Colorado's front office shakes up after a 119-loss season as Bill Schmidt resigns, ending a 25-year run overseeing a draft-and-develop mindset. The Rockies will search externally for a new baseball ops leader, with Warren Schaeffer’s future as interim manager undecided and a 2026 managerial decision looming from the incoming boss.

The season exposed deep issues: injury-plagued pitching, a struggle-filled offense, and a youth movement that under-delivered. Kris Bryant’s deal yielded little return, while top picks Toglia and Veen faltered, underscoring the need for a fresh strategic direction and renewed fan confidence.

Blaine Crim’s September surge with the Rockies has the 2026 Opening Day discussion back on the table. A waiver claim in August gave way to five homers in 11 games, a feat that places him among Colorado’s most surprising power surges in franchise history.

Crim’s professional at-bats and bat-to-ball feel impressed interim manager Warren Schaeffer, who suggested there’s no reason he can’t be part of the future. If the right-hander continues to hit, Crim could push for a long-term role even amid organizational uncertainty.

Padres 2, Rockies 0 in a dreary Petco Park opener highlighted by McCade Brown’s quality start for Colorado, but the offense never showed up, chalking up 14 strikeouts. Freddy Fermin opened San Diego’s scoring with an RBI single, then Luis Arraez added an RBI hit to push the lead to 2-0. Jackson Merrill doubled the lead with a fourth-inning blast as Padres bullpen slammed the door, preserving the two-run victory. Rockies battle Friday with Tanner Gordon toeing the rubber.

Fantasy takeaway: lean Padres for value, especially Arraez and Fermin, who supplied the scoring. Colorado’s bats remain the fade, but Brown’s night hints at a late-season breakout if the lineup can support him. Friday’s matchup features Colorado’s Tanner Gordon versus an uncertain Padres starter, offering potential DFS leverage if San Diego’s hot bats carry over.

Condon, the Rockies’ 2024 third pick, is heating up at Hartford. He’s slashing .262 with 10 homers in 47 games, and since Aug. 1 he’s .297/.415/.624 with eight homers and 22 RBIs in 28 contests, ranking among Eastern League leaders in power and overall production. The org. envisions a homegrown, power-first first baseman to fill the Helton void, especially as Toglia struggles and Kurtz excels elsewhere. Condon’s grounded approach and ongoing adjustments keep his major-league path plausible.

Behind the scenes, Meacham and Rockies execs preach patience and process: stay in the moment, read pitchers, and avoid chasing shortcuts. Condon’s tweaks—slightly lower stance, improved pitch recognition, and steadier handling of failure—fit a blueprint many Rockies fans hope leads to a Denver debut, with long-term fantasy upside if his power and contact converge against higher-quality pitching.