The Colorado Rockies limped to their fourth 100-loss season in a row, but despite the record, there were some notable improvements. 

First of all, the Rockies went 58-104, which was a 15-win increase from the disastrous 43-119 record they posted in 2025, which was a franchise-worst mark. They also proved to have a really solid offense, as they finished with the fourth-best batting average (.254), the fifth-best OPS (.744), and the fifth-best slugging percentage (.417) in Major League Baseball.

However, their Achilles' heel was the pitching staff. Almost everyone who took the mound for the Rockies struggled, including rookie right-hander Gabriel Hughes.

The kind of year Hughes had is one all rookies should hope to avoid. 

Sure, he got plenty of time on the mound, making 14 appearances and 13 starts, but he went 0-8 with a 6.33 ERA over 64 innings pitched. He also had nearly as many earned runs (45) as he did strikeouts (56). 

Opposing hitters also logged a collective .271 batting average off Hughes. The 25-year-old could not get anything going, and one of the only good parts of his stat line was that he was able to complete a save in the one opportunity he earned, which also doubled as his MLB debut on July 3 against the San Francisco Giants.

From that point forward, the season was an uphill battle for Hughes. His best month was in July, when, despite going 0-3 across five appearances, he posted a 3.33 ERA. His worst month was in August, when he also went 0-3 but posted a 10.03 ERA across five starts and 23.1 innings.

So, what does Hughes have going for him after a brutal introductory year to MLB?

First of all, the good news for Hughes is that he is very young and has time to improve.

Unlike Kyle Freeland, for example, who is 33 years old and is coming off a 4-12 season with a 6.65 ERA, Hughes has a much greater runway to develop and become a successful pitcher. Moreover, he has proven to be better at home for Colorado, which is very significant.

Because of the environmental elements, Coors Field in Denver is one of the most difficult places to pitch in MLB. But Hughes has proven to be better there so far.

In seven appearances Hughes made at home in 2026, including six starts, he went 0-3 while posting a 4.09 ERA with 31 strikeouts while allowing 29 hits, 15 earned runs and 11 walks. On the road, he posted an 8.71 ERA with a 0-5 record across seven starts and 31 innings, in which he struck out 25 batters but allowed 39 hits, 30 earned runs and 13 walks.

It's not as if Hughes posted extraordinary numbers at home, but he was significantly better in a notoriously difficult park for pitchers. That is something to work with and one key reason to have hope for Hughes' future.