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3 Rockies Prospects that are knocking on the door

Let them kids play!

By Stephen Cross |
2024 Colorado Rockies Spring Training
2024 Colorado Rockies Spring Training / Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/GettyImages
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The Rockies have plenty of talented players down on the farm who are worth being excited about. Today, we'll look at three players who could soon be called up to the big league club.

1. Drew Romo - C

According to MLB.com, Drew Romo is currently ranked the Rockies' #9 prospect. The 22-year-old will likely become Colorado's everyday catcher in 2025. Throughout his minor league career, Romo has been an average hitter at the dish, with most of his damage coming from the left side. The power is still developing, but there's a good chance that he will consistently hit for extra bases as he matures.

Coaches and managers really like his arm, defense, and game-managing skills. Romo struggled early this season in Albuquerque but has significantly improved over the last few weeks. As of writing this piece, Romo is hitting a solid .329/.338/.433 line with a wRC+ of 91, according to FanGraphs. While there are some areas to improve, the Rockies feel like Romo can be one of the better catchers in the sport. With veteran catcher Elias Diaz in the final year of his contract, there is a real possibility that the Rockies move him at the trade deadline come late July, allowing Romo to get a cup of coffee in the majors sometime later this season. Keep an eye on Drew Romo.

2. Carson Palmquist - LHP

Carson Palmquist, a 23-year-old left-handed pitcher drafted in 2022 out of the University of Miami, has been dominating on the mound for the Yard Goats this season. With a 1.23 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 22 innings of work, Palmquist has shown the ability to miss bats and limit the damage with good control and a solid pitch mix.

Rockies fans had the opportunity to see the young lefty in Spring Training this year. He made three appearances during spring training, including starting in the Rockies' spring opener against Arizona. He pitched two innings, allowed zero runs, issued one walk, and struck out four.

Over the last couple of seasons, Rockies GM Bill Schmidt has emphasized the need to acquire more pitching and build up the arms in the minors. The Rockies are currently facing a shortage of key pitchers, such as German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela, due to elbow injuries from last season. In case of any further injuries, there is a possibility of Carson Palmquist being called upon to start later this year. However, it is hoped that the team will not have to face any more pitching injuries. Palmquist has the potential to be a valuable asset for the Rockies' rotation in the future.

3. Jaden Hill - RHP

The road for the right-hander from LSU has been defined by resilience. Hill was the 44th selection in the 2021 draft. After overcoming injuries during his college years and early minor league career, Jaden Hill has emerged as a prospect worth noticing. From his college days in the SEC up until the end of last season, Hill was slated as a starting pitcher. Back in November of last year, Rockies beat reporter Thomas Harding wrote about the organization's high opinion of Hill's potential and their belief that some changes were necessary.

He had taken so long off from ‘T.J.’ that the lower half was inconsistent from outing to outing, and really from pitch to pitch at times,” Rockies coordinator of pitching strategies Flint Wallace said. “He came down here and worked hard at getting that dialed in. Basically, it’s getting his stuff in the zone more often. He was falling behind in counts early, but his stuff is electric.
Thomas Harding via MLB.com

After the end of the minor league season last year, the Rockies chose to send Hill to the Arizona Fall League to gain some experience as a reliever. Despite not winning any games with an 0-2 record, Hill impressed with his performances, pitching for 11.1 innings and achieving a 3.18 ERA with 13 strikeouts and four earned runs allowed. The Rockies believe that moving Hill to the bullpen could increase his chances of getting called up to the major leagues sooner rather than later. As long as he can stay healthy, Hill may join the Rockies bullpen staff in the near future.

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