As of mid-May, the Colorado Rockies are on track to break the single-season record for losses by 13 games. To honor the club’s pursuit of history (aka a 41-121 record), 5280 is compiling a living record of their season—so that future generations of Denverites might someday be able to look back and understand their ancestors’ shame.

August 15-September 4, 2025

The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies fight on the field
The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies fight on the field after a verbal altercation between Kyle Freeland and Rafael Devers. Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
  • Current record: 39-101 (.279)
  • Current pace: 45-117

Barring an epic collapse, the Rockies will not go down in history as baseball’s greatest losers: Colorado needs to win only three of its final 22 games to top the 2024 Chicago White Sox’s 41 victories.

I suppose that’s good news. At the same time, the Rockies’ pursuit of (retreat from?) the record gave us a reason to pay attention. Now, my mind wanders. Much like Kyle Freeland—who got ejected from Tuesday’s game in the first inning after taking umbrage to Rafael Devers’ post-homer bat flip—I just want this season to end.

Freeland still took the loss, which was the Rockies’ 100th of the year. Manager Warren Schaeffer’s response: “Was tonight 100?” (It was.) You can forgive the skipper for being nonplussed. After all, Colorado has made the century club in three straight seasons.

Three weeks. Just three more weeks.

July 26-August 14, 2025

Anthony Molina crouches on the pitchers mound after giving up back-to-back home runs
Anthony Molina reacts after giving up back-to-back home runs against the Toronto Blue Jays at Coors Field on August 5. Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
  • Current record: 32-89 (.264)
  • Current pace: 43-119

After posting a 9-15 record in July, there was hope (or concern, depending on your rooting interests) that the Rockies would put the ignominy of the loss-record chase behind them and retreat into blissful anonymity for the rest of the season. But thanks to a 4-9 start to August that included allowing a modern-record 63 hits during a three-game sweep by the Blue Jays, Colorado currently sits only two wins ahead of the pace set by the 2024 Chicago White Sox.

This week, however, I am less concerned with Rockies pitchers serving up batting practice to a bunch of Canucks (maybe they were just trying to ease relations between our two great nations) than I am with the fact that Colorado’s plight might be hopeless. As in, maybe things will never get better—not this year, not next year, not ever.

I recently read a story in the New York Times about Stu Sternberg, the owner of the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite playing in a small market, Sternberg has turned the Rays into a perennial winner—the club averaged nearly 90 wins over the course of a decade—simply by being smarter than other teams. After winning 99 games in 2023, for example, the Rays traded Tyler Glasnow, a star pitcher a year away from becoming a free agent, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a package that included Ryan Pepiot, who’s now their best pitcher. Pepiot makes $774,600 per season and is under team control for three more years.

The scoreboard shows the Rockies gave up about a bazillion runs and hits to the Blue Jays
A detail of the scoreboard after the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Colorado Rockies 20-1 at Coors Field on August 6. Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

It’s tempting to ask, Man, why can’t Dick Monfort just be smart like Stu Sternberg? Imagine the haul the Rockies could have gotten for Nolan Arenado in 2018, a year before they awarded him a $260 million contract that became so onerous they eventually paid $50 million to the St. Louis Cardinals just to get out of it.

But here’s the thing about most owners: They’re not smart, at least when it comes to baseball. For every Stu Sternberg, there are at least 26 Dick Monforts who stick to the traditional model, which is to say, when you’re winning, you pay your star players. Not only because you want to keep winning, but also because you don’t want to piss off your fans. It makes sense. And it’s easy for the Rays to piss off their fans. They don’t have any. Even in 2023, when they almost won 100 games, Tampa ranked 27th in attendance.

The larger problem is MLB’s revenue model. Rather than reward Sternberg, who is now selling the Rays, for making a winner out of a hopeless situation, the league seems to want to punish him. When Sternberg couldn’t agree with local officials over a new stadium, “the perception grew inside baseball that [commissioner Rob] Manfred, backed by many of the owners who employ him, preferred that he sell the Rays,” according to the Times story.

Bigger-market teams have to share their revenue with smaller-market clubs, and they’re tired of it. “A lot more focus has to be on individual teams to do better and not just rely on revenue sharing,” Yankees president Randy Levine said in 2023. “You can’t have two Florida teams averaging 15,000 fans…. And I think that there’s been a dependency issue that’s got to get better…. The commissioner has done an incredible job, but now it’s on individual teams. Instead of complaining and whining, ‘We need more money,’ you got to take some responsibility.”

That doesn’t really make sense—at least not for much of the league. The Yankees made $333 million in gate receipts in 2024, according to Forbes, which is about half their revenue. But they’re in a different league. The cross-town Mets made less than half of that. The Seattle Mariners made $100 million. And the Rockies, which were awful last year, still drew fans, ranking 15th in attendance. They took in $77 million in ticket revenue. There’s simply no way that attracting more fans would bring greater parity to the league.

Attendance is not the Rockies’ problem. TV is.

Austin Gomber reacts after giving up a three-run home run
Austin Gomber reacts after giving up a three-run home run to Liover Peguero of the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 2. Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

The Yankees reportedly made $122 million in local TV revenue in 2022; the club owns its own network. The Red Sox made nearly $100 million. The Rockies brought in $57 million a year—until 2024, when the carrier who shelled out that sum, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, went under. Now MLB handles the broadcast for an undisclosed sum—that everyone agrees is nowhere close to $57 million.

So where does that leave the Rockies? Monfort says the league needs a salary cap, and reports suggest Manfred is pushing for one when the current collective bargaining deal is up after this season. But the players’ union said it won’t play to ensure wages are never artificially checked. I guess the owners could institute a different revenue-sharing model, one that steals even more from the rich to lift up the poor, but the likes of the Yankees and the Dodgers aren’t going to go for that.

In short: Expect more of the same. Where the rich win, the smart ones get run out of the league, the Rockies lose, and everybody should be embarrassed.

July 11-25, 2025

The Colorado Rockies celebrate after a victory
The Colorado Rockies celebrate after their 6-5 victory against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 25, 2025. Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images
  • Current record: 26-76 (.255)
  • Current pace: 41-121

Whenever my wife leaves for a routine trip to, say, the grocery store or to meet up with friends, I like to channel my inner Chicago. Sadly, she’s not a fan of bassist Peter Cetera’s lyrics, but the sentiment is true: Everybody does need a little time away.

For proof, one needs to look no further than the Rockies’ current form.

Following four rest days for the All-Star break, the Rox have won two series in a row, including taking two of three from former flame Nolan Arenado and the St. Louis Cardinals. To put this in context: Colorado started the season by losing 19 straight series. This current upswing even included a shutout, which the team had not registered in 220 games, dating to May 15, 2024. To put that into context: Governor Jared Polis still thought a pedestrian bridge was a good idea the last time the Rockies held an opponent scoreless.

Even more surprising than the play on the field is that the front office seems to be making some (dare we say it?) intelligent decisions. The Rockies selected nepo baby Ethan Holliday—son of Matt—with the fourth pick in the MLB Draft earlier this month. They then bestowed upon him a record signing bonus of $9 million. That’s rich for the fourth pick. Then again, many experts pegged Holliday, a shortstop who will likely move to third, as the best player in this year’s crop.

Then, on Friday, Colorado traded third baseman Ryan McMahon to the New York Yankees for two minor-league pitchers. McMahon was an All-Star last season, but is hitting below the league average this year. He’s also due $32 million over the next two seasons.

Neither of the prospects the Rockies picked up—Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz, both pitchers—rate high in rankings, though they have decent numbers in the minors. More important: The Rockies actually did something at the trade deadline. And something has to be better than nothing, right?

June 28-July 10, 2025

Yanquiel Fernandez of the Colorado Rockies leaps at the wall
Yanquiel Fernandez tries (and fails) to deny a triple in a game against the Chicago White Sox on July 5, 2025. Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
  • Current record: 21-72 (.226)
  • Current pace: 36-126

We’d like to apologize for missing last week’s update. Like the 40,000 people who showed up to watch the Rockies play the Chicago White Sox at Coors Field on July 4, we temporarily took leave of our senses in order to watch fireworks.

Here’s what you missed last week: The Rox lost, going 2-3 during the five-game stretch.

Here’s what happened this week: The Rox lost—even more. They went 1-5, including a three-game sweep by the Red Sox, which wasn’t even the most embarrassing part. That happened during the first inning of Wednesday’s defeat, when Boston’s Jarren Duran led off with a liner that bounced off the pitcher’s and then the shortstop’s gloves before the right fielder whiffed on a barehand scoop and the centerfielder threw wide to third base. Get all that? Here it is live:

Like the announcer says: “I can’t help but laugh.”

June 21-27, 2025

  • Current record: 18-63 (.222)
  • Current pace: 36-126

Bottom of the ninth, down by two, one out, man on first. Thairo Estrada strides to the plate, representing the tying run against the hated Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rockies second baseman hits a hard, but innocuous fly ball to center field. Rockyness ensues…

Rox went 1-5 this week. Have a nice weekend.

June 14-20, 2025

Mickey Moniak smile as he runs the bases
Mickey Moniak runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Washington Nationals. Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images
  • Current record: 17-58 (.227)
  • Current pace: 36-126

Good news, Denver. For the first time all season, it’s safe to show your face on message boards, as the Rockies won not one, not two, not three—but four Major League Baseball games this week. Colorado’s 4-3 record secured its first winning campaign (and by that, we mean week) of the season. More important: We are now within sight of our true nemesis, the hated 2024 Chicago White Sox, who set the record for losses in a 162-game schedule with 121.

The Rockies’ winning spree also gives us a rare opportunity to dole out some atta-boys, so here we go:

June 15: Rox 10, Braves 1
Austin Gomber, one of the magic beans we traded Nolan Arenado for, pitched five innings and didn’t give up a single earned run. Congrats, Austin: You’re living your best life (except for when you’re living in Arizona).

June 16: Rox 6, Nationals 4
Catcher Hunter Goodman hit two home runs—including a game-tying dinger in the top of the ninth that Mickey Moniak soon followed with a game-winning, two-run blast.

June 17: Rox 10, Nationals 6
First baseman Michael Toglia and pitcher Antonio Senzatela share credit for this dub. The former hit two home runs and drove in three, while the latter didn’t allow an earned run in five innings.

June 18: Rox 3, Nationals 1
Pitcher German Marquez made it a trifecta by confounding the Nationals over 5.2 innings. Three starters allowing zero runs in one week? Who are we? The 1995 Atlanta Braves?

June 7-13, 2025

Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland
Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland on the mound as San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames rounds third base on a two-run home run. Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
  • Current record: 13-55 (.191)
  • Current pace: 30-132

We tuned in late Tuesday to find the Rockies with a comfortable 5-2 lead against the Giants entering the ninth inning. Colorado promptly gave up two runs before San Francisco’s Wilmer Flores came to the plate with runners on first and third and hit this screamer that almost reached the pitcher’s mound.

I don’t know who this is more embarrassing for. Zach Agnos for blowing the lead? Ryan McMahon for not making the play? Flores for tying the game on a near whiff? I don’t know. Maybe it doesn’t matter. Rox lost.

The club built another three-run lead through seven innings the next night. Also lost.

It should be noted that Colorado’s Orlando Arcia walked-off the Giants on Thursday, his single in the bottom of the ninth overcoming what had been a five-run San Francisco lead. So at least we get to end this entry with a rare Rox win.

May 31-June 6, 2025

Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies wearing a purple jersey
Hunter Goodman smiles after a 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins on June 3, 2025. Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images
  • Current record: 12-50 (.194)
  • Current pace: 31-131

Entering the week, things looked bleaker than ever for the Rox—an almost endless string of losses behind them, little hope on the horizon. They were stuck on nine wins (for comparison: the White Sox, the team with the second-worst record in the league, claimed their 10th victory in March) and had lost 22 straight series, an MLB record. Social media was merciless, treating the club like its own personal Rudy Gobert.

Like many desperate souls before them, the Rockies found themselves headed to Florida (for a three-game series against the Miami Marlins).

Alas, rather than succumb to the natural aura of embarrassment that afflicts the Sunshine State, these temporary Florida Men found what Ponce de Leon never could on that shimmering peninsula: new life. Hunter Goodman raked, hitting three home runs in the series; Thairo Estrada, recently back from injured list, provided some timely at-bats; and Kyle Freeland didn’t allow an earned run in six-plus innings to close out a three-game sweep of the Marlins.

Was this it? The spark the Fighting Monforts needed to kick off an unprecedented comeback that sees them make a daring charge at the Arizona Diamondback for control of fourth place in the NL West? Time will tell. Right now, the Rockies are basking in the golden rays of a soothing Florida escape—and enjoying the opportunity to do a little social-media dunking themselves.

May 24-30, 2025

Kyle Freeland of the Colorado Rockies sits in the dugout
Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland after leaving a game against the New York Yankees on May 24, 2025. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
  • Current record: 9-47 (.161)
  • Current pace: 26-136

The Rockies came into last week on a heater having taken one in a row—against the vaunted New York Yankees no less. Unfortunately, the Bronx Bombers managed to escape with a 13-1 victory in the second game of the series, putting a premature end to Colorado’s streak. The Rox haven’t seen the win column since.

Despite that broadside from the Yankees’ torpedo bats, the Rockies’ staff actually pitched pretty well this week, allowing 3.5 runs on average in the team’s other four games. This season, the bullpen has been mediocre (which, sadly, makes it the strength of the roster), but the starters have been awful. Against the Chicago Cubs, however, neither Carson Palmquist, German Marquez, nor Tanner Gordon allowed more than two runs (each hurler obviously learning a thing or two from Denver’s new ace). Not surprisingly, the Rox had a chance to win all three at Wrigley Field.

 

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They didn’t win any, which brings us to our embarrassment of the week—and maybe the season.

Earlier this year, ESPN ran an oral history of Coors Field’s first 30 years. The gist: Hitters love it, pitchers hate it. “I just know that when I was with the Padres and we’d come in, our hitters were like, ‘Yes!’ Our pitchers were like, ‘Oh, s—.’ You can see pitchers visibly rattled,” said Bud Black (RIP).

Yet the Rockies’ collection of beer-league bats ranks dead last in runs in the league. They’re actually better at Coors (tied for 21st), but that simply belies how awful the team’s hitters truly are: On the road, the Rockies are averaging 2.35 runs per game, almost a run less than the Blue Jays, who are second-to-last.

May 17-23, 2025

Colorado Rockies’ Hunter Goodman breaks his bat
Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies breaks his bat in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 21, 2025. Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
  • Current record: 8-42 (.160)
  • Current pace: 25-137

Alas, the firing of Bud Black has not provided the spark Monfort seems to have been hoping for, as the Rox are 1-9 since Warren Schaeffer took over. General Manager Bill Schmidt seems like the next logical neck for the chopping block, but after that, we dunno. Dinger, maybe?

In other news, it seems the Rockies’ compulsive losing isn’t just embarrassing, it’s downright dangerous. The Denver Post reported this week that a Parker man is suing the club after a foul ball struck him in the right eye during the first inning of a 2023 tilt against the Yankees. Plaintiff Timothy Roeckel says he never saw it coming because the view from his seat in a luxury box was impeded by “architectural elements.”

The suit also alleges the Rockies are responsible for damages suffered by the party involved therein due to the fact that, ipso facto, they suck: “Defendant’s longstanding poor performance on the field [has] contributed to a game-day environment in which spectators, particularly those in luxury suites, are less engaged with the action on the field.” (Remember: This happened in the first inning.)

According to the Post, there’s a law that shields stadiums from liability when spectators get hurt, but the lawsuit is still a bad look for the Rox. Or, as our food editor Mark Antonation put it in a 5280 Slack channel this week, “A real black eye for the team.”

May 10-16, 2025

Colorado Rockies’ Ryan McMahon in a purple jersey reacting after striking out
Colorado Rockies’ Ryan McMahon reacts after striking out during a game against the Detroit Tigers on May 8, 2025. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
  • Current record: 7-36 (.163)
  • Current pace: 26-136

It’s been so long since the Colorado Rockies mattered. The club’s lone World Series appearance came in 2007. Two years later, Troy Tulowitzski led the team back to the playoffs, but then fans would have to wait seven long seasons for a return to contention, with Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, and Kyle Freeland daring to achieve the unimaginable for the Rox: back-to-back postseason appearances.

Since then? Fourth, fourth, fourth, fifth, fifth, fifth in the NL West. The Rockies have cratered as a franchise, burrowing deeper and deeper into the basement. The thing about being underground, though: No one seemed to notice. Not the national media, not owner Dick Monfort (otherwise, he would have done something about the deteriorating roster—right?), and not fans, who continued to pack Coors Field to see the boys fumble their way through summer afternoons.

That blissful obscurity ended this week. Last Saturday, the Rockies, already off to the worst start in MLB history, lost 21-0 to the San Diego Padres at home. The crack of the Pads’ bats must have finally woken Monfort up, because he fired manager Bud Black the next day. That move roused the national media, which penned a flurry of pieces such as “Are Rockies worse than 2024 White Sox? Breaking down the numbers.” (Spoiler alert: They are. At this point in the season, Colorado is on pace to smash the single-season record for losses, which the Chicago White Sox set only last year, by 13 L’s.)

If Monfort was trying to serve Black up as a scapegoat, the move backfired. When asked about the firing, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “I don’t think Casey Stengel could change the outcome of that ballclub.”

And fans? Almost 40,000 attended the mile-high massacre this past Saturday. The Rockies embarked on a six-game road-trip following Black’s firing, so it’s too soon to tell if the Rockies’ newfound national ignominy will scare locals from showing their faces at Coors Field.

What might be the most embarrassing fact about this year’s losing, though, is that it’s pointless. During the media onslaught this week, 9News pointed out that in most professional leagues, the worst team gets the top pick in the draft the following season. But the Rockies have been so continuously bad (100-plus losses two years running), that MLB anti-tanking rules mandate that the highest the franchise can pick in the 2026 draft is 10th. As Denver Post columnist Troy Renck told 9News, “The team can’t even fail right.”