Rockies' top prospects, Draft picks making big noise

This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding’s Rockies Beat newsletter, written this week by Manny Randhawa. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

For the Rockies, the future is now. Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle and other young players have emerged as core pieces to build around as Colorado seeks its next window of contention.

But the future is also “almost” now.

There have been several significant developments in the Rockies’ farm system recently involving some major prospects, as well as the first Minor League assignments for the organization’s latest Draft picks.

Moving on and heating up

Yanquiel Fernandez, Colorado’s No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline and No. 64 overall, was promoted to Triple-A earlier this week.

The 21-year-old outfielder with tremendous raw power and a cannon for an arm has had to make adjustments as he’s matured in his professional career, but they’ve resulted in his arrival in Albuquerque, where he picked up his first Triple-A hit on Wednesday.

“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to be in this spot,” Fernandez said through his new manager with the Isotopes, Pedro Lopez. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work and get better.”

Much of that work to this point has been in cutting down his chase rate and his strikeouts, areas that were exposed when opposing pitchers began to exploit his vulnerabilities in Double-A. In 56 games with Hartford in 2023, Fernandez struck out in a third of his plate appearances.

In 88 games with Hartford this season, his strikeout rate was 19%.

“I feel like, for my age, I’ve matured,” Fernandez said. “It’s something that I’m continuing to work on. With regard to the chase rate, that was something that was brought to my attention in Spring Training, and that’s one thing that I focused on this year -- trying to cut down on the chase rate, trying to get better pitches to hit.”

Adael Amador, the Rockies’ No. 2 prospect (No. 45 overall), has been raking of late. The 21-year-old second baseman made his MLB debut in June, though he suffered a right oblique injury that sidelined him before he was optioned back to Hartford. Following a slow start at the plate, since July 21, he’s hitting .345/.397/.500 with three doubles and two homers for the Yard Goats.

“I think the injury probably took its toll longer than anybody thought,” said Chris Forbes, the Rockies’ director of player development. “But at the same time, you’re a Top 100 player in Minor League Baseball. [Opposing pitchers] are gonna come after you. We saw some things where they made some adjustments to his swing, but he was doing a good job of helping the team win in other ways -- get on base, steal a bag and other things.”

Amador isn't the only one who has been red-hot at the plate -- Jordan Beck, the club's No. 3 prospect (No. 54 overall), is batting .361 with three homers for Albuquerque since returning from the injured list (broken left hand) on July 27.

You’re a pro now

From Triple-A and Double-A, we turn to High-A Spokane, where excitement abounds as the Rockies’ top selection from last month’s Draft made his professional debut. Slugging infielder/outfielder Charlie Condon, considered among the very best hitters in the Draft, was taken third overall by Colorado, and he’s already off to a great start as a pro.

Though he went 0-for-4 in his debut on Tuesday, Condon picked up four hits on Wednesday, including a double and his first professional home run after he belted 62 of them over two seasons with the University of Georgia.

It’s been a whirlwind, going from third overall pick to a pro debut in a matter of three weeks. But such is the transition to pro ball, and Condon is here for it.

“It’s been great to get some time down in Arizona at the complex down there,” Condon said. “Got to know the guys in the Draft class, they’re really good guys. And then the debut with Spokane was really fun.”

Game 2 of his professional career was more fun, given the stellar results. As it was for Rockies fans, who hope Condon will be part of a renewal of the Blake Street Bombers after several seasons in which Colorado’s offense has ranked near the bottom of MLB in most categories.

“It’s impossible to not be excited to be with this organization and the people in development,” Condon said. “And also the environment that you get to be in as a hitter. I’m also excited for all the stops along the way in the Minor Leagues and just working my way up.”

Could Condon follow in the footsteps of recent phenoms who reached the Major Leagues in short order, namely Paul Skenes and Wyatt Langford?

He isn’t ruling it out, but he isn’t getting ahead of himself, either.

“Those guys are guys I played against in college, and obviously they’re a really good example of how the game of college baseball has progressed,” Condon said. “They’ve moved really quick and they’ve deserved it.

“I’m just going to continue to focus on my path. Everyone’s path is different.”

Whatever Condon’s path to the big leagues turns out to be, the Rockies hope it ends with him launching home runs at Coors Field, returning the long ball to a status of supremacy at the corner of 20th and Blake Street.

Colorado’s second-round selection in the Draft, first baseman/outfielder Jared Thomas out of the University of Texas, also made a big impression over his first two professional games with Single-A Fresno, going 3-for-6 with a homer.