A few weeks into the 2025 season, the Rockies are looking a little… well, rocky.
After calling up their top prospects, Chase Dollander and Zac Veen, things haven’t improved much for the team. This begs the question, is there anybody else in their system they can turn to? Anybody with the potential to significantly help turn the franchise around? Although the team’s fate in 2025 is all but sealed, here are three prospects that could make an impact in the near future.
1. Kyle Karros
Kyle Karros is a 2023 5th round third baseman out of UCLA. Does his last name sound familiar? That’s because he’s the son of 1992 NL Rookie of the Year and current sportscaster Eric Karros. His older brother, Jared, is also in the Dodgers’ system, currently pitching in Double-A, making Kyle the odd man out at their division rival.
Growing up around the MLB, Karros knows what it takes to make it in the majors. In 2024, he helped lead High-A Spokane to a Northwestern League Championship, getting the game-winning bases loaded walk to secure the title. Who doesn’t love a walk off walk? His 2024 success earned him a promotion to Double-A Hartford for the 2025 season.
Karros was a force to be reckoned with in 2024, batting .311/.485/.875, with 147 hits and 15 homeruns across 126 games. This was enough for him to lead the Northwest League (among qualified hitters) in hits, doubles (33), RBI (78), total bases (229) and BA.
Unsurprisingly, this dominant performance won him Northwest League MVP honors. The kid has power, and while writer Eric Longenhangen observes that he’s currently vulnerable to breaking stuff at the bottom of the zone, he clearly has plenty of potential.
Despite his success though, his road to Hartford wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. An ankle injury in college caused him to slide to the 5th round. Fortunately, he’s recovered the way most 22-year-olds do– quickly.
Speaking of speed, a relatively underrated aspect of Karros’ game is his athleticism. He’s incredibly skilled, able to make athletic plays and difficult throws, facilitated by a canon of an arm. In 2024, he posted a .970 fielding percentage, earning him gold glove honors. The last Rockies prospect to do so was, you guessed it, Brenton Doyle in 2021.
He’s still young and has plenty more growing to do, but a strong first spring training this year has him on the right track. In Arizona Karros went 7-for-16 in the month of February. At this point, it’s not so much a question of if we are ever going to see him in Rockies purple, but of when.
2. Gabriel Hughes
RHP Gabriel Hughes burst onto the scene in 2022 as the 10th overall pick. He was quickly sidelined in 2023 with Tommy John surgery, with his recovery lasting all the way through the 2024 season. After a lengthy rehab, Hughes made his triumphant return this season in Double-A Hartford.
Looking back before his name was called in the 2022 draft, Hughes attended Gonzaga University. In his time with the Zags, he went 98 IP, 3.21 ERA with 138 SO, and 1.153 WHIP. Not too shabby. With those stats, it’s really no surprise that the Rockies were eager to take a chance on him.
In his grand return from injury, Hughes made his first big league start during Spring Training with 3 SO and 3 BBs with 0 R, earned or otherwise, across 6.1 innings.
His starts were impressive enough to raise a few eyebrows from the Rockies big league coaches, especially for a guy coming back off of major surgery. Rockies manager Bud Black was pleased with his showing, complimenting Hughes live arm and solid secondary pitches. His biggest feedback is Hughes ability to pitch with consistency among his secondary pitches. A detail that would need to be improved upon before he could translate into a big-league lineup.
Clearly Hughes has a big test ahead of him in 2025, but he’s off to a good start. With plus command he could also be a versatile option to be moved to the bullpen if needed. He currently showcases a 2.25 ERA, 5 H, 1 BB, and 8 SO in 8 IP. The question now is, can he keep building on the comeback? Time will tell.
3. Cole Carrigg
Utility man Cole Carrigg, drafted 65th overall in 2023, has built himself into an incredibly versatile player. The Rockies love a versatile player (see Rockies current MVP: Kyle Farmer). Not only is he a switch hitter, but he can play wherever needed on the field.
Last season in High-A Spokane, he switched between center field and shortstop and even dabbled in some catching through college. It is this versatility that makes him a powerful asset. He can slot in pretty much anywhere and has the skills to succeed wherever the team needs him to.
In 2024 he made a tremendous showing, helping lead Spokane to the NWL championship alongside his aforementioned teammate, Kyle Karros. He put up an impressive campaign, hitting 16 home runs and clocking 51 SB, with a meager 18.9% strikeout rate (the Rockies need this guy’s K-rate).
He is a very athletic player developing more and more power, capable of contacting hard-to-hit balls. Like Karros and Hughes, he impressed in this year’s Spring Training with a 111 MPH home run. It’s possible his approach is a little too aggressive, but his low K-rate seems to balance things out.
All that being said, perhaps the greatest part of Carrigg’s game is his defense (it’s like he’s a Rockie already). He is an incredibly athletic defender with a plus arm, making a 102 MPH throw from the outfield at the draft combine.
He certainly made his mark in the field with Spokane, being a 3x recipient of the NW Player of the week. He followed that by being ranked as Baseball America’s best defensive player and most exciting player in the league, ranking in their 2025 list of Top 100 Prospects. He’s certainly performing so far in Double-A Hartford, batting .259/.412/.519, and maintaining a perfect 1.000 FLD% through the first 8 games of the season. Keep your eye out for him and his insane arm over the next few years.
