Age: 21
Level: Double-A
Position: Relief Pitcher
Bats/Throws: Left/Left
Height/Weight: 6’0/166 pounds
Acquired: 2021 International Free Agent
Current BSB Ranking: 11
Previous BSB Ranking: 17
Pic Credit: Hartford Yard Goats
Player Summary
Brief Summary
Welinton Herrera is one of the Rockies’ top relief prospects. Since arriving in the U.S. in 2023, Welinton Herrera has steadily improved, posting a 2.64 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 64.2 innings last year and 17 saves. The southpaw’s upper-90s fastball, high-velocity slider, and developing changeup make him a potential late-inning weapon. Already on the 40-man roster, Herrera could debut this season and is a strong candidate to anchor Colorado’s bullpen for years.
More detailed breakdown
2026 Writeup
Beef, as many of his teammates call him, is one of the best relief prospects the Rockies organization has seen in several years. Since coming stateside in 2023, Herrera has steadily improved, seeing his ERA go from low-to-mid 3s down to 2.64 last year, headlined by a ridiculous 99 strikeouts in just 64.2 innings. The 17 saves for Herrera also indicate the trust the organization has in the young arm.
The southpaw has an upper-90s fastball that he throws from a lower slot, allowing the pitch to sneak up on hitters up in the zone. Herrera can get up to 98, and it’s fair to assume, 99/100 is in his future as a still young and growing pitcher. Herrera also throws a slider up to 89 with a tighter shape and a power changeup up to 91 that Herrera is still mastering, which he will mix into right-handed hitters to work away from their barrels. The development of the changeup will be key for Herrera to truly establish himself as a late-inning arm unless his fastball can become a truly overpowering pitch.
Already on the 40-man roster, Herrera has a shot to debut early this season, though the Rockies will likely try to get a final leg of development in for Herrera before trying to rely on him on 20th and Blake. A best-case scenario could see Herrera closing games for Colorado as soon as 2027, while he’s still a strong bet to be one of the better lefty bullpen arms for years to come. Written by Tyler Paddor.
2025 Writeup
In 2021 Welinton Herrera had a strikeout% of 29.2% in the DSL, which would be the lowest of his Minor League career thus far. So striking out batters is something Herrera is definitely accustomed to. Throwing from the left side, batters get a different look by default. However, Herrera has some fun characteristics. He gets downhill quickly, which suits a fastball with vertical movement (think Josh Hader) that batters often swing over. With a better command, his fastball can project to be an elite pitch.
Command in general has been a struggle, as he’s walking 9.3% of the batters he’s faced in 2025. The control is nowhere near as bad as it was earlier in his career, but there is still much room to grow. Along with his fastball, none of his pitches is necessarily good. He offers a changeup, but lacks consistent movement and is a vulnerable pitch to keep in the zone. Whereas his slider has a lot of future projection, but he struggles to command it, the shape complements his fastball.
He started 2025 red hot. Through his first 36 games pitched he sported a 1.04 ERA and was striking out nearly 41% of the batters he faced, and was statistically one of the best minor league relievers in baseball. However, when August rolled around he started to get hit and struck out less batters, which turned into a 4.96 ERA from the start of August. With Herrera’s current skill set and projectability, he has a ceiling of a Josh Hader-esque pitcher, but will take a lot of development to get to that point.
Player Links
MLB.com player page | Fangraphs | Baseball Savant | Baseball Reference
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