It’s early. We’re just barely out of February. But it’s ok to get excited about the Colorado Rockies position player prospects who showed up to camp looking like much better versions of themselves.
For Zac Veen and Charlie Condon, the road to the show has been long and winding. First round picks in the MLB Draft, they arrived in pro ball with the kind of hype that often feels almost impossible to live up to. Surely, these players are built to be superstars.
And you can see why just by looking at them. Especially this Spring Training. Yes, it is indeed the time of year when everyone is in the best shape of their life. But the change in Veen in particular is noticeable with the naked eye and the result of a ton of work put in over the offseason.
With all the added muscle, Veen looks to maximize his power potential without sacrificing his game-changing speed. He’s gotten early rewards for all the hard work with a pair of walk-off home runs early in the spring. A couple of true moonshots. He has yet to attempt a stolen base.
Condon meanwhile didn’t need to pack on the pounds. He brought his already intimidating Bulldog frame with him from the University of Georgia. He did need to show off the power production that should come with such a frame, but hasn’t yet as a pro. So far, so good.
As of March 1, he has three homers, five RBI, two walks, and just three strikeouts in 16 plate appearances. He leads the Rockies through the first week and a half of play with an OPS of 1.856. Three homers in February will turn some heads for sure. Though, of course, it won’t mean much if he can’t keep it going into the summer months. But you couldn’t ask for much better early returns.
Both of these guys have fallen victim to bad luck, a bit of bad performance, and all kinds of bad vibes over the last few years.
The bad luck in Veen’s case took the form of injuries that cost him large chunks of his 2023 and 2024 campaigns. For Condon it was a wrist injury in his very first taste of Spring Training action. A stumble out of the gate as it were.
It would be a stretch to say that either player has been “bad” for any truly worrying length of time. Condon, in fact, hasn’t been bad at all. He posted a wRC+ of 131 across his first full season, tallying 433 plate appearances. That’s roughly 31 percent better than league average but with only 14 home runs and a .444 slugging percentage is that good enough in Double-A to match the hype?
After all, Veen was regularly putting up above average numbers, playing up due to his remarkable stolen base rate, until he hit Triple-A. In his defense, he had only a handful of game at the highest level of the minors before necessity forced his MLB debut early last year. It was a rude introduction.
Veen ultimately played in only 12 games at the big-league level. He notched just four hits. Though, he did record his first round-tripper. He struggled in Triple-A as well, though finished the season strong. His wRC+ for the year totaled a just-below-league average of 95. At this point, almost all of the prospect shine has come off of him.
Once a fixture on the Top 100 Prospect lists, the mercurial outfielder has since fallen out of the national conversation. Condon hasn’t fallen quite as far but where he once ranked in the 30s and 40s now sits at 70 on MLB Pipeline. In accordance with the stats we’ve already looked at, there’s a logical argument to be made for both drops. You could, and should, at the very least argue that the last year and a half has been disappointing for the both of them. But it also hasn’t been disastrous for either of them.
One thing that very few evaluators will admit is that these two didn’t just have injuries and stats working against them. They had reputation. And not their own. The Colorado Rockies have been a mess for a while. The previous regime didn’t make a lot of friends around the league. This is true both of other front offices and those who put together things like prospect lists. It has been common for players in this farm system to be looked at with an extra assumption that however good they are, their development might be hindered by the franchise. There’s also that wonky ballpark to deal with.
So much has changed in one offseason, though.
With Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes running the show, everything around this club feels different. It feels fresh and new in a way it hasn’t maybe since the opening of Coors Field. There is for the first time since the departure of Nolan Arenado… hope. Perhaps those shifting vibes will extend to how the Rockies prospects are viewed. More importantly, the shifting philosophies, perspectives, and coaches should go a long way toward maximizing potential that had previously gone unrealized.
So now, Zac Veen and Charlie Condon find themselves with a fresh start in every way. Though, it never hurts to carry a little chip on your shoulder. To remember all those who doubted you because you did not immediately reach your potential. To prove the haters wrong.
New look. Feel. Vibes. New team.
Who dis?
