The Colorado Rockies are just days removed from a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 27 that concluded their season. 

The 2026 campaign for the state's only Major League Baseball team was another difficult one. Baseball may be far from thriving in the Mile High City right now, but there are still reasons to be optimistic about this club moving forward.

Recently, ESPN MLB Insider Bradford Doolittle assigned silver linings to each team that did not make the playoffs.

In the case of the Rockies, the existence of TJ Rumfield was enough to make Doolittle’s list.

Rumfield, 26, had a long road before landing with Colorado and finally making his MLB debut on March 27. From that point forward, he proved that he could be a bright spot and a mainstay in the Rockies' future.

In 155 games this season, Rumfield posted a .300 batting average, a .390 on-base percentage, a .453 slugging percentage, and an .843 OPS. He also hit 16 home runs.

As Doolittle points out, Rumfield's season stats leave little doubt. His splits show consistency across the board, as he hit both lefties and righties. Additionally, he was productive at home and on the road.

That is good news because the Rockies have a host of issues, some of which stem from Denver's high altitude. However, in 79 home games this season, Rumfield posted a slash line of .304/.385/.479 and a .864 OPS.

When it came to the long ball, Rumfield also hit 10 of his 16 home runs at Coors Field. Doolittle emphasized how Rumfield's presence shows that Colorado's front office has the ability to find players like him who can help solve the Rockies' problems, especially as it pertains to the altitude at which they are compelled to play.

The Rockies may still be a long way from winning baseball, but their 58-104 record in 2026 is much better than the 43-119 record they posted in 2025. The franchise was at rock bottom, but that no longer seems to be the case.

Now, with new leadership in the front office and an interesting young core that features Rumfield, Hunter Goodman, Jake McCarthy and Cole Carrigg, there is reason to believe they are heading in the right direction.

Nothing is going to come easy for the Rockies, especially in the arduous landscape that is the National League West division. However, struggling teams like Colorado can only work to improve, and the Rockies are showing what kind of potential they can have in the coming years.