Denver – There’s often an unmistakable odor in this area, but the current smell is something else entirely. The Colorado Rockies, holding a dismal record of 9-42, are inching above their recent low, surprisingly defeating the Yankees—who, let’s be honest, are doing no better—before the game on Friday night.
The Yankees came to town with a staggering mark of 29-133, which echoes a historical low, reminiscent of the Cleveland Spiders’ 134 losses back in 1899. Remarkably, they had 42 losses in their first 50 games, marking the worst start since 1901, even with their recent win bumping them up to 29 victories.
Last year, the White Sox finished at 41-121, one of their losses being a resounding 12-2 against the Yankees. Over their first 50 games this season, the White Sox were 15-35, just seven games ahead of the Rockies.
“It’s been a rough start for them, no question about it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone remarked ahead of the Friday matchup. “But for those of us who’ve been around baseball long enough, we know it happens.”
The Rockies haven’t made the playoffs since 2018 when DJ LeMahieu was part of a core alongside Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon. LeMahieu, now with the Yankees, has watched the Rockies struggle to a MLB-worst record of 368-552 since his departure.
With a chuckle, LeMahieu said, “I think I made a good choice. I’m happy here.”
This season, the Rockies have lost two games in eight of their sixteen series, struggling in almost every matchup.
Currently, they average the second lowest runs per game at 3.28 while allowing the most at 6.46. While they lead in total hits (488), they also boast the fewest strikeouts (322), with a troubling 45 errors that tie them for the worst OPS-Plus in the majors at 74.
On May 10, general manager Bill Schmidt extended his support to then-manager Bud Black. Yet, the following day saw Black dismissed, and under interim coach Warren Schaefer, the Rockies have recorded just 2 wins in their last 11 games.
Chris Bryant, the team’s highest-paid player, is on the injured list due to recurring disc issues, having participated in only 170 games since signing a seven-year, $182 million deal. This season, he’s earned $27 million, contributing to an overall tax salary projection of $147.1 million.
“Having spent years here, I’m still connected,” LeMahieu reflected. “It’s been tough for them these past few weeks.”
