3 Rockies players fighting for their futures heading into the 2024 season

Elehuris Montero needs to slug his way into a future with the Rockies

The pressure has been looming large over the former top prospect and slugger, Elehuris Montero. The 25-year-old was the key piece in the Nolan Arenado trade that lost the Rockies organization a lot of fans (it was one of the worst trades in MLB history). Since then, Montero has dominated the minor leagues, but struggled at the major league level.

Montero has a career 77 wRC+ with a 34.8% strikeout rate and with no minor league options remaining, it is put up or shut up time for Montero. Montero is only 25, but after dominating the minor leagues throughout his career, he has proven that he is ready for the big leagues. With that being said, he needs to prove that he is an actual big league regular and not just a "Quad-A" player as some people refer to it.

Montero has gotten 492 plate appearances at the major league level which amounts to almost a full season. In 2024, he should see quite a bit of playing time, spending a lot of time at first base as well as DH. His spring has been a good sign, but he will need to continue that into the regular season to prove it is not just a hot stretch.

This year will be a key year for the former top prospect, and with the number of top prospects pounding down the door to the major league roster, he will need to prove to the Rockies that he can be a middle of the order producer. With no options remaining, and the Rockies in the midst of a rebuild, if Montero struggles, he could be looking for a new home come 2025.