Honestly, if you looked at the standings in August, you probably thought the Rockies vs Dodgers 2025 matchups were just a formality. On paper? Total mismatch. One team was chasing a triple-digit win season while the other was literally just trying to keep their head above water. But if you actually sat through those humid nights at Coors Field or the breezy late-season games in LA, you know the box scores didn't tell the whole story.
Baseball is weird.
You had Shohei Ohtani doing Ohtani things—97.6 mph on the mound and 50+ homers—and then you had the Rockies' Hunter Goodman quietly becoming the first Colorado player in six years to hit 30 home runs. It was a season of massive gaps but strangely high-tension moments that made the "automatic win" for LA feel like a trap game every single time.
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The Coors Field Chaos and That Near No-Hitter
The most intense stretch of the Rockies vs Dodgers 2025 season happened in early September. You might remember the buzz on September 8th. The Dodgers were cruising. They had a combined no-hitter going through eight innings. The stadium was holding its breath. Then Ryan Ritter, a guy most casual fans wouldn't recognize in a grocery store, steps up in the ninth and rips a leadoff double off Tanner Scott.
No-hitter gone. Just like that.
The "Boobirds" came out in LA because Scott had just blown a save in Baltimore the week before. Even though the Dodgers won 3-1, that game perfectly captured the vibe of the 2025 series: the Dodgers dominated, but the Rockies always found a way to make them sweat just a little bit. It's those small moments of defiance that keep this NL West rivalry from being completely one-sided, even when the win-loss record looks like a typo.
A Tale of Two Rotations
Watching the pitching matchups this year was a lesson in contrast. You have Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who looked like a surgeon on the mound. In late June, he threw five scoreless innings in Denver before a massive rain delay ruined his night. He was sitting at 7-6 at the time, but his efficiency was scary—39 strikes on 56 pitches.
Then you have the Rockies' young arms. Chase Dollander took some lumps, but you could see the potential. The kid went 5.2 innings against that terrifying Dodgers lineup in June and only gave up three runs. For a rookie at Coors Field? That's basically a Cy Young performance.
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Why the Standings Didn't Tell the Whole Story
By late August, the Rockies were sitting at 37-91. It was rough. Reddit threads were already "officially" calling their losing season. Meanwhile, the Dodgers were at 73-55, fighting the Padres for the division lead.
But check this out: they actually split a four-game series in Denver during that same window.
- Game 1: Dodgers win 11-4 (standard Coors Field blowout).
- Game 2: Rockies shock them 8-3.
- Game 3: Dodgers claw back 9-5.
- Game 4: A gritty Rockies win.
If you were betting on these games, you were probably losing money. The Rockies' power-hitting style—the "mountain ball" philosophy—is the great equalizer. When the air is thin and Kris Bryant or Brenton Doyle catches one right, it doesn't matter how much your roster costs.
The Ohtani Factor
We have to talk about Shohei. In 2025, he wasn't just a hitter; he was the best pitcher in baseball according to most projection systems like THE BAT. His fastball spin rate jumped to 2517 rpm late in the season. When he faced Colorado, it felt unfair. In one August game at Coors, he reached base four times including an intentional walk and a catcher's interference. Teams were literally terrified to let him swing.
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But even the "Unicorn" struggled with the Coors effect. High altitude usually kills movement on breaking balls, and Ohtani’s high fastball usage (around 54%) actually made him more vulnerable in Denver than in sea-level parks.
Key Stats That Actually Mattered
Most people just look at the final score, but the Rockies vs Dodgers 2025 season was won and lost in the margins.
- The 3,000 Strikeout Club: Clayton Kershaw entered a June series against Colorado just eight strikeouts away from 3,000. Watching him work through that lineup at 37 years old was like watching a masterclass. He finished that June 26th start just three away, eventually hitting the milestone later that summer.
- Home Run Milestones: Hunter Goodman hitting 31 homers was a massive bright spot for a struggling franchise. On the flip side, Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy both crossed the 20-homer mark during a single series against Colorado in September.
- The Bullpen Tax: The Dodgers' Tanner Scott had a rollercoaster year. He was brought in to shut the door, but the Rockies' Ryan Ritter and Brenton Doyle seemed to have his number in high-leverage spots.
What This Means for 2026
If you’re looking for actionable takeaways from the Rockies vs Dodgers 2025 season, it’s that the gap is closing in ways that aren't yet visible in the win column. The Rockies are developing a core—Tovar, Doyle, Goodman—that actually plays well together. They aren't just a collection of random vets anymore.
For the Dodgers, 2025 was a reminder that you can't buy "easy" wins in the NL West. Every trip to Denver is a physical grind that wears down a pitching staff.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Watch the Pitching Splits: When the Dodgers head to Coors in 2026, look at the spin rate data. If their starters can't adjust to the altitude, the Rockies will continue to pull off those weird 8-3 upsets.
- Monitor the Rockies' Youth: Ezequiel Tovar is becoming a premier defensive shortstop. His growth against elite talent like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman is the benchmark for Colorado’s rebuild.
- Betting Caution: Never take the "under" in a Rockies-Dodgers game at Coors Field. Between the thin air and the Dodgers' offensive depth, double-digit scores are the rule, not the exception.
The 2025 season proved that even when the standings say it’s a blowout, the actual games are anything but. Baseball in the NL West remains the most unpredictable theater in the sport.