Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2024 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival
1. 3B Charlie Condon | 21 | A+ | 2026
The 6’6” Condon mashed 37 homers in his junior season while slashing .433.556/.1009 despite SEC pitchers doing their best to work around him. Things didn’t go as well after Colorado selected him third overall in this year’s draft. I was a little shocked to see him slash .180/.248/.270 with 34 strikeouts in 25 High-A games. Might create a bit of a buy-low window in First-Year-Player Drafts this winter.
2. OF Zac Veen | 23 | AAA | 2025
Veen entered 2024 carrying more questions than answers but played well enough to change the narrative. Here’s a blurb I wrote on May 22 in Prospect News: Festa Full Of Tricks or Zac Veen Finds A Cure:
“After two partial seasons truncated by injury, Rockies OF Zac Veen (22, AA) is having the kind of season dynasty players have been expecting from him since Colorado took him with the ninth pick of the 2020 draft. He’s slashing .326/.418/.568 with five home runs and nine stolen bases in 28 games.”
And here’s a snippet from September 18 in Prospect News: Veen With Envy or El Pollo Loco:
“After a rough first few days, Rockies OF Zac Veen (22, AAA) is making an impact against Triple-A arms with four home runs and five steals in his last 12 games. Even better, his strikeout rate is 18.2 percent over that stretch. If he can make enough contact to earn a job, his blend of power and speed could still sneak up on the dynasty world.”
And that’s where we are today: the 6’3” 190 lb hit 11 home runs and stole 21 bases in 65 games across four levels in 2024 and should have an outside shot at making the opening day roster in 2025.
3. RHP Chase Dollander | 23 | AA | 2025
Dollander was on track to contend for top overall draft pick as a Tennessee sophomore with a 10-and-0 record alongside a 2.39 ERA and 0.79 WHIP across 79 innings. His junior season was a struggle (4.75 ERA, 1.20 WHIP across 89 innings), but he still went ninth overall to the Rockies in the 2023 draft. It’s proven to be a smart selection so far. Dollander closed out the 2024 season with 48 innings across nine Double-A starts, recording a 2.25 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 58 strikeouts. Rockies pitchers are typically losing cards for our game, but the field has played more sporadically over the past few seasons, so I think there’s a chance for Dollander to find a way to navigate it thanks to plus command of a diverse, lab-compliant arsenal of fastball, curveball, changeup, slider.
4. 2B Adael Amador | 21 | MLB | 2024
A switch-hitter at 6’0” 200 lbs, Amador got his first look at the show this season but couldn’t find his footing, slashing .171/.194/.200 in 36 plate appearances. Could’ve probably predicted as much considering he wasn’t thriving in Double-A, where he ended the season slashing .230/.343/.376 with 14 home runs and 35 stolen bases. The fantasy appeal is clear, and there’s plenty of upside in the frame given his solid plate skills from both sides. Just might take a while for him to settle into his true skill level at the top level.
5. OF Robert Calaz | 19 | DSL | 2027
Power comes easily to the 6’2” 202 lb Calaz, the highest paid international signing of Colorado’s 2023 class at $1.7 million. He’s flashed on the field, too, posting impressive lines at each of three levels, culminating in a spicy 13-game stretch in Low-A to close out 2024. He hit two home runs, stole three bases and slashed .327/.387/.571 during those couple weeks and pumped a bunch of helium into his dynasty stock heading into the off-season.
6. C Drew Romo | 23 | MLB | 2024
Romo should be the starting catcher on opening day, assuming the Rockies don’t block him somehow over the winter. The 35th overall in 2020, Romo is a plus defender and switch-hitter who slashed .297/.339/.499 with 14 home runs and three steals in 85 Triple-A games this year. His major league debut didn’t go as well. He struck out 34 percent of the time in 16 games and hit just .176, but catchers take a while, and Romo is talented enough to earn some patience.
7. C OF Cole Carrigg | 22 | A+ | 2026
A switch-hitter at 6’2” 200 lbs, Carrigg is a fleet-footed dude who the Rockies are moving all around the field to keep his bat in the lineup when he’s not catching. In 111 High-A games, he stole 51 bags and hit 16 home runs while slashing .280/.358/.475 and striking out 19 percent of the time. He’s but a dream within a dream for now, but he gives us that once-upon-a-Varsho glimpse at a catcher-eligible guy who plays every day while providing speed and power.
8. OF Yanquiel Fernandez | 22 | AAA | 2025
6’2″ 198 lbs with a swift left-handed swing, Fernandez generates impressive power but managed just 12 home runs in 122 games this season because he swings at everything. The approach punished him in 33 Triple-A games, during which he slashed .211/.268/.313 with two home runs and 28 strikeouts. An adjustment period at new levels has been pretty typical for Fernandez, so I’d expect him to play much better at Triple-A this season and set himself up for an early promotion, where he’d probably struggle for a while.
9. 3B Kyle Karros | 22 | A+ | 2026
Eric’s son checks in at 6’5” 220 lbs with solid athleticism for a dude that size. This gives him an excellent chance to stay at the hot corner or possibly become plus as a corner outfielder if given time to develop out there. In 123 High-A games, he slashed .311/.390/.485 with 15 home runs and 12 steals, good for a 145 wRC+. Why on earth he would need a full season at High-A is anyone’s guess, but here we are.
10. OF Benny Montgomery | 22 | AA | 2025
A wide-receiver level athlete at 6’5” 200 lbs, Montgomery can make any outfield spot look like a jog in the park. If I were running the Rockies, my plan would be to find three elite defensive outfielders who are especially good at coming in on the ball. Gotta shrink that field for your pitchers, and Montgomery can do that. He hasn’t been healthy all the time, and he hasn’t been consistent when he’s been healthy, but the topside here is fantasy gold.
Thanks for reading!
