A year after Colorado’s offense was flagged for a lack of plate discipline, the Rockies have made real noise in that area. The biggest jump shows up in the team numbers: after sitting near the bottom of the league in walks and finishing with a .293 on-base percentage last season, Colorado moved all the way up to seventh in MLB with a .322 on-base percentage in 2026.
That turnaround didn’t happen by accident. A few young hitters drove a lot of it, starting with T.J.
Rumfield, who put together one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history. His 11.4% walk rate ranked in the 80th percentile league-wide, and he backed that up with a sharp 13% strikeout rate.
Kyle Karros matched Rumfield with an 11.4% walk rate of his own, while Cole Carrigg reached base at a .341 clip even though his 7.5% walk rate was lower than the other two.
The approach change also seems to be coming from the dugout. Assistant hitting coach Jordan Pacheco laid out his thinking in a Purple Row article with a simple framework for hitters at the plate:
“What zone are you looking, and how aggressive are you going to be to the zone, and are you committed to it?”
For Rumfield, that plan has translated into damage against pitches over the heart of the plate, where he has produced a .839 slugging percentage. He’s also handled pitches on the inner half well.
Karros has been even more punishing when pitchers come inside. He has posted a 1.194 slugging percentage against pitches on the inner half, using his bigger frame to turn on balls and drive them.
Carrigg has done his best work in the middle of the strike zone, where he has an .800 slugging percentage. He’s also shown he can handle pitches both above and below the center of the zone.
The three hitters are different players, but they’ve all helped push Colorado toward better plate discipline this season. That extra patience gives the Rockies a more polished offensive look and may be one reason they’re starting to make progress toward climbing out of the NL West basement.
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Rockies Offseason Reset Starts With One Contract They Still Can't Escape
The Rockies made a little progress in 2026 under president Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes, but the offseason still arrives with the same familiar problem: too much of the roster picture is tied to long-term money and too many decisions still to make. Colorado has a cluster of contract calls coming for 2027, from free agency for pitchers Kyle Freeland and Jordan Romano to arbitration cases for catcher Hunter Goodman and outfielder Jake McCarthy, all while trying to keep the roster moving forward after a better year.
Kris Bryant remains the biggest lingering complication. He has not played since early 2025 because of a neck condition, yet his deal runs through 2029, leaving the Rockies to figure out how to live with the salary while they continue building around the rest of the clubhouse. The organization is looking at financial ways to manage that contract, and until it finds one, Bryants presence will keep shaping how much flexibility Colorado really has this winter. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Face One Big 2027 Lineup Question Around Their Top Prospects
The Rockies long-range planning is starting to take shape, and the appeal is obvious: a position-player core built around rookies Cole Carrigg and TJ Rumfield, plus the kind of offensive upside that can make a lineup look deeper than it has in years. Colorado is already mapping out 2027 with a group that should bring more balance and energy to the everyday mix, and the early read is that this could be one of the more intriguing young lineups in the organizations recent memory.
The one unresolved piece is the designated hitter spot, where prospect Charlie Condon is expected to fit based on what he has done in the minors. Rumfield is projected to open games at the top of the order after a strong 2026, but the bigger question for the Rockies is how the rest of the batting order settles around him and whether the DH role becomes a true advantage rather than a placeholder. [Read more 🡒]