The Rockies are turning the page on a brutal 2025 season with a fresh voice in the batting cage. Brett Pill, a former big league first baseman with international and developmental experience, has been named Colorado’s new hitting coach. It’s his first major league coaching gig, and he steps into a role that saw more turnover than production last season.
Pill, 41, joins manager Warren Schaeffer’s staff after six years in the Dodgers’ organization, where he steadily climbed the coaching ladder. He spent three seasons as a Double-A hitting coach before being promoted to minor league hitting coordinator in 2023. That kind of hands-on work with young hitters in a system known for developing offensive talent should serve him well as he takes on the challenge of reviving one of baseball’s least productive lineups.
Fans might remember Pill from his playing days with the Giants. He logged 111 games in the majors between 2011 and 2013, and while he didn’t stick long-term in MLB, he carved out a solid career overseas.
After several seasons in Triple-A, Pill spent three years with the Kia Tigers in the KBO, where he not only played but later scouted for the organization. That international perspective, combined with his developmental chops from the Dodgers’ farm system, gives him a unique toolkit as he steps into a big-league dugout for the first time.
And let’s be honest - there’s nowhere to go but up.
The Rockies are coming off a 43-119 campaign, the worst in franchise history and one of the roughest in recent MLB memory. Offensively, they were in a tailspin all year.
Despite the hitter-friendly backdrop of Coors Field, Colorado finished second-to-last in runs scored, ahead of only the Pirates. Their .293 team on-base percentage was the lowest in the league, driven by a league-worst 6.7% walk rate.
Only the Angels struck out more often.
On the road, things got even uglier. The altitude disparity always makes things trickier for Rockies hitters when they leave Denver, but this year’s splits were extreme. Colorado posted a .203/.259/.330 slash line away from home - numbers that would make even the most patient hitting coach cringe.
The instability in the hitting coach role didn’t help. The Rockies opened the year with Hensley Meulens, but he was dismissed just weeks into the season.
Clint Hurdle stepped down from his front office role to fill in, but he moved to bench coach when Bud Black and Mike Redmond were let go in May. From there, Jordan Pacheco and Nic Wilson split the duties for the rest of the season.
That kind of revolving door doesn’t do much for continuity or player development.
Pill’s arrival signals a chance to reset, with a long-term plan in mind. No one’s expecting a miracle turnaround in 2026 - this lineup still has major holes - but there are pieces worth watching.
Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar showed flashes of growth, and outfield prospect Jordan Beck could take a step forward. Brenton Doyle remains a question mark, especially with trade rumors swirling, but he’s another young player with upside if he sticks around.
Then there’s Hunter Goodman, who quietly put together one of the more impressive seasons by a catcher in 2025. At 26, he launched 31 homers and slashed .278/.323/.520, tying Shea Langeliers for second-most home runs among catchers. Goodman’s power was a rare bright spot in an otherwise dim season, and if Pill can help him refine his approach even further, the Rockies might have a core piece behind the plate.
It’s going to be a process - no one’s sugarcoating that. But with a new voice in the cage, some promising young bats, and a chance to build consistency in the coaching ranks, the Rockies are finally laying the groundwork for something better. Brett Pill’s job won’t be easy, but he’s got the experience, perspective, and patience to start moving this offense in the right direction.