If you watched much of the Colorado Rockies in 2024, you got used to a lot of things.
The first and most obvious one is that you got used to losing. You also got used to bullpen implosions and injuries to the starting pitching staff. And strikeouts. Lots and lots of strikeouts.
But if you were looking for silver linings on a nightly basis you found yourself returning to two names over and over again; Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar.
Health issues and a sophomore slump kept Nolan Jones from adding his name to that incredibly short list but those three have been the biggest, and at times only, reasons for excitement the last two years.
With few offseason moves made, and Thairo Estrada (solid as he is) unlikely to provide a wave of fresh joy, fans are left with few positions on the diamond upon which they can dream. The rotation is full of returning veterans and bullpens are always a been of a crapshoot.
There’s some potential with Michael Toglia, who took over at first base by the end of last season and has massive raw power paired with excellent defense. But he will need to continue to improve quite a bit with the contact rate to truly become an impact player.
Both Hunter Goodman and Drew Romo provide some hope as well but both have also shown a need to make big strides to hang in the big leagues. But the place where the Rockies, and their fans, can most allow themselves to feel the excitement for dramatic improvement is in right field.
For the last few years, right field has been manned by an aging Charlie Blackmon, a shell-of-himself Kris Bryant, a mishmash of underperforming prospects, and Jake Cave.
There was a plan in place to finally let Jordan Beck take over last season but a broken hand put that plan on hold. Until now.
In 2025, Beck will be the presumed front-runner to win the job out of the gate.
Blackmon, you may recall, retired. And Bryant will be the DH except to fill in here and there. So Beck will get his shot, earned by several years of him torching the minors and the way he has already improved in his short time in the majors.
He brings all five tools with him and could give the Rockies three legitimate star-caliber players in the outfield, that is, if Nolan Jones can return to form. Already an excellent defender and athlete, he needs only put a few more things together at the plate to become a weapon.
But the reason right field is particularly exciting is that the Rockies do not have all of their eggs in the Jordan Beck basket.
Immediately behind him and banging on the door to the Bigs are highly-touted prospects Zac Veen and Yanquiel Fernandez, both of whom bring an exciting array of skills.
Veen has been injury-prone thus far as a pro, otherwise, he likely would have debuted by now, but like Beck can be a five-tool player and has proven to be especially adept at stealing bases. Taken in the first round (9th overall) back in 2020, Veen was seen as a slam dunk star player and drew comparisons to Cody Bellinger.
Since then, scouts and evaluators have been split on how he has handled his health and increasingly quality pitching but many still believe that his ceiling remains remarkably high.
Fernandez didn’t dominate Triple-A last season, posting a wRC+ of 98, but at just 22 years old the big Cuban has a lot of room to grow. He doesn’t have the speed or defensive acumen of either Beck or Veen but may end up being the most reliable hitter and a lefty power machine, something the offense has been lacking for a long time.
Beck already has MLB experience and both Veen and Fernandez have spent time in Triple-A. All will be eyeing 2025 as their year. That kind of competition amongst that level of talent tends to create some interesting – and exciting – outcomes.
While nothing is guaranteed with young players, at least in this instance the Rockies can attack the situation with numbers and hope that at least one, if not all three, work out.
If nothing else, in the spot that has been roamed by Larry Walker and Carlos Gonzalez, it is nice to see some excitement again.
