Warren Schaeffer, who took over as interim manager of the Colorado Rockies after Bud Black was fired amid a historically bad season for the franchise, will return as manager in 2026, it was announced Monday.
Schaeffer, 40, was promoted from third-base coach to manager after Black and bench coach Mike Redmond were fired on May 11 after a major-league-worst 7-33 start. He has been a member of the Rockies organization for over a decade and becomes the eighth full-time manager in club history.
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Things continued to slide downhill for Schaeffer and the Rockies, who finished with 119 losses — the most in the National League since the 1962 New York Mets had 120. They finished 50 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
“We’re confident Warren is the right person to lead our club moving forward,” new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said in a statement. “He has established strong relationships with our players, understands the culture of this franchise and embodies the energy and work ethic we want on and off the field.”
General manager Bill Schmidt was dismissed on Oct. 1, with executive vice president Walker Monfort saying that Schmidt’s replacement would make a decision on the managerial role for next season.
The starting rotation finished with a 6.65 ERA — the highest mark since it became an official stat in both leagues in 1913 — as the Rockies allowed 1,021 runs this season, the most since the 1996 Detroit Tigers gave up 1,103. Colorado had a run differential of minus-424, the worst since 1900, surpassing the minus-349 of the 1932 Boston Red Sox — and also the most since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders at minus-724, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Colorado was also a major-league-worst 18-63 on the road, a franchise record.
There were some bright spots. The Rockies received a breakout season from All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman, who hit .278 with 31 homers and 91 RBIs. They have 2024 Gold Glove winners in Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle.
The Rockies also drafted Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick this summer, while young prospects such as outfielders Zac Veen and Yanquiel Fernandez, infielder Ryan Ritter and right-hander Chase Dollander were all called up and got a taste of the majors.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue leading this team,” Schaeffer said in a news release. “My focus remains on continuing to build a strong, unified culture based on accountability, hard work and trust. We have a group of guys who care deeply about competing the right way, and my goal is to keep strengthening those relationships while leading a team that our fans can embrace and be proud of.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
