While the Rockies stayed in-house when they replaced their hitting coach, replacement Clint Hurdle before Saturday’s home game against the Washington Nationals made it clear changes are coming for the Rockies on offense.

“We are going to be aggressive at the plate,” said Hurdle, who served as Colorado’s manager across parts of eight seasons from 2002-09 and took over as Rockies hitting coach after the team parted ways with Hensley Meulens Thursday.

“Everything starts with a thought, so I’m probably going to start working from the inside out. They all have swings, but when the swings become mechanical and robotic, they’re not so much swings as they become exercises. I want to try and tighten them up mentally and loosen them up physically.”

Washington beat Colorado 12-11 at Coors Field Sunday. Being aggressive at the plate hasn’t been a problem this season, with the Rockies leading the National League in strikeouts. Many of those strikeouts have been the result of swinging at pitches outside the zone, with the Rockies collectively swinging at 34.9% of pitches that aren’t strikes and making contact on just 51.9% of those swings. Both of those numbers were the worst in the National League.

Changes in swings will require a change in philosophy, and Hurdle made clear necessary change is coming for the Rockies.

“I’m not afraid to do hard,” Hurdle said. “In there, everybody’s got a lock. I’ve brought a bunch of keys and I hope to open some locks while I’m here.”

Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings has experience with Hurdle, playing under him in Pittsburgh while Hurdle was manager there from 2011-19. Based on that experience and his view as a 10-year MLB veteran, Stallings believes wholesale changes aren’t coming with how the Rockies approach things at the plate.

“I don’t think that a new hitting coach means everyone is going to be changing their swings or anything like that,” Stallings said. “I think it’s just more mindset and approach and how, maybe for some of these younger guys, they game plan for pitchers going into games.

“I think it’s more of an approach thing and more of a team mindset.”

That brings up the big question about the Rockies making a change at hitting coach: will it actually make a difference? Colorado’s lineup Saturday didn’t include Brenton Doyle (bereavement leave) or Ezequiel Tovar (placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hip inclusion), two of the Rockies’ biggest offensive contributors from 2024.

Without them, Colorado fielded a lineup with just one player hitting over .240 for the season — the .345 from second baseman Kyle Farmer.

“Time will bear this out,” Rockies manager Bud Black said about the coaching change. “We’re hopeful bringing Clint in can help ignite an offense that’s been a little stagnant obviously.”

While Black preached patience, Hurdle also knows that time, at least for the 2025 campaign, is not on Colorado’s side.

“There needs to be some urgency,” Hurdle said Saturday. “You’ll hear people say we’ve only played 18 games. Well, we’ve played 18 games, and there’s been a common theme in most of those 18 games. We need to reverse the theme. We get the need to get a foot down, and we need to get some traction on offense.

“And one of the things I do share (with) people, when you talk about traction, sometimes that comes with friction. Those are times when you have conversations. It’s not going to be all feel-good. There needs to be reality. There needs to be honest self-evaluation.”

Decreasing Colorado’s strikeouts immediately upon Hurdle’s arrival in the dugout was a tall ask, especially with Washington’s MacKenzie Gore on the mound for the series opener. The 26-year-old left-hander entered the game averaging 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings, the most in the National League.

Gore did his damage on the mound on Saturday, striking out 13, matching his career-high mark. It was the 12th time in 19 games this season the Rockies had logged double-digit strikeouts. Gore finished his six-inning stint by striking out eight of the final 10 Colorado batters he faced.

However, while the offense eventually produced 11 runs (the second-most of the season), the first game of the Hurdle era back on the Rockies bench was a meltdown in other phases during the defeat. An error and some sloppy defense reminded that Colorado is still inconsistent in the field, especially without Gold Glovers Doyle and Tovar in the lineup.

Four home runs surrendered by rookie right-hander Chase Dollander in just four innings of work was a stark reality check for Colorado’s top pitching prospect and the growth still needed to become a consistent starter at the MLB level.

Still, an eight-run seventh inning where Colorado used three hits and three walks, including two with the bases loaded, as the genesis for the outburst was enough to have the Rockies feeling confident about their direction heading into a Sunday doubleheader.

“I think we’re a lot better baseball team than we showed over this first little stretch of the season,” said outfielder Mickey Moniak, who finished 2-for-3 with four RBI. “We obviously didn’t get the win, which is unfortunate. But a game like this gives you the confidence to know that we’re never out of a game, no matter what.”