Throughout the history of the Colorado Rockies, we’ve had a great outfield almost every year. Larry Walker, Carlos Gonzalez, Matt Holliday, Charlie Blackmon, and Dante Bichette are some of the most notable. In the new wind of outfielders, we have Nolan Jones and Brenton Doyle, with 6 outfielders in the top 20 of BSB’s top 40 prospects on their tails. So there is no question that the emblem of Rockies Outfielders won’t go away anytime soon.

With so much flexibility, the Rockies are faced with a challenging situation: a variety of potential stars, and only three outfield spots. This article will explore the current state of the roster and the possibilities of what is to come.

So many players, too few spots

On the Rockies’ current 40-man roster, there are 10 guys listed as an outfielder, but 12 guys in total play the outfield. That itself isn’t an issue because free agency, waivers, and trades all are inevitable parts of the game. However, the Rockies only have one outfield free agent this off-season, Charlie Blackmon. The other 11 players are under team control for multiple years. 

As of right now, the only two locks for the outfield are Nolan Jones and Brenton Doyle. So beyond those two, the competition for the final spot is tight. Kris Bryant, Jake Cave, Hunter Goodman, Sam Hilliard, Jordan Beck, Yanquiel Fernandez, Greg Jones, Sean Bouchard, and Michael Toglia are all players who argue to be the third guy. While each may be compelling, there is no clear answer on who should get the most time.

It likely comes down to three players in the immediate future: Bryant, Beck, and Goodman. While Bryant may not be the most deserving, his contract is unavoidable to the point that they will try to squeeze any sort of value out of him before it expires. He is a legit contender for Designated Hitter as well.

Hunter Goodman might have the most raw power on the entire Rockies roster but has struggled to translate it to MLB. Jordan Beck is both the youngest of the three and the most complete player. He looks to be the leading candidate for the third spot as of right now.

Both Sean Bouchard and Greg Jones also have an argument, but it is a lot less clear than the three previously mentioned. Bouchard has found past success in MLB, and even more in the minors. The lack of consistent playing time in MLB has stunted his numbers, but what he has shown in prior years makes me believe that he can fill in that role.

As for Greg Jones, there are still the major strikeout issues that hurt his chances. He still boasts insane potential given his raw power and pure speed. He’s a guy that can hit the ball hard, and swipe 20+ bags a season. Given that, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Rockies give Greg Jones an extended look in the outfield with added flexibility to play the infield.

Who’s next up?

While the Rockies have a lot of Outfielders on the 40-man, there are many still to come. 2020 1st-round pick Zac Veen will be added to the 40-man roster, and depending on the remainder of 2024 plus the off-season, he can also be in the discussion for the final outfield spot next season.

Similar can be said for Yanquiel Fernandez, granted he’s already on the 40-man. His patience at the plate has improved tremendously over the season, while paired with his elite power potential he leads to be another early 2025 candidate.

While upcoming prospects won’t be imminent big leaguers, they are closer than many think. While facing countless injuries since 2023, Zac Veen has put on a show at the plate in 2024. In his third season in Double-A, he is posting his best SLG (.457) and wRC+ (133) since Single-A. A call-up to Triple-A would only improve those numbers considerably (the Pacific Coast League is the most hitter-friendly league in all of Minor League Baseball).

Braiden Ward might be the fastest guy in the organization, but also one of the best minor leaguers statistically. He has an insane 155 wRC+ across High-A and Double-A showing how impressive his performance with the bat has been. A large part of his game is crowding the plate, which means he gets hit by pitches (he has been hit 84 times since 2022, the second most in all of MiLB.) If he keeps hitting, there’s no reason for Colorado not to move him up.

Another name closer than people think is Sterlin Thompson. He’s been having a down year for his expectations, but he still is carrying a 101 wRC+ in Double-A this season. Thompson has some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the organization, and can consistently get balls down. With one of the better hit tools in the Rockies system, it is hard to ignore his imminent ETA. Thompson has been getting looks in the infield as well this season

How to fix the problem

The most simple way to fix the issue is to enact positional change, which the Rockies are no stranger to. In former Rockies player Ian Desmond’s first season with Colorado, he logged innings at first base which was a position he never played in his professional career. When signed as an outfielder before the 2017 season, he was a full-time first basemen just one season later.

The Rockies have five outfielders who can play other positions. That list consists of Kris Bryant (1B), Hunter Goodman (C/1B), Greg Jones (2B/SS), Michael Toglia (1B), and Nolan Jones who played both first base and third base.

Another player who is logical to learn another position could be Yanquiel Fernandez. He is a typical right fielder; below average speed and a cannon of an arm (he threw a ball 103 MPH in the Futures Game in 2023). With limited spots and a more developed player in Jordan Beck in front of him, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to increase his availability while he is still young.

Another way of going about it would be waiving them or DFA’ing certain players, with two main contenders for that. Sam Hilliard is the most obvious answer; he’s gone through waivers with multiple teams already and was only added to the 40-man roster on June, 21st. In the immediate, Jake Cave, who has just a 68 wRC+ through 87 games makes sense to remove from the roster. While both players are fan favorites, it is unlikely that they’ll be wearing purple pinstripes in 2025.   

The final solution is by way of trade. It isn’t uncommon for teams to trade away prospects close to MLB if there is no fit for them on the team. This is a strong possibility for the Rockies, come this off-season. It’s possible for fringe 15-30 prospects, like Sterlin Thompson or Benny Montgomery to be traded, though they may consider high-end names like Veen, Fernandez, or Beck to get a meaningful return.

Now that the Rockies finally have set their eyes on a playoff possibility soon (say 2026), and are starting to cement reliable starters, it will only improve the chances of trades happening.

Final Thoughts

Albeit all the acquisitions the Rockies can make, there will still be blockage with top prospects to become proven Major League players. So whatever the Rockies do will probably be the right decision in the long run.

Having this many top-end prospects this close to MLB means a rebuild is soon to be over, and right when it starts getting crowded is when players start buying in during the off-season. The concept of that is the most intriguing thing that can happen as a Rockies fan. Our future has not looked this bright since the late 2010s. So the Rockies’ outfield dilemma proves that losing isn’t forever.

Thank you for reading!

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