It seems easy to be skeptical about the Colorado Rockies , who again lost 100 games in the year, but keep in mind this team came inches from the worst season in history in 2025 and then managed to win 15 more games in just one offseason.
Progress usually isn't linear, but they are headed in the right direction thanks to the play from some crucial young players, such as rookie TJ Rumfield , who has easily put himself in the running for NL Rookie of the Year.
Rumfield isn't the only rookie who showed up big this year, and had Cole Carrigg made his debut sooner than June 9, he would be in those conversations as well, as he has been phenomenal since joining the roster.
That said, Carrigg finished the year on an extremely high note, which is why he was named the NL Rookie of the Month in September, as his stats over the last few weeks have been more than impressive.
.327/.340/.571
.911 OPS
6 Home Runs
17 RBI
4 Doubles
1 Triple
3 Stolen Bases
Ultimately, Carrigg's biggest downfall is his ability to draw walks, but his power definitely makes up for that as there is a lot of pop in that bat, which will really complement Hunter Goodman next season.
Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg (16) hits a single in the seventh inning against the Mariners. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The 24-year-old filled a big hole in the roster as Colorado desperately needed an outfielder who could also contribute at the plate. Well, he did that and then some in the 93 games he played during his rookie campaign.
During that time, he tallied up 12 home runs, 53 runners driven home, and 22 doubles while slashing .279/.341/.477, which brought his OPS to a very impressive .818 in 2026, and despite playing in significantly fewer games than his teammates, he was right in the thick of their offense.
Keep in mind, everyone who ranked higher than him within the organization played a minimum of 117 games, and amongst the qualified players, his batting average would be third, slugging second, and OPS third.
Runs Scored: 7th
Triples: 3rd
Doubles: 5th
Home Runs: 8th
RBI: 6th
Stolen Bases: 2nd
Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg (16) gets the home run coat put on after he hits a home run against the White Sox. Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Colorado will rely heavily on Carrigg and Rumfield in the coming years while also expecting great things from Charlie Condon when he makes his inevitable debut in 2027. This team has a lot to be excited about, at least offensively.
The Rockies are in good hands moving forward and should definitely be proud of the impact that Carrigg has already made this season. It will be entertaining, to say the least, to see how he progresses and what he does with a full 162 games under his belt.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/rockies/onsi as Clear Reasons Why Rockies Cole Carrigg Received Rookie of the Month Honors .
