Staff Picks: Will the Rockies avoid 100 losses this season?

The Colorado Rockies look to avoid a third-straight 100-loss season when the season begins on Friday. Struggling for a star player and seemingly lost a franchise, the Rockies start their 33rd season—perhaps their least-anticipated–in Tampa.

The Rockies do have some young players to be excited about, and shifting tides across baseball have opened up the American League. Most prognosticators believe the Rockies are doomed, and their NL West foe Dodgers are going to repeat as champs.

We asked our Denver Sports staff a few basic questions and predictions as summer officially begins in LoDo. Among those with responses are Richie Carni, Josh Dover, Joey Freeburg, Dante Gomez, Andrew Mason, Will Petersen, Aniello Piro, Jake Shapiro and Drew Spevak.

Rockies record prediction and finish

Carni: 62-100, fifth in the NL West
Dover: 72-90
Freeburg: 68-94, fifth in the NL West
Gomez: 70-92, fifth in the NL West
Mason: 69-93, fifth in the NL West
Petersen: 62-100, fifth in the NL West
Piro: 68-94, fifth in the NL West
Shapiro: 57-105, fifth in the NL West
Spevak: 69-93, fifth in the NL West
Average: 66-96

Who emerges as the Rockies’ star player this season?

Carni: Ryan Feltner had team-best marks in ERA and strikeout percentage in his 30 starts last season. I expect his strong finish to 2024 to carry over into the 2025 season, giving the Rockies rotation a much-needed boost.

Dover: Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle should already be looked at as Rockies stars, but Rockies fans should get familiar with Zac Veen—it’s a shame that he is not on the opening day roster—and Micheal Toglia because they are going to hit dingers, and we love home runs!

Freeburg: Brenton Doyle is going into his third season in MLB after taking a huge leap in production last year. In 2024, he hit 23 home runs and increased his batting average from .203 to .260.

Gomez: Tovar will make his 7-year, $63.5 million extension look like a steal for the Rockies when Tovar makes his first All-Star Game this season at the age of 24. Tovar will continue to shine with the glove after winning a Gold Glove a year ago, as well as finish top three in the NL in doubles again. Tovar will continue to improve his power, launch 30 home runs this season, and become a household name in Colorado while joining the likes of Bobby Whitt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson as the wave of the next great young shortstops in the MLB.

Mason: Ezequiel Tovar. He already has a Gold Glove in his name, and only an August swoon kept him from an .800 OPS that would have given him a total WAR of over 4.0 for last season. No team turned more double plays last year than the Rockies with 164, and Tovar was a part of an MLB-leading 113 of them. When all else fails, Tovar is reason enough to come to the park because he’s capable of wizardry with his glove at any moment.

Petersen: Ezequiel Tovar is an outstanding player and is going to continue to be one, but Brenton Doyle is the closest thing the Rockies have to a “star.” He’ll continue to build off a very solid 2024 and be Colorado’s All-Star rep this summer.

Piro: Zac Veen, Tovar keeps balling, though

Shapiro: If Ezequiel Tovar stays healthy, he’s bopping 30 home runs this year—bank on it. Last season, the now 21-year-old shortstop socked 12 of his 26 dingers after the All-Star Break, which even includes a tough August. The power is starting to come as Tovar grows into his frame, and that’s matching his slick defense, which has already won him a Gold Glove. Just over 1,300 plate appearances into his career, Tovar has finally figured it out and become an above-average hitter on at the dish, make it a plus with a great glove and Tovar has a chance to be the best shortstop in franchise history. That says a lot considering Troy Tulowitzki and Trevor Story played in purple. Ultimately, what more do you want from a star player than homers and web gems?

Spevak: My money is on Michael Toglia emerging as a star this year following a 25-home run season in 2024. If he can raise his batting average thirty to forty points from his .218 average last year, he could be an All-Star candidate.

Votes: 4 Tovar, 2 Doyle, 1 Veen, Toglia and Feltner

When do the Rockies make the postseason again?

Carni: 2038. Like the Rockies, I came into the world in 1993. Given the direction things are trending, and the gauntlet that is the NL West, I don’t think the Rockies will be gearing up for postseason baseball until the ballpark and I have both reached our forties.

Dover: The Rockies are still two years away from the playoffs. They will be back in the postseason in 2027. The young core of Tovar, Doyle, Toglia, Estrada, Veen and Condon, plus the young Pitcher in Chase Dollander that we all hope will actually be an ace someday, will be the reason they are back in the playoffs in 2027!

Freeburg: 2028—If the Rockies make the right moves this season and start developing the talent they currently have correctly, they could make the postseason in 3-4 years. (This is mostly wishful thinking.)

Gomez: 2027—After seeing a competitive season in 2026 and Kris Bryant’s monstrosity of a contract soon to be off the books, Rockies owner, Dick Monfort will pony up and spend in free agency to supplement his young and emerging talent to build a winner at Coors Field. In his second full season with the big league club, Chase Dollander will head the Rockies rotation out of mediocrity. The 2024 first-round pick, Charlie Condon, will be a Rockies everyday starting outfielder and in contention for the NL’s 2027 ROY. Along with Ezequiel Tover finishing top 8 in NL MVP voting.

Mason: 2027. By that point, the draft investments in college pitching should bear just enough fruit to build a pitching staff capable of providing support for what should be a robust young lineup rounding into some prime years. It won’t be a division winner thanks to the Dodgers colossus — and probably won’t be anywhere close — but it ought to be good enough to go 87-75. Had the current postseason format existed over the last decade, 87 wins would have been good enough to qualify in nine of the previous 10 full seasons.

Petersen: Staring their third straight hundred-loss season in the face, it’s hard to think it’s within the next three years. They don’t have pitchers; they have pitching prospects, and until they can show they can perform at the big league level, don’t hold your breath. I’ll say 2029 as a wild card, just because baseball can be cyclical.

Piro: The Rockies will contend for a playoff spot no sooner than the 2027 season. The Dodgers are at the top of their game with the Padres and Diamondbacks fielding competitive clubs as well. You also have to expect that the Giants will begin to put it together sooner rather than later. Tovar and Doyle could play for any Major League team. Add in Amador, Veen and Condon and Colorado may be able to piece together a strong lineup much like they did with Story-Arenado-Dahl back during their most recent playoff run.

Shapiro: The Rockies haven’t bottomed out yet and their farm system still lacks. It’s still going to get worse before things improve. The arms are behind the good bats we’re already seeing in Denver and it’s going to take a bit to get another round of pitchers in top shape at Coors Field. That was the recipe in 2017 and 2018 when the team last went to the postseason. I believe the drought will be a decade long, with the team going back to the playoffs in 2029—plus it’ll help that Kris Bryant’s $27 million a year deal comes off the books that year.

Spevak: 2027. I like the direction the Rockies are going, but considering how tough the division is every year, it’s going to be tough to even get into a wild card spot until the Padres and Diamondbacks fall off.

Average: 2028.7

Who wins the World Series?

Carni: Braves over Red Sox in six
Dover: Braves over Orioles
Freeburg: Braves over Orioles in six
Gomez: Diamondbacks over Red Sox in five
Mason: Dodgers over Rangers in five
Petersen: Yankees over Dodgers in six (because that’s what MLB wants)
Piro: Mets. (LGM)
Shapiro: Dodgers over Rangers in five
Spevak: Braves over Red Sox in six