Adael Amador’s time might not be right now. But it’s coming. Soon.

On Wednesday night in a rare win for his Colorado Rockies against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 21-year-old (just barely) became the youngest player in franchise history to reach base three times in a game.

But it was an out he made in the ninth inning that perhaps best showcases reasons for his fans and teammates to get excited.

With the game tied and the first two hitters aboard after the Rox lost in heart-crushing fashion the night before, Amador fought off several tough, borderline pitches to eventually put the eighth offering in play to move the runner to third. 

If he strikes out or hits into a double play, the rally is likely over. Instead, he set up Brenton Doyle so that he didn’t even need a base hit, delivering the sac fly for the walk-off win. 

Nice AB, kid.

It won’t go down as his first game-winner, that will have to come later, but a young player showing an ability to slow things down, not try to do too much, and help his team win by executing the “small” stuff is incredibly encouraging.

We saw similar things from his middle-infield companion Ezequiel Tovar a year ago. 

“He reminds me of me last year,” says Tovar, “My only advice to him every time I talk to him is to just have fun. He’s a top prospect in our organization for a reason, he’s a good ballplayer, and I just tell him to enjoy the moment.”

Amador does indeed appear to be soaking it all in despite a slow start statistically to his big league career. In 10 games played so far, he has six hits, six strikeouts, one walk, one RBI, and one run scored. Well, and of course, one incredibly important productive out.

Manager Bud Black tells us Amador will return to Double-A once Brendan Rodgers returns to health and it was clear from the moment he was called up that this first taste of MLB was meant to be a learning experience. 

And you couldn’t ask for a much better guy to learn from than Tovar who is breaking out in 2024 as one of MLB’s best shortstops. “It’s been an amazing opportunity,” Amador says. “Last year I told him one day, God willing, I’m going to play next to you. That was the goal.” 

And it will be again.

It could well be the case that we see these two in purple pinstripes turning twin killings together for the better part of the next decade. Even at a combined 43 years of age, they would still be younger than last season’s oldest active player, Rich Hill. 

Still, now in his third season and starting to gain traction as a serious All-Star Game candidate, Tovar is already moving into a bit of a leadership role. “I feel like a grandpa around these guys right now,” he jokes.

Sure at 22, he’s got a year and plenty of at-bats on Amador but also as the Rockies continue down this rebuild, Tovar is able to share his recent knowledge with players like Victor Vodnik or Jordan Beck who may technically be older but not have the same experience. Next comes guys like Zac Veen and Drew Romo.

“It’s his maturity level and the way he thinks,” Amador says of why the still very young Tovar feels like such a natural mentor. “He’s always telling me to have fun and continue to work… He’s been a great example.”

When the top prospect in an organization makes their debut, there will inevitably and always be a bit of a hope that they can take the world by storm, show everyone what they’ve got, and leave the farm firmly in the rear-view mirror.

Those instances are rare but admittedly some of the most fun a baseball season can provide.

For Adael Amador, it hasn’t worked out quite like that. Not right out of the gate anyway. It didn’t go that way for Tovar either.

But in the bottom of the ninth on a hot June night, he was absolutely vital to delivering a win for the big league ballclub.

It was his first time. Won’t be his last.