Purple Row

The first day of September almost provided a career first for Gabriel Hughes of the Colorado Rockies. Despite allowing just one run, Hughes departed with a lead but failed to claim his first Major League victory in Colorado’s 4-2 win against the Orioles September 1 at Coors Field. Although the rookie’s big achievement did not come against the Orioles, the right-hander did turn in a solid performance. His impressive outing could not have come at a better time for the Rockies.

Follow all of your favorite SB Nation communities in one place If you buy something from a link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 1: A fan uses her cell phone after catching a ball during the Toronto Blue Jays delivers MLB game against the Minnesota Twins on October 1, 2012 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Managing all of the Colorado Rockies gear is a big task, one that falls to Mike “Tiny” Pontarelli, Assistant Director of the Major League Clubhouse. (You may remember from earlier this season, Renee Dechert wrote about the Rockies’ home run coat.

Colorado Rockies news and links for Saturday, August 29th, 2026 If you buy something from a link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 25: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with teammates Cole Carrigg #16 and Jordan Beck #27 after the Colorado Rockies defeated the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia.

Former Rockie and current manager of the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s L.A. Queens hugs pitcher Meggie Meidlinger earlier this season. Jackie Kalafut Eric Young Sr. has always considered himself an underdog. A 43rd-round pick in the 1989 MLB Draft: That’s the 1,120th player picked that year. With his underdog status in tow, all Young did was serve up a 15-year MLB career that included five years with the Colorado Rockies.

As my father, a Boston Red Sox fan, was grappling with his own favorite team’s identity last year in the wake of the Rafael Devers trade, he asked me who the “big players” for the Colorado Rockies were these days. I had no idea how to answer that question. He wasn’t assuming that they had a future Hall of Fame player — if so, he would have heard of them.

McCarthy led off the first inning with a double and was followed by a TJ Rumfield walk and three soft contact outs. He would fail to score despite advancing to third on a stolen base. Ezequiel Tovar led off the third inning with a single that chased Nationals starter Matt Waldron. After he advanced to second on a groundout from McCarthy, both Carrigg and Hunter Goodman struck out to end the threat. The fourth inning again opened up with a runner in scoring position as Rumfield doubled.

Colorado Rockies news and links for Wednesday, August 26, 2026 DENVER, CO - AUGUST 22: Colorado Rockies second baseman Willi Castro (3) prepares to bat in the first inning during a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images There has been talk in the Purple Row comments of late about platoons.

Andrew Baker will tell you, politely but firmly, that the pitch chasing him around scouting reports right now is not a cutter. “It’s technically not a cutter,” the Colorado Rockies right-hander said. “It’s like a gyro slider.” Public pitch-tracking systems still file it that way — Baker’s version averages 87.8 mph and has been his most-used weapon at Triple-A Albuquerque this year, thrown 49.7% of the time — but by his own account, it’s really two different sliders wearing one label.

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 17: Starter Tomoyuki Sugano #11 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field on August 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) Getty Images Samantha Bradfield Sam Bradfield is the managing editor of Purple Row, where she has covered the Rockies since 2017.