When the Colorado Rockies will begin a three-game road series against the Houston Astros on Tuesday, it will mark the start of a pivotal stretch for a team that is wanting to prove it is better now than its overall record shows.

Including the series against Houston, 16 of the next 19 games are against teams that, if the regular season ended today, all would be included in the postseason. That is a stretch that could well define how the Rockies change in the offseason and which players are a part of the plan moving forward.

After three games in Houston, the Rockies return home to face the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres for three games each. Of Colorado’s rugged upcoming stretch, only the Giants are outside of the playoff race.

Following that homestand, Colorado embarks on a tough trip to California, with three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers followed by four in San Diego.

A gauntlet ahead? On paper, yes, but the Rockies showed with a four-game split against the Dodgers before starting this current road trip by being swept in Pittsburgh that there is a growing confidence inside the clubhouse that they can play spoiler against anyone.

“We’re starting to play the brand of baseball that we should have been playing from the start,” said Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle, who is batting .389 in August, among the highest averages in the month of any MLB player. “Post-All-Star break, the games have been way more competitive. The series have been a lot better, and it’s easy to build off a series like that (split with Dodgers).”

So, what should Rockies fans watch for over the critical 19-game stretch? Here are three things that stand out.

Development of young infielders

Warming Bernabel and Kyle Karros have taken over at first and third base, respectively, while Ryan Ritter is being given plenty of chances at second base since returning from a finger injury. It represents not only a new-look infield compared to what the Rockies had before the All-Star break when Michael Toglia and Ryan McMahon were the primary corner infielders, but also a glimpse of what a 2026 infield could look like.

Bernabel, Karros and Ritter could join with Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar to give the Rockies a nucleus in the infield moving forward.

“I think they’re gelling very well together,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said of those four. “It’s just going to get better through time. That’s what happens when you play with each other for a long time. It’s all fresh for these guys right now and they’re having a good time doing it. I think you can see that every night.”

If Colorado’s young infield (that averages 23.5 years old) can hold its own against a rugged schedule and develop more chemistry along the way, that’s a big plus for the Rockies.

Answers in the rotation

Colorado jettisoned an ineffective Austin Gomber on Friday and will need to make a decision with German Marquez, who is rehabbing from right biceps tendinitis, on his future once the offseason arrives.

Those two veterans, along with Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela, both of whom are under contract for 2026, represented one side of Colorado’s starting pitching equation for most of the season. Now the Rockies are shifting to newer faces in the rotation in the hopes of finding answers for the rest of this season and beyond.

Can Chase Dollander become a steady starter? The talent is certainly there, but repeated mistakes, especially late in counts, are worrisome. What will he show against some of MLB’s best teams during this stretch?

Tanner Gordon has pitched well in outings against the Dodgers and New York Yankees this season but still has an overall 7.11 ERA in nine starts. Can he find consistency?

Bradley Blalock and McCade Brown could factor into the rotation in September. Will they show enough to be considered for 2026 roles?

Colorado’s rotation is expected to have fresh faces in 2026. The question becomes how many of those fresh faces will come from inside the organization.

Can Hunter Goodman become the greatest ever?

Colorado’s All-Star catcher enters Tuesday with 25 home runs, the second-most in franchise history behind Wilin Rosario’s 28 in 2012.

That’s one number he is chasing to establish what is turning into the greatest-ever season for a Rockies catcher. He’s already the first catcher in franchise history to have a campaign with at least 100 hits, 50 extra-base hits and 25 homers, and just the seventh Rockies position player to post those numbers since 2019.

Goodman’s evolution into a roster mainstay has been one of the brightest spots of this season. Can he continue to pad those numbers as the season winds down against some of the best MLB pitchers?