Colorado Rockies Enjoying Historic Turnaround After Lackluster Start to 2024

The Colorado Rockies didn't win back-to-back games until mid-May, but now the last-place team in the NL West has rattled off a league-high six wins in a row.
May 13, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon (24) and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (14) celebrate on the field after defeating the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
May 13, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon (24) and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (14) celebrate on the field after defeating the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

The Colorado Rockies, somehow, are suddenly one of the hottest teams in baseball.

Colorado defeated the San Diego Padres 6-3 on Tuesday, giving them their sixth win in a row. No other MLB team has an active winning streak longer than three games.

The streak is notable since the Rockies were – and still are – sitting in last place in the NL West. The Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins are the only teams in the league with lower winning percentages.

However, that doesn't fully capture just how brutal the first few weeks of the season were for Colorado.

The Rockies trailed at some point in every single one of their first 31 games. They didn't record back-to-back wins at any point through 36 games, resulting in an 8-28 record.

As noted by OptaSTATS, the Rockies have now become only the second team in MLB history to win six straight games after not winning even two consecutive games all season prior to that point – minimum 30 games played prior to the streak.

The only other team to achieve the feat was the Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1889. That organization lasted for just three seasons, more than a decade before MLB's modern era began.

The Rockies' streak began when they avoided a sweep against the San Francisco Giants on May 9. From there, they swept the Texas Rangers and have opened up their series against the Padres with two more wins.

All three teams, even if they aren't towards the top of the standings, have high payrolls and plenty of big league talent. This has not been the easiest stretch of the Rockies' schedule by any means – they got swept by the lowly Marlins from April 30 to May 2.

During the six-game winning streak, the Rockies have scored 5.8 runs per game and allowed just 2.3.

Colorado now has a chance to sweep San Diego on the road Wednesday. First pitch from Petco Park is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.


Published
Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.