The season nobody wants to remember
In 2025, the Colorado Rockies finished 43-119 with a run differential of -424 — the worst in modern MLB history and the worst by any team since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders. Every game felt like a tutorial in how to lose. Denver fans watched their team park itself at the bottom of every leaderboard, month after month, with no sign of life.
But while fans were asking how a team could be this bad, a number started circulating in angry fan circles that cuts right to the heart of the tension: the Colorado Rockies, in the middle of the worst season in franchise history, generated $20 million in operating income in 2025 and were valued at $1.68 billion by Forbes. The team lost 76 more games than it won. The business turned a profit. Both things are true at the same time.
The owner who answers his own emails
Richard Monfort has owned the Rockies since 2011. He’s not the type of owner who hides behind a wall of executives. By verified accounts, he’s one of the few MLB owners who personally responds to emails from angry fans using his own account. That means that while the 43-119 season was unfolding, Monfort was likely reading messages from people questioning his decisions, his spending, his vision — and writing back.
That kind of accessibility is genuinely rare in professional baseball. Most owners are shielded by layers of front-office staff, PR teams, and lawyers. Monfort takes a different approach, at least on the surface. It matters because it shapes how this ownership group relates to its fan base.
But accessibility doesn’t answer the question fans keep asking out loud: if the team can play historically bad baseball and the owner still makes money, where’s the financial pressure to actually get better? There’s no real penalty for losing — not the kind fans feel there should be.
When the scoreboard and the balance sheet don’t agree
This is the core of the frustration. The Rockies lost 76 more games than they won in 2025. That’s not a matter of opinion — it’s a fact, and it’s the worst record in the modern era. At the same time, Forbes credited the franchise with $20 million in operating income and a $1.68 billion valuation.
On-field numbers and financial numbers are moving in completely opposite directions. A team can be a disaster in the standings and still be a healthy business. The Rockies are living proof of that.
For fans, that raises an uncomfortable question: if ownership profits even when the team loses historically, what’s the real incentive to invest in talent, rebuild the roster, or push for something better? Monfort answers emails. But does that change the fact that the business model tolerates failure?
- 2025 record: 43-119 — worst in modern MLB history
- Run differential: -424 — worst since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders
- Operating income: $20 million (Forbes)
- Franchise valuation: $1.68 billion (Forbes)
Both sets of numbers are real. Both coexist. And that coexistence is exactly what’s keeping Denver fans frustrated heading into 2026 — watching every move Monfort makes, every dollar he spends, every email he sends back.
Ownership data verified as of August 12, 2026.
