Rockies’ 2024 by the numbers: Colorado’s historically bad offense

Every year around this time, I review the Rockies’ numbers, looking for stats, rankings and trends. It paints a black-and-white picture of the just-completed season.

In the case of the 2024 Rockies, it wasn’t pretty.

A prime example: Colorado’s .242 average, .304 on-base percentage, and .704 OPS were the lowest in franchise history; The 1,617 strikes were the highest number in the club’s history. But you probably already knew this.

But maybe you didn’t know that Colorado finished the season with a 50.9% swing percentage and a 31.8% chase percentage; both were the second-highest marks in the majors behind Miami. In other words, the Rockies were rocking and panting a lot.

The peak of the Rockies’ impotence occurred September 3-7, when they scored 75 goals; It was the second-most goals scored by a team in any five-game stretch in the modern era, trailing the Brewers’ 77 K’s in 2017.

Digging a little deeper, the following statistics are more revealing: the good, the bad and the ugly:

Socks burst: Opposing hitters have slashed .285/.354/.468 (.822 OPS) with 221 home runs against Colorado this season; this was the highest score among the majors in all these categories. And Rockies pitchers allowed a 40.6% hard-hit percentage, third-highest in the majors, and an 89.4 MPH average exit velocity, second-highest. They got the full Charlie Brown treatment.

Youth movement: The Rockies fielded 12 players 24 years old or younger in a game, tied for second-most in franchise history with the 2012 club and behind only the ’16 Rockies (13 players). Four pitchers 23 years old or younger (Bradley Blalock, Angel Chivilli, Anthony Molina and Luis Peralta) have taken the mound, tied for the most in franchise history (also 2016). Only the Angels used more pitchers 23 and under (five).

Epic collapse: The Rockies’ ninth-inning ERA was 7.10, the highest among the majors by more than a full series (Toronto had a 5.88 ERA). Rivals also hit .295 in the ninth inning against the Rockies, the highest mark in baseball. Colorado took a lead of more than five runs in the ninth inning or later six times; that was the most in a single season in the modern era of the majors.

Bull: Of course it was a small sample but Six rookie relievers pledgedEspecially in the last weeks of the season. Jeff Criswell, Seth Halvorsen, Jaden Hill, Victor Vodnik, Peralta and Chivilli had a 3.84 ERA, 12 saves and 8.59 strikeouts per nine innings in 143 games. This suggests that 2025 marks better times.

High heat: Halvorsen threw a fastball at 102.5 mph when he made the save against the Cardinals in the Rockies’ 10-8 win at Coors Field on Sept. 26. It was the second-fastest throw by a Rockie in the StatCast Era (since 2015), trailing Julian Fernandez’s 62.8 mph heater in 2021. Halvorsen made 47 total throws of at least 100 mph in 12 games.

Power potential: Colorado launched 179 home runs and ranked 15th in the majors. Even though the overall offense was poor, the Rockies showed some power. Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (26 homers), first baseman Michael Toglia (25) and center fielder Brenton Doyle (23) formed the only trio of teammates to hit at least 23 home runs in the 26-and-under majors. If Tovar (28.8%) and Toglia (32.1%) can reduce their high strikeout rates, the offense will improve significantly.

Budding star: Tovar, a Gold Glove finalist, added 45 doubles and four triples in his 26 at-bats for a total of 75 extra-base hits, second in the National League behind Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani (99). Tovar’s 45 doubles led the NL and was tied for 11th-most in a season in franchise history; It’s Matt Holliday’s most since 50 doubles in 2007.