Eli Whitney | March 25, 2026

The Colorado Rockies have officially announced their 2026 Opening Day roster, with the full picture now confirmed ahead of Friday’s opener against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park.

The roster largely reflects what had been reported earlier this week, with a few significant additions and transactions worth noting.

The Rotation is Set

The starting five is locked in. Kyle Freeland gets the ball on Opening Day – his fifth time doing so for Colorado, a franchise record – with Michael Lorenzen in Game 2, Jose Quintana in Game 3, Tomoyuki Sugano in Game 4, and Ryan Feltner rounding out the rotation as the fifth starter.

The most significant decision in the rotation picture was what to do with Chase Dollander. After a spring that showed flashes of dominance alongside inconsistency, the Rockies made the call to move the 23-year-old to the bullpen to begin the year – a decision the organization views as a developmental bridge rather than a demotion.

“We see Chase Dollander as an eventual frontline rotation guy,” Schaeffer said. “The best path for him right now, in our minds, is to be a length guy in the bullpen. That’s where we’re going to start the season, and we’re going to evaluate and move forward as we go.”

Feltner earned the fifth spot on the strength of what he showed when he did get ahead of hitters this spring – a commitment to attacking the zone that Schaeffer pointed to directly.

“When Feltner did get ahead, he was our best pitcher in camp,” Schaeffer said. “It’s just a matter of getting him ahead more, and there’s been a commitment to that.”

Rumfield Busts the Door Down

TJ Rumfield came into camp without a guaranteed roster spot despite a strong Triple-A track record with the Yankees organization. He’s leaving Spring Training with one.

The quality of his at-bats on a consistent, everyday basis was what stood out the most – the zone control, the ability to do damage, the walks.

“You can tell it’s really important to him to not just be a big leaguer, but to be a successful one for a long time,” Schaeffer said.

Rumfield capped off his torrid Spring Training with the Abby Greer Award — effectively the Rockies Spring Training MVP award — after hitting four home runs with five walks and just a singular strikeout.

Karros is Ready

Kyle Karros presumes to enter the season as the everyday third baseman. Schaeffer was direct about what he saw that made the decision clear.

“He has not had a ton of minor league seasoning – that was talked about before camp started,” Schaeffer said. “This wasn’t a lock for him. He had to go do his thing. It became blatantly obvious that he’s ready to play third base in the big leagues on both sides of the ball.

Karros hit .372 in spring training with 2 HRs and 9 RBIs, and simply outperformed any hesitation the organization had about his limited minor league resume. Schaeffer confirmed that Karros will be the primary third baseman, with Willi Castro providing flexibility across the rest of the infield.

Castro’s Role: Everywhere

If you’re looking for a simple position assignment for Castro, you won’t find one. Schaeffer was explicit – Castro’s role is to play a lot, in a lot of different places.

​“If I were writing to the Denver fans, I would say just expect all year for Willi to have a different role,” Schaeffer said. “His role is to play a lot.”

Fans should expect to see Castro at second base most frequently to start the year, with Julien appearing heavily against right-handed pitching, and Ritter providing flexibility across the infield and – in a development that emerged this spring – left field.

Castro has adequately played second base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions during his MLB career. Expect him to appear in at least four of those spots at some point.

Ritter’s New Dimension

One of the more interesting developments of the spring was Schaeffer’s enthusiasm for Ryan Ritter’s expansion into the outfield. The infielder took to left field at a level that genuinely impressed the coaching staff.

“I loved his ability to come into camp, compete for a job, and add new things into it – which is not an easy thing to do,” Schaeffer said. “He played left field at a high level, in my opinion, for first jumping out there. He’ll only get better.”

Ritter won a legitimate competition for his roster spot against veteran competition, including Nicky Lopez and Chad Stevens, and once top prospect Adael Amador. Ritter’s willingness to expand his defensive profile was a meaningful factor in that decision.

Sullivan Over Fulford

Brett Sullivan won the backup catcher job over Braxton Fulford, who heads to Triple-A Albuquerque. Schaeffer praised Fulford’s spring but pointed to Sullivan’s overall game, his left-handed bat against right-handed pitching, and his interactions with the pitching staff as the deciding factors.

“Sullivan had a very, very good camp,” Schaeffer said. “The overall game with the interactions with the pitchers, plus the offensive camp, led us to go in that direction.”

The organization’s belief in Fulford remains strong – the decision is about getting him playing time every day at Triple-A to continue his development rather than playing somewhat periodically.

Freeman’s Season Delayed

The one significant question mark heading into Opening Day is Tyler Freeman. The versatile infielder-outfielder has been dealing with recurring lower back issues – aggravated when he dove into second base late in spring – and he’s set to start the season on the injured list. Troy Johnston will get the early season opportunity as a result.

Given Freeman’s value as a utility piece and the tone-setting role he has taken on in the clubhouse this spring, the Rockies will look to get him on the field sooner than later. Freeman’s injury sounds mild, but a cautious approach to a back injury mitigates some reaggravation risk.

The Bullpen Stays Young

The relief corps is headlined by Chase Dollander, whose move from the rotation was the most talked-about decision of the final week of camp. Beyond Dollander, the group includes right-handers Jaden Hill — one of the final selections to the roster — Zach Agnos, Jimmy Herget, Juan Mejia, Antonio Senzatela, and Victor Vodnik, along with a single left-hander in the form of Brennan Bernardino.

The group features a notable blend of fresh faces in Dollander, Agnos, Hill, and Mejia alongside more experienced hands in Herget, Senzatela, Vodnik, and Bernardino, a balance that should give Schaeffer flexibility in how he deploys this staff early in the season.

The most notable omission from the group is young flamethrower Seth Halvorsen, who struggled with control issues this spring after having his season cut short with injury in 2025. Halvorsen will start in Triple-A as he looks to build himself back up and iron out some issues.

Nine New Faces

Beyond the roster decisions themselves, Wednesday’s announcement marked a notable moment in the career’s of multiple Rockies players. Nine players will appear on an Opening Day roster for the first time. Pitcher Zach Agnos, Chase Dollander, Jaden Hill, and Juan Mejia; catcher Brett Sullivan; infielders Kyle Karros and TJ Rumfield; and infielder/outfielders Troy Johnston and Ryan Ritter. That in itself is an accomplishment worth noting. Nine additional players will make their Rockies debut in their first appearance, including Lorenzen, Sugano, Quntana, Julien, and Castro.

It is, in short, a new-looking Rockies team – and Friday in Miami is where it all begins.

The Rockies open the 2026 campaign Friday at loanDepot Park with a 5:10 p.m. MST first pitch. After three games in Miami and three in Toronto against the Blue Jays, Colorado returns home for the 2026 Home Opener on Friday, April 3 at 2:10 p.m. against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Written by Eli Whitney.