The Colorado Rockies are, once again, getting near-universal praise immediately following the MLB Draft. It’s the one area where both local and national pundits have seen consistent success out of an organization that is currently on pace at the big league level to set a new record for the worst record of all time.
But the selection of 20 new young players, chief among them potential franchise-shifter Ethan Holliday, means that we can focus once again on the farm and try to imagine a future where things aren’t quite so dreary. There’s nowhere to go but up, right?
Holliday falling to the Rox was the first time in a long time that a “best-case scenario” has played out for this team so let’s add one more when it comes to this particular player and make the probably false assumption that he will rise through MiLB as quickly as his brother, Jackson Holliday. This would mean we could see Ethan by the end of the 2026 season as a part of a lineup that looks something like this:
- Zac Veen (RF)
- Ezequiel Tovar (SS)
- Ethan Holliday (3B)
- Charlie Condon (1B)
- Hunter Goodman (C)
- Jordan Beck (LF)
- Yanquiel Fernandez (DH)
- Tyler Freeman (2B)
- Brenton Doyle (CF)
Veen struggled in his first stint in MLB but has put things together nicely in Triple-A in response and still looks like a solid future contributor with talent that could blossom into more. In this scenario, you’re hoping for Holliday and Golden Spikes winner Charlie Condon to anchor the lineup, invoking Rockies teams of years past with massive thump.
Tovar and Goodman should make for reliable veterans around those rookies and Beck should be able to make the most out of his skillset when it isn’t just him and Goodman that pitchers have to worry about. If things don’t work out for Veen, Beck can slide back up into the leadoff spot.
It’s early yet in the career of Yanquiel Fernandez but I like what I see enough to project him as at least a decent hitter for this club for years to come, spending some time in the outfield whenever someone needs rest. He’s also good Veen insurance. For now, nobody else makes more sense in the DH spot, especially as long as he keeps the strikeout rate low.
Somehow in this scenario, the Rockies best current hitter Tyler Freeman, falls all the way down to the eighth spot. Again, we are assuming that especially Holliday and Condon can grow quickly and take to the Bigs right away. More likely, those guys start near the bottom of the lineup and work their way up but let’s not get bogged down in specifics while we are having fun.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about how this could all play out is the flexibility the Rockies will have. You might notice that Ryan Ritter didn’t make this list but there is plenty of time to show he could stick at second or third base. He also profiles very nicely as a great defender with plus speed and contact off the bench.
If the Rockies got desperate enough for pitching help and Ritter really emerges, they could even entertain the idea of trading Tovar or Ritter and allowing the other one to pair with Holliday on the left side.
Adael Amador similarly still has the potential to take over at second. In any of these cases, Freeman could become your super utility man.
With two of Amador, Ritter, and Freeman on the bench, you have a ton of versatility and you will likely have your choice of Drew Romo or Braxton Fulford as backup catcher. That leaves a spot that I believe will be filled (by the end of next season) by the most underrated prospect in the Rockies system: Cole Carrigg.
Talk about versatility. Carrig, who stole 53 bases a year ago and has 31 so far in Double-A this season, brings blazing speed, a switch-hitting bat with pop, and the ability to play any position on the diamond, including catcher, shortstop, and centerfield. A bench of Amador, Ritter, Romo, and Carrigg holds a lot of potential.
So, you might have noticed a couple of names from the current roster missing from this conversation altogether.
Firstly, it is in part because of the options we just went over that it makes as much sense as ever to trade Ryan McMahon. There seems to be a general consensus about that. What I haven’t seen floated is the possibility that the Rockies see if they can get something in return for Michael Toglia. There’s still potential with him and maybe a team out there with a better track record of instilling some plate discipline could get the most out of him. It’s also possible that at this moment in time, considering his 2025 struggles, nobody is willing to part with anything to get Toglia.
But it’s worth asking around at this point.
Micky Moniak is on a one-year deal and despite the fact that he’s played well this year still might not have a spot in the suddenly crowded Rockies outfield. That said, the future lineup looks pretty right-handed heavy so if lefties Veen and Jared Thomas aren’t ready yet, it could make some sense to bring back Moniak.
Having a guy like him around for one more year also might help because a lot of the speculation in this piece is more likely to take full effect at the start of the 2027 season. Still, when you look at it on paper, given that neither Holliday or Condon is a complete bust, there’s reason to believe we can at least get back to the days when the Rockies have star players worth coming to Coors Field to see.
Join me next time when I take a look at the future rotation to see if any of that can amount to, y’know, winning some baseball games.