DENVER (KDVR) — With a 0-4 loss against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, the Colorado Rockies were able to close the final chapter of the worst season in franchise history.
There were plenty of lows, but also a fair share of highs.
Here are some of the best highlights and lowlights of the Rockies’ 43-119 season.
Positive: Getting over the line
It wasn’t pretty, and it definitely wasn’t planned. After a historically bad start to the season, the Rockies were somehow able to drag themselves over the finish line and avoid the title of the worst team of all time during a season that certainly looked like it could have panned out that way.
It took until basically the last two weeks of the season to grab that ever-so-important 42nd win, which put them clear of the 41-win season by the Chicago White Sox in 2024. The Rockies were even able to put a little more distance between themselves and the Sox when they snagged a 43rd win against the Los Angeles Angels for the team’s first series win in September.
Negative: Rewritten record book
They aren’t the worst team ever, but oh boy did the Rockies make some history — none of it in their favor.
- Most losses in franchise history
- Franchise-worst, 25-56, home record
- Worst 39-game start in the modern era, 6-33
- Worst 50-game start, 8-42
- Worst record through 60 games, 10-50
- First team to lose 50 games before reaching 10 wins
- MLB’s worst ever run differential: -403
- Shared title of first team to lose 100 games in three consecutive years (White Sox joined them this year):
- 2023: 59-103
- 2024: 61-101
- 2025: 43-119
Positive: A diamond in the rough
Most Rockies players will probably skip over 2025 when they are making their career highlight reel, but for one man, his reel will be filled with this season’s plays.
Hunter Goodman had a historically good season for the Rockies, being a bright spot in a dark time for the team.
2024 stats:
- At bats: 211
- Batting average: .190
- Runs: 24
- Hits: 40
- Home runs: 13
- Runs batted in: 36
- On base percentage: .228%
2025 stats:
- At bats: 540
- Batting average: .278
- Runs: 73
- Hits: 150
- Runs batted in: 91
- On base percentage: .323%
The difference between seasons is night and day, and Goodman had himself a breakout year for the Rockies and earned his first All-Star call-up in 2025.
He hit a home run in the 8th inning of a game against the Miami Marlins that snapped a 28 consecutive series loss streak by the Rockies.
Goodman also broke two Rockies’ records this year, hitting 31 home runs and 91 RBIs, both bests for a Rockies catcher.
Negative: Where to go from here?
The Rockies said goodbye to some of the team’s better players this year, but for some, that negative could actually signal hope, as the team looks to have officially committed to a rebuild.
The Rockies dealt players, including:
- Jake Bird, RHP: Traded to the New York Yankees
- Tyler Kinley, RHP: Traded to the Atlanta Braves
- Ryan McMahon, 3B: Traded to the New York Yankees
The Yankees decided to cherry-pick from the Rockies’ field, as they gear up for a playoff run, snagging Bird and McMahon. In return, the Rockies acquired a group of prospects who will be eager to get into a team that needs some talent to turn things around.
Positive: It’s in their DNA
On draft night, the Rockies selected the only high schooler taken in the 20 rounds of the draft with the No. 4 pick.
Placing your hopes into a high schooler seems like a crazy call, but for the Rockies, it was something like destiny.
With the team’s pick, the Rockies chose Ethan Holliday, the son of Rockies all-time great Matt Holliday. The pick isn’t only sentimental; the kid can play.
He was the best prospect in the draft, according to the MLB, but the three teams that chose ahead of the Rockies addressed different needs for their teams. When the chance to draft the best prospect in the class and fulfill a beautiful homecoming story presented itself to the Rockies, they jumped at the opportunity.
In his senior year, Ethan Holliday has batted what people would look at as a data input error, .611. That’s correct, .611. He also has 19 home runs to accompany his unreal batting percentage.
It seems as though he has yet to pin down his best defensive position, and coaches will likely try him in several different areas and see what sticks, but his defensive instinct seems to be intact.
Negative: Run it back?
On the field, the Rockies looked to switch things up, trading away players with an eye towards the future. However, changes to the team’s front office beg the question, whose eye is it?
After the horrific start to the season, the Rockies parted ways with manager Bud Black and bench coach Mike Redmond. Third base and infield coach Warren Schaeffer was stuck in charge as the interim manager and was supported by interim bench coach Clint Hurdle. Ahead of the 2026 season, the Rockies have to name a full-time manager and fill out the rest of the coaching staff.
Greg Feasel, the longtime president and COO of the Rockies, announced he would step down at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
Walker Monfort, the son of franchise owner Dick Monfort, was promoted from vice president of corporate partnerships to executive vice president.
There’s a lot of work for this franchise to do, but hey, they survived this year and can move on without the title of the worst team in modern baseball — a small but important victory.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
