Mid-last week, Baseball America released their list of top 10 prospects for the Rockies 2022 farm system.
The list, led by Zac Veen, was about what you’d expect. Ryan Rolison, slotting in at number four, was the only pitcher on the list, and the majority of players included ended last season at High-A or lower. The Rockies have one of the lower ranked farm systems in the MLB, and those who are ranked are still a ways off of the bigs.
In the article linked above, BA also released their prediction on the Rockies 2025 lineup, reproduced below.
Colorado Rockies 2025 Lineup
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| Position | Player |
| C | Drew Romo |
| 1B | Michael Toglia |
| 2B | Brendan Rodgers |
| 3B | Ryan McMahon |
| SS | Ezequiel Tovar |
| LF | Zac Veen |
| CF | Benny Montgomery |
| RF | Brenton Doyle |
| DH | Ryan Vilade |
| SP | Germán Márquez |
| SP | Kyle Freeland |
| SP | Antonio Senzatela |
| SP | Austin Gomber |
| SP | Ryan Rolison |
| CL | Robert Stephenson |
The Rockies have some position player talent coming through the pipeline and will need every ounce of it in the coming years. Ryan Vilade made his major league debut in 2021, Ryan McMahon and Brendan Rodgers are now both big league mainstays, but the six other position players have a grand total of zero major league appearances to their names. Forecasting is by nature flawed and inexact, so this lineup prediction will most definitely not come true, but it speaks more to the Rockies current lack of major league players under team control through 2025 than it does the depth of their farm system. While holes in this lineup (and today’s lineup) could be filled with any number of free agent acquisitions, it seems that GM Bill Schmidt is sticking to what he knows - building a team via the draft.
The inverse, and potentially more reassuring, part of this projected lineup is the pitching. Ryan Rolison was recently added to the Rockies 40-man roster to protect him from the yet-to-be-scheduled-but-still-upcoming Rule 5 draft, but every other pitcher named not only has big league experience but has experienced some level of big league success.
Germán Márquez has established himself as the staff ace over the past few years and will look to develop consistency on his way to becoming one of baseball’s elite. Kyle Freeland also had an up and down 2021 but has shown he has what it takes to succeed as a pitcher in Coors Field. Obviously, it’s worth noting that neither Freeland nor Márquez are currently under contract for the 2025 season but if their success does indeed continue, hopefully an extension for each of them is a high priority for the Rockies front office. Antonio Senzatela has established himself as a solid mid-rotation starter, and the Rockies have rewarded him, recently inking him through 2026. Austin Gomber had an up and down year (there’s a theme here) himself, but has shown enough flashes of potential to give Rockies fans plenty of hope.
Wrapping up the starters, we have Ryan Rolison. Ranked as the no. 2 PuRP in the most recent mid-season balloting, Rolison projects to slot into the big league roster as soon as next year, taking the spot of the recently departed Jon Gray. His stuff isn’t flashy, but is above average across the board and has got the job done at every level.
Finally, Robert Stephenson. The Rockies have some intriguing, closer worthy arms in their system, but Stephenson showed flashes of dominance this year - allowing just one run over his final 15 appearances of the year.
Regardless of who does end up closing, this group of arms boasts a high ceiling for the Rockies over the next four plus years. Pitching has been a strength for this team recently, and it looks to continue - especially if the front office can augment a young Rolison with a proven starter off the open market.
What do you think? Who do you want on the roster in 2025? How successful would the projected team above be?
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Coach Tulo: Troy Tulowitzki’s journey from Rockies star to Texas teacher | The Denver Post ($)
In case you haven’t kept up with #2, Tulo has spent the last two years working as a volunteer assistant coach for the Texas Longhorns, most recently being honored by USA Baseball as the Top Volunteer Coach of the Year.
Tulo was always known for his work ethic and teaching ability with the Rockies, highlighted by his mentorship with young players and future superstars such as Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, and DJ LeMahieu. He’s continued that work with the Longhorns, helping them to their winningest season since 2010. His worth ethic and overall love of them game paints him as a potential future big league coach, according to his current co-coaches at Texas. Potentially a reunion with the Rockies will be in his future.
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