Rockies' farm system poised for big push in '25

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DENVER -- Among the club-record-tying 12 players who made Major League debuts for the Rockies in 2024, relief pitchers made the biggest marks. More pitchers are expected to break through in 2025, with starters in line to make a mark.

Additionally, some outfield prospects are poised to push into a group already full of young players.

Let’s look at some players who haven’t made their Major League debuts, but made noise in '24:

3 players who forced their way onto the radar

RHP Chase Dollander (Rockies’ No. 2 prospect, No. 20 overall)

Dollander blew through High-A with 111 strikeouts in 70 innings at Spokane, and he was just as exciting at Double-A Hartford, with 58 strikeouts in 48 innings and a 2.25 ERA.

The ninth overall pick in 2023 MLB Draft, Dollander attacked his plan to improve his slider and fine-tune his delivery. The best part is that he’s not going to let good enough be good enough.

“He knows he can get better,” Rockies coordinator of pitching strategies Flint Wallace said. “He’s got that mentality, but it’s a confident one. It’s not like, ‘I’m not good enough.’ He thinks he’s good enough to beat anybody right now, but he has that drive to be the best.”

LHP Carson Palmquist (Rockies' No. 14 prospect)

The individual pitches of Palmquist, a third-round Draft pick in 2022, grade as Major League average, with his lengthy stride and odd sidearm-ish motion making the fastball appear harder.

But ask the real reasons for his solid numbers in Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque (3.98 ERA, 144 strikeouts and a .227 batting average against in 117 2/3 innings), and his profile as a fierce competitor shines above the measurables. All could lead to a 2025 debut.

“When [Palmquist] goes between the white lines, he's a different guy,” Wallace said. “He expects himself to win. It’s not cocky; it's confident. He believes his stuff can get anybody out. That uber belief in himself is what makes him what he is.”

A similar lefty, Sean Sullivan (Rockies' No. 10 prospect) is a step behind in experience, but he’ll have a shot to compete in Spring Training.

3B Kyle Karros (Rockies' No. 18 prospect)

Despite being the son of former Major League standout Eric Karros, Kyle entered pro ball with not much fanfare as a fifth-round Draft pick out of UCLA in 2023 after a career interrupted by injuries. But at Spokane, he outperformed higher-listed players to become the Northwest League Most Valuable Player while leading his team to the title.

Karros spent the year in Spokane for the postseason experience. If his .875 OPS holds in Double-A, he could put himself on a fast track.

“He does control the zone,” Rockies Minor League hitting coordinator Nic Wilson said. “He has power, but it’s not like he’s trying to get there by any means necessary. We talk a lot about how he leverages his strength. How does he get to the right pitch? How does he show up on time for fastballs? How does he provide solutions for breaking balls in the zone? He knows he can handle getting a good pitch to hit. I would say that’s one of his superpowers.”

2 possible breakout players to watch in 2025

RHP Zach Agnos (Rockies' No. 28 prospect)

Agnos, a two-way player at East Carolina, mixes speeds and locations with four pitches (mid-90s fastball, cutter, traditional slider and split-finger). At Hartford and Spokane in 2024, he fanned 63 in 53 1/3 innings and held hitters to a .162 batting average. He fits right in with those who debuted with the Rockies in '23.

“[Agnos] just doesn't get rattled,” Wallace said. “And he can handle all the little things [with] pitching outside of just throwing the baseball. He's got to lead stuff, but he handles the running game well, fields his position well, can control [and] has the right emotion he needs in the situation.

“We try to describe it as the ‘it’ factor. And he has it.”

OF Yanquiel Fernandez (Rockies' No. 4 prospect)

Fernandez (.262, 12 HR, 64 RBIs at Hartford and Albuquerque) has the makings of a player taking a step back (he dropped out of the MLB Pipeline Top 100) in preparation for a big leap. He can push into the Rockies’ outfield picture.

“He knows he can impact the baseball; he knows he’s a threat,” Wilson said. “Oftentimes, his effort level creeps up and gets to where it’s uncontrollable for him. When he trusts that his barrel is enough -- and I want to be clear that his barrel is always enough -- he starts to get better results.

“It showed up in stretches, but it wasn’t near the level he hoped. He’s got really high expectations for himself.”

1 big question for next season

Two guys, one question: Will first-round outfielders Zac Veen (Rockies' No. 3 prospect, No. 83 overall) and Benny Montgomery (Rockies' No. 16 prospect) shake injuries and reach their potential?

Club officials point to Charlie Blackmon, who dealt with frequent injuries his first three Major League years before having a stalwart 14-season career that ended with the 2024 finale.

Veen, a first-round Draft pick in 2020, dealt with injuries to his back and both wrists in and around a strong performance at Hartford. He showed power at Albuquerque before a left hamstring injury slowed him.

“Veen brings the electricity,” assistant player development director Jesse Stender said. “He plays the game with his hair on fire. He can impact in a lot of different ways.”

Montgomery (first round, 2021) found his swing timing last year in the Arizona Fall League. He reported to Spring Training stronger and faster, and had an .813 OPS through 11 games at Hartford until he sustained a left shoulder injury that led to season-ending surgery on May 10.

Montgomery made up for lost playing time with solid work in instructional ball, and he will join Leones de Ponce (managed by Rockies assistant hitting coach Andy González) in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

“He’s got a pretty nice-sized chip on his shoulder, and I think it's a good thing,” Wilson said. “He wants to show people what he can do and what he's capable of. That drives him.”