Rockies Journal: Highs, lows, disappointments, MVPs and best quotes of a miserable first half

The first half of the Rockies’ 2025 season was miserable, and that’s an understatement. But at least it was eventful. That’s also an understatement.

On their way to an 18-63 start — the worst first-half record in the modern era — the Rockies:

• Fired hitting coach Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens.

• Fired manager Bud Black and replaced him with interim manager Warren Schaeffer.

• Lost Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar for most of the first half, first because of a bruised hip, and now because of a strained oblique. Tovar played in only 32 of the first 81 games.

• Saw Kris Bryant — officially diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disc disease — play in just 14 games. There is no timetable for his return, this season, or ever.

• Announced that Walker Monfort, son of owner Dick Monfort, was promoted to executive vice president, effectively replacing team president and COO Greg Feasel.

OK, with those basics out of the way, on to my first-half “awards,” in no particular order:

Ugliest team stat: Minus-213 run differential, which projects to a minus-426 run differential for the season. The Rockies are on pace to smash the 1932 Boston Red Sox’s modern era record of minus-349.

Ugliest team stat, II: The Rockies are 8-32 at Coors Field, where they are averaging 28,718 fans per game, ranking 17th in the majors.

Most surprising team stat: Colorado’s .977 fielding percentage was the worst in the majors.

MVP: Catcher Hunter Goodman, who grabbed his chance as the everyday catcher and ran with it. Goodman, Colorado’s likely lone All-Star Game representative, hit .287 with an .844 OPS, 14 homers, 17 doubles and 48 RBIs in the first half.

MVRP: Jake Bird was the Rockies’ most valuable relief pitcher. Heck, he was their most valuable pitcher, period. Bird posted a 2.62 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 34 appearances, the ninth-lowest ERA among NL relievers with at least 35 innings pitched. He ranked first among major league relievers in strikeouts and second in innings pitched.

Ugliest individual stat: It could be right-hander Antonio Senzatela’s 6.48 ERA (complete with a .352 batting average against). Or it could be center fielder Brenton Doyle’s .195 batting average. But I’m going to go with first baseman Michael Toglia’s 38.2% strikeout rate. For a player counted on to provide consistent power in the middle of the order, that’s awful.

MSP: Colorado’s most surprising player has been right fielder Tyler Freeman, who slashed .389/.477/.528 in June (entering the weekend). For the first half of the season, he slashed .324/.409/.432 and is now the leadoff hitter. He’s provided the Rockies with a much-needed spark in their lineup.

MDP: Doyle, whom I projected as a possible All-Star, was Colorado’s most disappointing player. I understand that he’s dealt with some trying family issues, and yes, he’s had bad luck with many at-bats. But his .196/.251/.317 slash line, six homers and a minus-1.7 WAR was unexpectedly bad.

Best series: A three-game sweep of the Marlins, in Miami, from June 2-4. It was Colorado’s only sweep of the first half.

Worst series: Getting swept in three games at San Diego from April 11-13. The Padres shut out the Rockies in all three games (8-0, 2-0, 6-0), the first time in their history that Colorado was blanked in three consecutive games.