Join us in our rundown of the year before 2025 begins
At the end of every year, Purple Row pauses to reflect back on the year that was. Today, we do that by continuing the annual tradition of highlighting each our writer’s favorite articles of 2024. We do this to give our writers another chance to put what they believe represents their best work out into the world. As a (un?)happy coincidence, it also does a pretty good job of recapping the year in Rockies baseball. Some of the articles listed here were listed by the writers themselves, but others were nominated by their peers.
The recap aspect of this post also serves as something of a thank you to our readers. We all love Rockies baseball but we write because we know people like you are out there, loving the Rockies (in spite of your best interests). We write for you and we can’t thank you enough for reading our little corner of the internet each day.
With that, here was 2024 in Colorado Rockies baseball, as represented by the favorite things we’ve written.
January
It’s time for the Colorado Rockies to lean into their rebuild – Renee Dechert | January 9
Listen, I’m not trying to start this out on a downer. Going into full rebuild isn’t fun. But it’s even less fun when the team maybe should be doing it but make it through another calendar year without doing it. But suffice it to say, Renee wrote this great article at the top of the year and could justifiably write it again at the top of 2025.
This Week in Purple: #HeltonHOF – Sam Bradfield | January 27
By far the best news Rockies fans got in January came on the 23rd, when the Baseball Hall of Fame announced that Todd Helton would be a member of their Induction Class of 2024. Rather than try to pick one article as a favorite, I chose Sam’s roundup of the week as the best thing to read. From Renee’s last-minute case for Todd, to Skyler’s poignant reflection on what Todd means to Rockies fans, to Joelle’s “Toddisms,” there was a lot to read and celebrate.
February
An introduction to the difficulties of playing outfield at high elevation – Skyler Timmins | February 7
Sparked by a conversation among our writers last winter, Skyler tracked down the qualitative data regarding how fielding at altitude is just different. If anything, it makes Brenton Doyle’s back-to-back Gold Gloves that much more impressive.
March
Making sense of Kris Bryant’s comments – Skyler Timmins | March 6
The Kris Bryant Era hasn’t been great for the Rockies. After the publication of a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, Bryant’s tenure seemed poised to get that much more difficult. He happened to go on to have yet another lost season, but before that could happen, Skyler helped add necessary context to Bryant’s comments.
Three worst-case scenarios for the Rockies in 2024 – Kenneth Weber | March 7
Most people prefer to use spring training as a reason to dream big about where their team might be heading in the upcoming season. Rather than focus on what could go right, in this article Kenneth tracked what could go wrong. At least one of his scenarios didn’t take place (for the most part)!
Rockies quiet offseason extended all the way up to the owner’s box – Adam Peterson | March 20
Over the last decade or so, Rockies fans have gotten used to some kind of activity in the offseason from their team. Unfortunately, the better part of that time, we’ve gotten used to that activity taking the form of the owner saying something that often took the form of gaffes. So maybe Rockies fans ought to be thankful for the relative radio silence from ownership.
April
Rockies owner Dick Monfort breaks silence with Opening Weekend statement – Evan Lang | April 1
Yeah…. about that. Dick Monfort gave an interview with Troy Renck that warranted a full breakdown. Evan parsed through Monfort’s words and gave a fair rendering of the owner’s comments. Unfortunately, the thing Monfort says he wants most—wins—stands in direct contrast to his current approach and change does not seem likely.
The story of the Colorado Rockies’ rally ski helmet – Renee Dechert | April 8
The Rockies did not join the MLB trend of rally hats in the dugouts in 2023, but that was quickly remedied in 2024. Renee recounts the story of how it came to be.
Bud Black addresses the “pandemic” of pitcher injuries – Renee Dechert | April 15
If you recall the early part of the 2024 season, the main storyline was all about how pitchers, big name and otherwise, kept going down with season-ending injuries. This was old news to Rockies fans, who saw their pitching corps devastated by injuries in 2023. Black made that observation as well as many others in addressing the so-called (but not really) “pandemic.”
May
The broken nature of a historically bad Rockies team – Skyler Timmins | May 1
It was hard to watch the Rockies in 2024. And it wasn’t because of any one thing, even injuries (as you could at least partially blame for the disaster of 2023). Sitting from an early position in the season, Skyler more or less nailed the most important problems with the team.
Jon Gray reflects as he returns to the mound in Denver – Evan Lang | May 13
After seven seasons and 829 1⁄3 innings in purple, and in his third season since leaving for the Texas Rangers, Jon Gray finally made his return to Coors Field. The former third overall pick now a World Series champion, had a lot to reflect on and Evan captured it all with aplomb.
If you can lose with them, you can just as easily lose without them – Kenneth Weber | May 23
Ryan McMahon absolutely deserved his All-Star nod in July. However, he perhaps predictably fell off considerably from that All-Star level production in the second half. Kenneth explores the case for selling high on McMahon and why the Rockies ultimately wouldn’t (and didn’t).
June
I think, perhaps, it’s time to forgive Jeff Bridich – Mac Wilcox | June 6
There are hot and spicy takes, and then there’s Mac’s article from June. Maybe “forgive” is too strong of a word, and Mac ends on a very nuanced and complicated note. But hopefully we DO have enough distance to evaluate Bridich’s legacy more rationally.
The importance of Latin American roots in Rockies starting pitching – Joelle Milholm | June 7 and June 14
In this two-part series, Joelle lays out just how important Latin American scouting and development has been to Rockies pitching. It’s a brilliant series in response to questions surrounding the fall-off of Latin American pitchers in MLB.
Trio of Rockies channeling their Big Dad Energy heading into the 2024 All-Star Game – Sam Bradfield | June 16
Well, the Rockies may not be producing very many wins on the field but they sure are getting wins at home in the form of progeny. Sam talked to new dads Ryan McMahon, Brenton Doyle, and Ezekiel Tovar for Father’s Day.
July
Royals offer Rockies a hybrid blueprint for future success – Joelle Milholm | July 5
In the more optimistic version of Royals-related articles on this list, Joelle lays out the similarities between the Rockies and Royals over the last 20 years and what the team in Denver can do to emulate their success.
Germán Márquez triumphs after Tommy John recovery – Evan Lang | July 15
Germán Márquez lost a season and a half to his first major injury. That’s why, when he finally took the mound again at Citi Field, it meant a lot. Evan catalogued his journey back to a major league mound.
The Colorado Rockies divergence from high school draft picks – Kenneth Weber | July 18
By all accounts, the Rockies did great at the 2024 draft. Yes, they leveraged their third-overall pick into Charlie Condon, possibly the most talented player in the draft, but they also managed to land promising talent in the later rounds as well. Kenneth broke down one trend that emerged from this draft and what it could mean for the Rockies going forward.
The Purple Row staff shares their favorite memories of Todd Helton – Purple Row Staff | July 21
The beloved Todd Helton took his place in the Baseball Hall of Fame this year. Our staff took some time to reflect on what Helton’s legacy has meant for us.
Brenton Doyle is having a July to remember – Duane DaPron | July 22
Brenton Doyle had himself another good year, earning his second consecutive Gold Glove Award for centerfield. Things really picked up in July, when Doyle went on to win National League Player of the Month, and Duane got to catch up with him.
Jacob Stallings is the rock of the Rockies – Mac Wilcox | July 25
It’s not often you hear players in the middle of a lost season talk about how much they enjoy being in the team. That’s what Mac got from Jacob Stallings in a wide-ranging interview in July.
August
The Colorado Rockies will have a busy off-season or once again die on their hill – Kenneth Weber | August 1
I hate to say it, August Kenneth, but right now it seems like the team is choosing the latter. By August, it was clear where the season was going. But Rockies fans could at least cling to the fact that they weren’t following the White Sox (even if the Southsiders did take two of three from the Rockies earlier in the season). Kenneth took a step back to preview the offseason from the middle of the season to try to pinpoint just what needed to happen going forward.
The joy of hitting runs deep for Jared Thomas – Skyler Timmins | August 15
Fans of an also-ran team have precious few joys on which to fall back, but the future remains an enduring one. A few weeks after the draft Skyler was able to interview second-round pick Jared Thomas about coming to baseball, hitting in the cages, and mentorship from Troy Tulowitzki.
The Day After: Drew Romo reflects on his MLB debut – Sam Bradfield | August 19
It’s been a long road to the Show for Drew Romo. But that’s another one of the joys we fans can find in the midst of a season like the Rockies had: the long-awaited debuts of long-awaited prospects. Sam got to talk with Drew after his personal dream come true.
Can the Colorado Rockies replicate the Royals’ success? – Renee Dechert | August 27
So what do big turnaround teams like last year’s Diamondbacks and this year’s Royals have that the Rockies don’t? The specific answers may or may not surprise you, but they are important to keep in mind as we look forward to 2025.
September
Luis Peralta and some Rockies pitching trends – Mario DeGenz | September 13
Mario brought his characteristic keen analysis to, of all people, Luis Peralta. The Rockies traded for him on July 29th and he made his MLB debut less than a month later. In this seemingly innocuous transaction and performance, Mario identifies a data point that may just represent a trend that shows the Rockies may be tinkering with a new philosophy of pitching that just might work.
The Rowland Rockies Stadium Tour – Travis Rowland | September 19
Baseball is always about so much more than the wins and losses. Travis Rowland returned to share his experience of traveling with his family to watch the Rockies in 11 different stadiums to date. It’s a lovely reminder that this is bigger than the results.
Goodbye Charlie – Skyler Timmins | September 24
Players who remain with one team for over a decade leave a long legacy on and off the field, and Charlie Blackmon was no exception. When he announced his intent to retire on September 23, it prompted a flood of responses about his career. Skyler recounts what Chuck meant to him on a more personal level.
The Purple Row staff shares their favorite Charlie Blackmon memories – Purple Row Staff | September 29
It was sad to see Chuck Nazty go, but a delight to have a chance to remember his time in purple and watch him go out on his own terms. We all came together to share our memories before his last game.
October
The Rockies made plenty of dubious history in 2024 – Skyler Timmins | October 2
The Rockies were a historic team in 2024. Really, just making all sorts of history all season long. Most of it was bad, though. Skyler has the roundup.
Dakota Hudson’s disappointing 2024 – Renee Dechert | October 4
Renee took a unique yet illuminating approach to Dakota Hudson’s Ranking the Rockies post.
The Rockies provided an escape for my dad in 2024 – Skyler Timmins | October 9
Again, baseball is so much bigger than wins and losses, runs and outs. For Skyler’s family, it was a way to get through a most difficult time in their life. If you haven’t clicked on any of these yet, be sure to read through this one.
Evaluating Rockies TV: Year 1 – Renee Dechert | October 22
With the ongoing collapse of regional sports networks, the Rockies found themselves without a local broadcaster. This led to MLB taking over the broadcast duties for the Rockies and Renee took the time to evaluate what the product was like and what it means going forward.
Have baseball fans become too involved? – Mac Wilcox | October 31
My personal extreme distaste for both teams playing in the World Series prevented me from watching and the fan behavior in Game 4 vindicated my distaste and decision. But Mac took the reaction to the event to question the degree of involvement fans seem to have in the games.
November
The Letter and the Two Trophies – Evan Lang | November 11
If you’re a Denver sports fan, there has been a lot to celebrate over the last half decade. The downside for Rockies fans is that more or less all of that celebration has been localized to Ball Arena. Whereas each of the last two years a championship banner has been raised to the rafters for the Avalanche and Nuggets, respectively, this year the cause for celebration was becoming the first city since 1989 to have the reigning MVP winners for the NHL and NBA.
And all Rockies fans got was this lousy letter. Evan reprised what has become an annual article.
The Rockies need a new source of revenue – Joelle Milholm | November 15
The Rockies don’t have a great TV deal and that impacts what they can do in building the roster. So what if they took advantage of the sponsors patch on the jerseys? Joelle lays out the case.
Sam Hilliard returned in 2024 like he’d never left – Sam Bradfield | November 19
It was a reunion that seemed unlikely to produce much. And yet, Sam Hilliard managed to make a significant impact on the Rockies, albeit in a lost season for the team. Always a good interview, our Sam got to talk to the Rockies’ Sam.
Ryan Feltner took massive strides in 2024 – Sam Bradfield | November 28
In 2023, Ryan Feltner took a comebacker off the face and his future on the baseball field appeared in doubt. In 2024, he was one of the best pitchers on the Rockies. Sam got to talk to Ryan about his turnaround.
December
Michael Toglia may have finally filled the void at first base – Skyler Timmins | December 5
When you write about baseball for any length of time you fall into making predictions. Positive predictions are fun to make but don’t often quite pan out. Negative predictions are less fun to make but are often disheartening when they do pan out (see Kenneth’s article from March above). But sometimes you make a negative prediction and you’re proven wrong. For Skyler and his thoughts on Michael Toglia, that proved to be a relief.
Women’s baseball, ‘See Her Be Her’ highlighted my 2024 – Joelle Milholm | December 27
The Year in Sports for 2024 cannot be told without ample space allowed for the growth (if not outright explosion) of women’s professional sports. While figures like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese lead the way on this front, Joelle took some time to note how baseball was shaped in 2024 by women.
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Once again, thank you for reading. Here’s to 2025! Rockies baseball may be more or less of the same but at least it won’t be boring.