Playoff Fever Brewing, Again
Trevor Phipps
When the Rocky Mountain Vibes first took the field in 2025, they looked absolutely unstoppable.
In fact, they put forth their best start in franchise history and the team looked great.
But then injuries occurred. The team lost several players, a scenario that eventually led to a slump with an ensuring losing streak.
But once the season’s halfway mark struck, this losing trend eased up. The Vibes have really come out swinging in the last few weeks and are moving closer to first place during the second half of the season. As a result, their playoff hopes are still alive
At press time, the Vibes had an overall record of 33-32 and they were sitting in the middle of the league overall. But for the second half of the season, the Vibes are currently in third place overall and are only two games behind first.
After falling behind in two series against the Oakland Ballers at the beginning of July, the Vibes appeared poised to turn this situation around. After they played two series against the Ballers, the Vibes came out ahead 4-2 in a series on the road against the Billings Mustangs.
The Vibes then stayed strong and picked up another 4-2 series win against the Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers. Then to start August, the Vibes tied 3-3 in a series against the Grand Junction Jackalopes.
A Great Year Statistically
Despite their ups and downs, the team looks pretty decent on paper. After playing 65 games, the Vibes as a team have scored 515 runs and picked up 67 homeruns. The team currently has a batting average of .331, an on base percentage of .416 and a .480 slugging percentage.
And after losing some stars to trades and injuries, the Vibes still have a couple of hitters in the top 10 in the league. Currently outfielder Hank Himrich leads the team on hitting. Himrich sits as the Pioneer League’s 8th best batter with a .417 batting average, six RBIs and eight runs.
Sitting in a close second place on the Vibes when it comes to hitting, outfielder Kellum Clark is ninth place in the league/ Clark has a batting average of .413, and he has picked up eight homeruns, 45 RBIs, 47 runs and five stolen bases
However, like most seasons, the Vibes always seem to struggle when it comes to pitching. The good news is the Vibes have racked up a total of 493 strikeouts this season. But it’s safe to say their bullpen needs work as their team-wide ERA (earned run average sits at 6.77. However, that rather high ERA number is pretty typical for Pioneer League teams. And the Colorado Springs high-altitude air doesn’t help the situation.
The Vibes just concluded a road series against the Missoula Paddleheads, but the results were not available prior to press time. This week, the Vibes return home to battle the 50-16 Oakland Ballers, who are the top team in the Pioneer League from Tuesday-Sunday. Next week, the Vibes hit the road again to challenge the 35-30 Ogden Raptors for a six-game stretch. The Vibes then play at home next against the 17-48 Colorado Springs Sky Sox starting on August 26.
The Sky Sox started the 2025 season as the NoCo Owlz, but after issues with their stadium in Northern Colorado they were left without a home field to play at almost appeared the team would go belly-up. After the team officially folded, they became the newest version of the old Colorado Springs Sky Sox, with the help of the Vibes organization in scheduling their remaining home games in the Springs.
The Sky Sox had the worst team in the Pioneer league at the end of the first half of the season with a 9-38 record. But during the second half, the Sky Sox have moved out of last place, and they are searching for a winning record with their current 8-10 tally.
The Sky Sox started to turn things around in July when they won their first series in a long time against the Boise Hawks on the road. They then picked up a couple wins in two series against the Ogden Raptors and one series against the league-leading Oakland Ballers.
When it comes to batting, the team’s best player this season has been Quintt Landis. After 56 games played, Landis has earned a .366 batting average, and he has picked up six homeruns, 24 RBIs, 56 runs and seven stolen bases.
The Sky Sox play on the road against the 45-21 Missoula Paddleheads this week starting on Wednesday. They then play a road series followed by a home series against the 30-36 Grand Junction Jackalopes.
The next time to catch the Sky Sox play at home will be when they battle the Vibes at the end of August. This contest should attract a hefty crowd for sentimental reasons. The original Sky Sox played as a Triple-A team in the Pikes Peak region for about three decades, mostly under the umbrella of the Colorado Rockies, but also with the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers.
