Eli Whitney | January 29, 2026 | @eliwhtney17
The Colorado Rockies enter the 2026 season carrying the sting of a historically painful 2025 campaign – one that saw a franchise-worst 119 losses, relentless struggle with pitching at altitude, and a feeling that the team was merely surviving rather than competing.
At last weekend’s Rockies Fest media panel, veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland, Silver Slugger catcher Hunter Goodman, and newly acquired outfielder Jake McCarthy spoke with refreshing honesty about the organization’s massive changes, the lessons of last year’s hardship, and shifts in both mindset and execution that they believe are essential to turning things around.
While the 2025 season was well short of expectations, a new front office led by President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta—along with a completely revamped coaching staff—has injected fresh energy and clearer, more immediate communication into the organization. The staff includes pitching coach Alon Leichman, assistant coach Gabe Ribas, bullpen coach Matt Buschman, director of pitching Matt Daniels, and Warren Schaeffer, who has taken over the managerial reins full-time.
Players described the shift as a “breath of fresh air” and praised the open-minded, collaborative approach to tackling Coors Field’s unique challenges.
Kyle Freeland Embraces Leadership in the Rockies’ 2026 Reset
Freeland, now in his 10th big-league season- all with Colorado- remains one of the few pitchers to have endured a full decade at altitude. He sees his role as both a competitor and a mentor. “It’s very important to me to mold these young guys and teach them the proper way to go about things”, he said. On avoiding the fear that leads to nibbling around the plate after tough outings, he was direct: “It’s eliminating that fear and being confident and consistent in the zone.”
He went on to describe some of the new pitching staff’s ideas as both unconventional and invigorating, “There are some funky, wacky ideas that have been thrown around… it’s extremely refreshing, it creates excitement inside the clubhouse to go out and try those.”
Hunter Goodman Builds on Silver Slugger Season
Goodman, coming off a breakout season that earned him a Silver Slugger, remains grounded and hungry. “It was awesome to see my name up there with them,” he said in sharing space on an award with the greats before him. Still, he is laser-focused on improvement, particularly swing decisions and gaining true comfort behind the dish defensively.
Schaeffer has already identified Goodman as a potential emerging leader, and the young catcher is embracing the challenge. “That’s something that I would love to be able to do,” he said. “I’ll be able to learn from Kyle (Freeland) or (Michael) Lorenzen or some of the older guys and put myself in a position to be there.”
The most compelling moments came when the players addressed how 2026 must look and feel different. Goodman refused to bury last year’s memory. “I don’t want to forget about it,” he said. “It kind of lights a fire under you… You have to look at that and be like, you can’t let that happen again.
Goodman pinpointed the mentality that must change: “You’ve got to walk on the field and be like, we’re the best team. I’m the best player on the field. There were some games last year where maybe guys weren’t super confident. They were just happy to be there. Bringing in a different mentality would be a big step.”
Freeland agreed that the reset is both organizational and personal. “Part of that reset is the turnover in the front office, the turnover of the majority of our coaching staff,” he explained. “Everyone is very individual when it comes to their own kind of reset button after a really tough season, like not letting that stuff happen again.”
When asked what the team must do to spark real change, Freeland zeroed in on consistency and execution. “Playing complete baseball games, night in and night out… from start to finish, playing clean, crisp baseball, and our brand of baseball. Making that as complete, as crisp as you possibly can from the first pitch to the final out.”
McCarthy, still acclimating to the trade that brought him to Colorado, echoed the collective hunger. “ I just think a lot of people in this building are hungry,” he said. “Really, really happy to be a part of what’s ascending here.” He views Coors Field’s massive outfield and elevation as a challenge that rewards athleticism and one that this roster is built to meet. “This team is very athletic.. I’m just excited to be a part of it, whatever that role looks like.”
The trio also shared glimpses of their offseason work: Freeland fine-tuning a late-2025 mechanical adjustment, Goodman sharpening pitch selection and catching rhythm, and McCarthy recommitting to dynamic, on-base play.
As Spring Training draws near, the Rockies appear genuinely unified in their refusal to repeat 2025. The front office’s willingness to experiment, the veterans’ commitment to guiding younger players, and the group’s shared determination to demand more signal that something fundamental has shifted.
The message from Rockies Fest was clear: last year’s lows were not the end of the story, but the fuel for a different one. With new voices in the front office, new ideas on the mound, and a locker room that refuses to settle, the 2026 Colorado Rockies are positioning themselves to prove that change can be more than just talk- it can become results.
Written by Eli Whitney.
Leave a Reply