DePodesta already digging in on how to improve Rockies' reputation

LAS VEGAS -- The Rockies’ acknowledge being behind other clubs in the use of modern baseball information. But their reputation is one that new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta finds overblown.

“I had heard all these things … ‘We may be behind … we think we're behind,’ and then they gave me a list of all the third-party vendors and all the things that they're already doing,” DePodesta said. “It’s pretty impressive.”

There are improvements to be made, with many important steps having already begun or soon to be implemented. But DePodesta’s previous successes in baseball involved making sure job divisions within organizations complement one another. What tools the Rockies possess could be more effective with the right emphasis and in collaboration.

“Sometimes it’s not about what you have, but it’s actually how you utilize all that, how you incorporate that into your decision-making, how you incorporate that into your development system,” DePodesta said.

From a tools standpoint, the team has made strides:

• In 2025, the Rockies became one of the last teams to adopt Trajekt Arc, a hitting practice machine that gives hitters a video image and a ball flight that aligns with the pitcher they would face in a game. Other teams had been using it in their home batting tunnels during games, so players entered the batter’s box having already seen what they could potentially face from an opposing pitcher.
• Having established the performance lab during the offseason heading into 2024, the team brought its manager of performance science, Brandon Stone, Ph.D., a biomechanics expert, to the club in August for the rest of the season, with interim manager Warren Schaeffer being a proponent. Lefty pitcher Kyle Freeland saw immediate results with his pitch shapes, while outfielder Jordan Beck saw similar improvements with his defensive setups.
• Since 2023, the Rockies have used Reboot Motion, a biomechanics company that takes biometrics to create reports and visualizations.
• With owner Dick Monfort and executive vice president Walker Monfort receptive to change, the team is working on the next project -- adding the Hawk-Eye tracking system in ballparks at the Double-A and lower levels of Colorado's Minor League system. While ball flight and measures such as exit velocity are available at all levels, Hawk-Eye tracks player movement and biometrics.

But the team has had seven straight losing seasons, and it bottomed out to 43-119 in 2025. It can’t all be blamed on the tools. From various discussions with players and staff -- some recent, some over a period of years -- a picture has emerged:

• Years of catch-up left the team with a pieced-together computer system. When employees left, some unique language for operating left with them. For at least two years, the Rockies have been correcting the issue by embarking on a painstaking move to a cloud-based system that is more user-friendly.
• Because the previous system was inefficient, the organization’s use of data was best described as ad-hoc. If a coach or an analyst had an idea, it was studied and at times implemented. But cohesion was lacking.
• The organization has always been small in terms of employees. The philosophy became to limit the number of voices. Theoretically, it limits confusion, but it also had a stunting effect on ideas that could be helpful if delivered in a cohesive manner.

While some of the poor results came from inexperienced rosters and injuries, faults emerged. Among them were predictable pitching plans, tipping pitches and not placing enough emphasis on picking up patterns and tips. MLB Drafts brought big, long-swinging and strikeout-prone hitters while missing out on less-than-classic sized contact hitters that have made teams such as Arizona and Milwaukee successful. Meanwhile, Colorado lacked detailed data to direct infielders to pre-game work which could help them reach ground balls that may sneak past them.

DePodesta’s current task is to learn as much as possible about the organization, since current employees will be part of the puzzle. Increases in personnel are expected. Walker Monfort has earmarked pitching as a place to improve, but will it take larger staffs of coaches and analysts at all levels?

DePodesta sees his role as meshing philosophies and people into smooth-running procedures.

Will the Rockies gather the right amateur players, acquire the right pros from other teams and organizations, and efficiently gather, disseminate and impart the information to players?

“I’m interested in seeing what we can do from a technology standpoint, but also how we use it,” DePodesta said. “That might be just as important as saying, ‘We have this system at every level.’

“It’s really about how you’re using it and is it really helpful.”