for Beck. The Rockies had 20/20 players in Jones and Doyle in 2023 and 2024, respectively, and reaching that point in 2026 would be a huge boon for the offense.
Starting rotation – Sustainability and quality begin
The Rockies’ starting rotation posted the worst ERA since the statistic became official in the early 20th century, so hopefully we have nowhere to go but up, right? A major factor in the rotation was that there was little to no length coming out of the group most of the time. Tanner Gordon started to help towards the end of the season, but still the effectiveness wasn’t always there. To get through a season, the Rockies need their pitchers to not only stay healthy, but be durable enough to work a little deeper in games if possible. Five or six innings are the norm these days before things are turned over to the bullpen. The best thing we can give the starting rotation is the ability to limit runs and leave the team in a position to win ball games. Quality starts are a meaningful statistic for a reason, and from the Rockies’ perspective, three runs or less over six innings sometimes feels like a miracle.
When in doubt, a nice pair of socks or a gift card is always a nice alternative when push comes to shove, and some of these gifts aren’t possible.
Dodgers could benefit from new Rockies connection with net Gold Glove outfielder | Dodgers Way (fan side)
With Josh Byrnes joining the Rockies, could that set the stage for the first player trade between the Dodgers and Colorado since 2014? Katrina Stebbins thinks so and hopes a trade for Brenton Doyle can become a reality. Although I think it’s pretty unlikely the Rockies will make a deal with LA anytime soon.
Affected by Altitude Episode 193: Now is the winter of our…. Contents? (feat. Patrick Lyons) | Rocky Mountain roof
This week, Evan Lang is joined by Rockies Insider Patrick Lyons to talk about the offseason and his takeaways from the Winter Meetings. I couldn’t participate in the episode because I was sick.
#Wednesday #Rockpile #Stocking #stuffers #Rockies #players