Numbers show how historically bad Rockies are — even after beating Yankees

DENVER — It is not unusual for an unmistakable smell to be wafting around these parts.

But this is a different kind of stench, even for the Mile High City: It is the Colorado Rockies, owners of a dumbfounding 9-42 record — 8-42 before they beat the Yankees on Friday night — whose biggest accomplishment has been making the astonishingly terrible 2024 White Sox not look so bad.

The Yankees arrived here Friday to face a Rockies team whose 42 losses through its first 50 games were the most for a major league team in the modern era, going back to 1901. Even after Friday’s win, they were on pace for a whopping 29 wins — as in 29-133, which would rival the 1899 Cleveland Spiders (134) for the most losses in a major league season.

Last year’s White Sox finished 41-121 — one of those wins, a 12-2 shellacking, coming against the Yankees — breaking the 1962 Mets record (120) for the most losses in the modern era. Through 50 games, they were 15-35, seven games ahead of these Rockies.

“Obviously, it’s been a tough start to the season for them, no other way to put it,” manager Aaron Boone said before Friday’s game. “That being said, for those of us who have been around this game for a long, long time — it’s baseball. Anything can happen on any given night.”

Zach Agnos celebrates after closing out the Rockies’ 3-2 win over the Yankees on May 23, 2025. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The last time the Rockies made the playoffs, DJ LeMahieu was part of their core with Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon in 2018.

LeMahieu signed with the Yankees that offseason, and the Rockies are an MLB-worst 368-552 since then.

“I feel like I made a pretty good choice,” LeMahieu said with a grin. “I’m happy to be here.”

In 16 series this season, the Rockies have been swept in eight of them. They have lost two of three games in the other half.

Rockies players celebrate after their win over the Yankees, their ninth of the season. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Rockies had scored the second-fewest runs per game (3.28) and allowed the most (6.46). They had struck out more than any other team (488) and thrown the fewest strikeouts (322).

They had committed 45 errors, were tied for the worst OPS-plus in the majors (74) and been shut out eight times — the same amount the Yankees were blanked all of last season.

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General manager Bill Schmidt gave then-manager Bud Black a vote of confidence May 10, only for the Rockies to get demolished 21-0 that night.

By the following day, Black was fired. The Rockies are 2-9 since then under interim manager Warren Schaeffer.

The highest-paid player on their roster — Kris Bryant — is on the injured list with a degenerative disc disease and has played just 170 games since signing a seven-year, $182 million contract ahead of the 2022 season.

He is making $27 million this season on their projected luxury tax payroll of $147.1 million, the 10th-lowest in the majors.

“Just spending so many years here, I still root for them,” LeMahieu said. “Not this weekend, but from afar, I always root for them. A lot of good people around here still since I was here. It’s been a tough go for them this first month and a half or so.”