In the final days of Charlie Blackmon’s career, Colorado Rockies fans were on a daily watch to see which franchise records he would break next.
Since his retirement, there hasn’t been quite as much fun to be had in this regard. But there are a few stats worth keeping a close eye on in 2026 when it comes to all-time Rockies greats.
Nobody on the position player side is anywhere close to the Blackmons or Todd Heltons of the world. So let’s start with a pitcher looking to cement himself as the unquestioned best.
Kyle Freeland: Wins/Innings Pitched/Strikeouts
A year ago, Denver’s own Kyle Freeland overtook the top spot on the Rockies all-time WAR charts. By that metric, he has already provided more value than anyone else to ever toe the rubber in purple pinstripes. But he’s got a few more goals within reach
The pitcher win is no longer the stat it once was in the eyes of many but stacking them up over a career is still nice. Freeland has managed 65 Ws in his career, good enough for fourth place. He only needs three more to catch German Marquez (68) which will be easier to do with Marquez no longer on the roster.
With four additional wins (for a total of seven in 2026) he will tie Aaron Cook for second place. He almost certainly won’t have a 21-win season to catch Jorge de la Rosa for the top spot.
On the flip side, he will almost certainly overtake Cook for the most innings pitched in Rockies history. At 1260.1, Freeland is only 52 innings short of this record and the low mark in his career thus far is 70.2 IP in the shortened 2020 season. He should fly by that number and set a new bar that will be incredibly difficult to clear in the future.
Then there’s the one that will come down to the wire; strikeouts. Freeland currently sits in third place with 944 Ks, needing just 41 to match JDLR in second. It will take 125 punchouts to tie for first with Marquez. Freeland’s strikeouts from a year ago? 124.
He has eclipsed that number twice in his career but has also fallen short more often than not. Can he become the all-time K king in Colorado in 2026 or will we have to wait until 2027?
Brenton Doyle: Stolen Bases
Maybe not the most prestigious stat in the world, the stolen base remains one of the more exciting plays in baseball. And it’s making a comeback.
Despite the fact that it’s easy to make the case that speed plays better at Coors Field than most other ballparks, the Rockies haven’t had a ton of elite base stealers in their 30+ years of existence.
In fact, it is an original Rockie, Eric Young, who still holds the record for most bags swiped in a Rockies uniform with 180. Only eight players in club history have 100 or more stolen bases.
So it’s both understandable but a bit strange that Brenton Doyle, in just his fourth season, is set to break into the Top 10. With 70 SB through his first three years, an average season in 2026 will see him fly past DJ LeMahieu (75) and Dexter Fowler (83) to claim the ninth position.
If he can equal his career high of 30 (2024) he will be right at the century mark, tying Trevor Story and Juan Pierre. A new career high of 31 would put him even with Willy Tavares (101) and just four more than that ties him with Dante Bichette at 105 in fifth place.
With 36 stolen bases in 2026, Brenton Doyle moves from 11th to 5th on the Rockies charts. If he does it again in 2027, he’s just six behind Blackmon for second place. If he does it three years in a row, he needs just two extra to be the Rockies stolen base king.
Ezequiel Tovar: WAR
This one is a little bit amorphous and arguably tough to get excited about right now. But let’s try.
Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, going into his fifth season, already owns a Gold Glove and the eighth spot on the Rockies defensive WAR leaderboards. At 4.2, he is within striking distance of Neifi Perez (4.6) for seventh but that stat accumulates very slowly. For some perspective, the next player to catch is DJ LeMahieu in sixth with 8.6, more than double what Tovar has accumulated in his career so far.
On total position player WAR, Tovar ranks all the way back at 19th. If he can put up his healthy average of 3.15 he will move all the way up to 13th, passing Chris Iannetta, Jeff Cirillo, Clint Barmes, Fowler, and EY.
The most interesting thing about following this stat is, of course, that Tovar is still just 24 years old. There is always the chance he has a bigger breakout at some point and really starts to challenge some iconic names.
After Fowler and EY come Ellis Burks and Andres Galarraga. Even just a steady performance from Tovar over the next few seasons will see him sail right by some of the most indelible members of Rockies history.