DENVER -- The best that can be said about Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner’s 2025 -- which he entered a candidate for a breakout but managed just six starts in the Majors and seven in the Minors because of right shoulder and back injuries -- was that he got a two-week headstart on 2026.
“There came a point a couple weeks before the end of the season where it was clear that I wasn’t going to have time to build back up and make it back,” said Feltner, 29. “I told myself I could go through everything that went wrong, everything that I felt wasn’t handled correctly on anybody’s end. I could go through that all day.
“But I just want to move on. It’s something that I don’t want to give any energy to.”
Feltner is all energy at this point. The “stories” function on his Instagram account regularly flashes videos of intense training sessions at Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. They are welcome dispatches after a season during which Feltner was out of sight in Denver after being placed on the injured list with back spasms on May 2, and out of mind after the shoulder injury sidelined him at Triple-A Albuquerque.
Maybe Feltner’s offseason work can symbolize what’s happening with the Rockies.
The MLB-worst 43-119 record in 2025 that marked a club-record seven straight losing seasons exposed the Rockies as an organization whose foundation has crumbled, and is in need of rethinking and redevelopment.
At the end of 2024, Feltner had the type of momentum that his team didn’t. His final 15 starts yielded a 2.75 ERA and .227 batting average against, and those numbers in September were 1.78 and .171, respectively. He finished with a career-high 162 1/3 innings. A power pitcher, Feltner said he lost some velocity late that season, but “my fastball was playing so well because I had my five other pitches working.”
But Feltner’s expected breakout turned into a breakdown, with the attempt to return from the back injury leading to the shoulder issue.
“He’s a really good pitcher,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said in September. “He’s got some of the best stuff that we’ve got. It was just a tough year physically.”
Feltner's belief is that he didn’t report for ‘25 as strong as he should have. He showed up at 195 pounds after beginning other years above 200. The frequent video posts show that he doesn’t plan to make that mistake again. Eric Cressey, the owner of Cressey Sports Performance, board-certified physical therapist Eric Schoenberg, and nutrition and supplementation expert Nate Barry are part of the team helping Feltner increase his strength.
“I still hit the weight room hard, but I cut my offseason short because I wanted to take the first month of the offseason to recover, and make sure that I was ready to go the next year,” Feltner said. “But I’ve learned a lot. Building capacity in the weight room is important for me, so that I have a higher workload capacity going into next season.
“I’m already 200 at this point and I’m trying to gain about a pound a week to be about 205, while staying on top of movement quality. I still feel super athletic. We’re doing a whole lot of tests to make sure that as I’m adding weight, I’m not losing any athleticism.”
Today will mark the third light throwing session of an offseason that Feltner believes can be the beginning of better days.
Feltner is expected to be counted upon as the Rockies try to improve their league-worst 6.65 starter ERA. Feltner and veteran Kyle Freeland are the extent of the experience among starters, with Germán Márquez poised for free agency and Antonio Senzatela ticketed for the bullpen. For now, 2025 rookies and unseen prospects are the options.
But after dealing with his own pain and watching the messy Rockies season from afar, Feltner sees opportunity.
“There’s not going to be any stale energy left around – there’s going to be new, revitalized energy,” Feltner said. “Whoever comes in is going to bring a different look and that’s what we need.
“I always want to be a part of that. Everything I do is to try to make myself better and to win Major League Baseball games. That’s the ultimate goal for the Rockies, as well."