In life, patience is a virtue. In baseball, it’s a necessity.
The last seven years of Colorado Rockies baseball have exhausted the patience of fans, as the wait for a competitive team became more and more prolonged. Thankfully, the changes instituted at 20th and Blake by the President of Baseball Operations, Paul DePodesta, have started to yield some positive results for the 2026 Rockies. Games have been a bit more competitive, and there have been noticeable development improvements across the organization.
There is legitimate optimism for the first time in years.
The Rockies clearly have a plan for how they go about their business. A big part of that plan seems to be avoiding the folly of being reactionary, something so prevalent in the world of sports. The team is choosing patience, particularly with struggling players.
“We don’t want to be reactionary. We also don’t want our players thinking that if they go 0-for-4 tonight, they’re not in the lineup tomorrow. Or worse, they’re going to Triple-A,” DePodesta said to reporters on May 3.
“We believe in these guys. We also believe in a lot of the guys we have in Triple-A right now, but we want to give them ample opportunities to play.”
The struggles of players like Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle, and Jordan Beck likely inspired these comments from DePodesta. This trio of staples from the 2025 Rockies have been off to rough starts in 2026 and the issues have been obvious as numbers are down, strikeouts are up, and they are being overshadowed by the newcomers to the lineup. Those struggles have left fans and media onlookers clamoring for the promotions of prospects like Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) and Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP).
The Rockies have not indicated that these players are at risk of losing their spots on the roster at the moment, and while it may be an unpopular opinion, I’m fine with the Rockies’ approach of exhibiting patience and letting those struggling players figure things out, despite the frustrations of watching that process.
Players have always needed time and opportunity to grow and settle in during the regular season. Whether you are a rookie or an experienced veteran, baseball takes time. Both Doyle and Beck have seen their playing time reduced, but DePodesta and manager Warren Schaeffer have looked for ample opportunities to put them in match-ups to succeed, particularly against left-handed pitching.
“I think we’ve faced the fewest left-handed pitchers in all of baseball so far. I think that’s right — at least it was as of a couple of days ago,” DePodesta said. “So, we expect that they’ll have more opportunities. And it’s hard when you’re not playing every single day. It’s just hard to get in a rhythm, and then especially if you’ve gotten off to a slower start than you’re accustomed to, it can be really hard.”
The turn towards a platoon could benefit Beck more, as he is slashing .333/.344/.567 against lefties with four of his five extra-base hits, including his lone home run. While Doyle’s numbers aren’t what he’d like, he does have slightly better success against lefties, and the Rockies have experimented with his spot in the batting order. Batting ninth has actually been a great spot for Doyle, where he is 8-for-22. The presence of other successful outfielders has afforded the Rockies the grace of using Beck and Doyle in positions where they could succeed.
As for Tovar, I’m again reminded of Carlos González in 2009.
I won’t rehash the entire story again like I did in 2023, but CarGo was called up shortly after Jim Tracy was named the new manager of the struggling Rockies. CarGo struggled immensely, but Tracy was undeterred. As questions mounted from the media about why he was still playing, Tracy explained that if CarGo was still in the clubhouse, he was going to be in the lineup. Tracy saw the potential and understood the young outfielder needed time to both fail and learn to succeed, and he eventually did in the second half of 2009 en route to a spectacular career in Colorado.
Tovar is receiving the same amount of grace from Schaeffer. It can be hard to remember that Tovar is still just 24-years-old and is far from a finished product. He knows that he chases too much and is diligently working on improving his plate approach. Over the last six games, Tovar just about doubled his walk total for the season to seven while chasing much less. It’s not a barn burner in terms of progress, but small victories can start to stack up as he continues to play every day.
“We want to stay behind those guys and continue to give them opportunities,” DePodesta said,“and we’re confident that we’re going to look up at the end of the year and they will be as productive as they’ve been previously.”
Sticking behind players on the roster plays right into the plan the Rockies have. A problem of the past was rushing prospects to the big leagues out of desperation and reactionary tendencies. Despite excellent play in Triple-A in a brief sample size, those players faced a great deal of struggles at the major league level before they were ready.
That’s a mistake DePodesta isn’t going to replicate. He spent the offseason seeking to build depth and allowing prospects the chance to bloom after the proper amount of time.
“Like, we want to call players up when they are banging down the door where we have to make room for them because they’re just playing so well and that they have the underlying foundation in place to be successful up here — not just to survive, you know, but to be successful,” DePodesta said.
As James Riggenbach pointed out last week, production is not necessarily proof for the prospects in Albuquerque. Condon started hot out of the gate, but over the last 30 days, he has slashed .218/.382/.321 with four extra-base hits. However, he is showing the tools of a quality plate discipline that will bode well while he works on doing more with the ball in play. Carrigg has continued to play extremely well and was recently named the Pacific Coast Player of the Week. There is merit in calling for his promotion, but he is also 31 games into his first season of Triple-A, and it’s okay to allow him to continue solidifying his tools there.
As DePodesta said, the play is great, but the prospects need a solid foundation in which they can succeed and have their Triple-A tools translate against the best competition in baseball. We’ve seen the opposite side of that story far too often over the years.
We all want winning baseball in Colorado, but for the Rockies to succeed in their version of a rebuild, everyone has to be on board with trusting the process. Certainly, the front office, coaches, and players have to be on the same page, but the fans also need to display patience.
Trust that DePodesta and company know what they are doing and have a vision for what they want to accomplish.
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 7, Sugar Land Space Cowboys 5 (F/10)
Despite notching just four hits, the Isotopes scored seven runs to win an extra-inning affair in Sugar Land. After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Isotopes struck back and knotted the game 4-4 in the top of the fifth. The game remained tied until Albuquerque put up three in the top of the 10th, thanks in part to a two-run home run by Braxton Fulford. The Isotopes struck out 13 times but also managed a staggering 15 walks with every player drawing at least one. Adael Amador led the team with four walks. Valente Bellozo started on the mound and worked four innings, giving up four runs and walking seven batters. However, the bullpen held firm with TJ Shook notably striking out five in his two innings of work. Seth Halverson locked down his third save in the 10th.
The offense came out in full force for Hartford, scoring 10 runs on 15 hits. Eight of the starters had at least one hit, while Andy Perez, Roc Riggio, and Aidan Longwell each had three hits. Riggio notched a pair of doubles while Longwell had a double and belted his fifth home run of the season and drove in three runs. Benny Montgomery also blasted a grand slam for his second home run of the season. Konner Eaton made the start and cruised through 5.2 innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Enjoying some early morning baseball, the Spokane Indians utilized a three-run bottom of the second inning to win the series opener. Kelvin Hidalgo laced a two-run triple to get the Indians on the board before coming in to score on a Roynier Hernadez single. Max Belyeu added some insurance in the sixth inning, belting a solo shot for his fourth of the year. That is all the team would need as Jackson Cox was dealing on the mound. He allowed just one run on one hit, a solo home run in the third, while striking out nine and walking three. The Dust Devils got a run in the eighth and threatened in the ninth, but the combo of Justin Loer and Nathan Blasick secured the win with the latter earning his second save of the year.
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies 13, San Jose Giants 11 (F/10)
Trailing 10-4 entering the ninth inning, the Fresno Grizzlies rallied for six runs to tie the game and go on to win in extra-innings over San Jose in the series opener. Fresno collected 13 hits in the game, led by Roldy Brito’s four hits. They had six doubles in the game, with Ethan Holliday’s two-run double and Jack O’Dowd’s RBI double tying the game in the ninth. Carlos Renzullo’s double in the 10th gave the Grizzlies the lead and later Brito’s single gave them the 13th run of the game. Ethan Cole started on the mound and went just 2.1 innings giving up two runs. Brady Parker followed but surrendered five runs in 2.2 innings of work. Dyland Crooks played stopper later in the game with two scoreless frames, followed by Seth Clausen earning the save. Fresno pitching had 13 strikeouts as a unit against two walks.
This Phillies site over on FanSided is lamenting how much the Phillies could use a player like Mickey Moniak currently. The former number one overall pick was considered a bust back east, but has found a home in Colorado, just as the Phillies struggle with an underperforming lineup, particularly in the outfield.
TJ Rumfield’s approach has been excellent through his first month of big league action. His ability to put bat to ball is impressive, so Thomas Harding caught up with him to chat about his approach.
This week, Evan Lang and I talk about the struggles of the bullpen lately, the joy of Rumfield and Troy Johnston, and bring back Players of the Month for 2026!
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