‘Moneyball-like’ ways of Rays and Brewers offer blueprint to Rockies

Purple Row's Joelle Milholm analyzes how the Colorado Rockies can adopt strategies from the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers to improve. Following an analysis by The Athletic's Eno Sarris highlighting the edges that allow those small-market clubs to thrive, Milholm argues that Colorado showed positive trends in two key areas during the 2026 season: making more contact and improving on the basepaths.

The Rockies reduced their strikeout rate from 25.9% in 2025 to 22.8% in 2026 under president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and manager Warren Schaeffer. Colorado also increased its stolen base total from 87 to 109, boosted by Jake McCarthy's 32 steals, while raising its success rate to 72.7%. Milholm contends the team must continue emphasizing contact and stolen bases to compete.