SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In 2004, the Rockies lost 94 games. The '05 season was just as bad, with 95 losses and a last-place finish. In '06, there were nine fewer defeats, but they still finished near the cellar of the NL West. But during all of this, some serious bats were brewing down on the farm and making their way up to Coors Field.

Garrett Atkins had touched the big leagues in 2003 and '04, but he established himself in '05 and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. Matt Holliday finished fifth in the ROY race in 2004, then won his first Silver Slugger and made his first All-Star Game in '06. Troy Tulowitzki, the club’s first-round pick in 2005, made his debut at the end of '06 and was the runner-up for Rookie of the Year honors in '07. That year, for those who may have forgotten, saw the Rockies win 90 games, capture a Wild Card spot and go all the way to the World Series.

This isn’t just a trip down memory lane, it’s a reminder of what possibly is to come, a glimpse of hope as Colorado is coming off of back-to-back last-place seasons. It remains to be seen if the next wave of hitters developing in the Minors can come close to replicating the production of those now-former Rockies greats, but there are some similarities.

“It’s kind of the dynamic we saw here in 2004, 2005, 2006 and leading up to the end of 2007,” Rockies farm director Chris Forbes said, mentioning Tulowitzki, Holliday, Atkins and Ryan Spilborghs, who debuted in 2005 and was a big contributor to that ’07 team. “That was the core of guys coming through together. The intimate knowledge you end up having with each and every guy, the families, and you just love that.”

It's happening with the hitters who are reaching the upper levels of the system, a large amount of whom spent time with Double-A Hartford last year; they're ready to join Ezequiel Tovar, who laid a foundation for this next wave with a strong rookie season in 2023. There’s a lot more on the horizon, coming courtesy of the Draft and the organization’s strong presence in Latin America.

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In 2022, the Rockies took Sterlin Thompson out of the University of Florida at No. 31 overall. Then they nabbed Tennessee’s Jordan Beck at No. 38. The pair have not only been advanced college bat building blocks who reached Double-A in their first full season, but they’ve developed a close bond.

The 2019-2020 international signing period is bearing similar fruit. Adael Amador, now the system’s top prospect, got $1.5 million to sign in July 2019, and Yanquiel Fernandez, also firmly ensconced with Amador and Beck in the Top 100, got $295,000. All four of these potentially special hitters got to Hartford last year and could be ready to knock on the big league door soon. The Rockies are hoping they can help history repeat itself.

“Sterlin and Jordan came in together and have had an unbelievable relationship,” Forbes said. “I see it with Yanquiel and Adael. How they’re growing up together, you’re trying to find these waves of guys that are winning together and winning together. I feel like our alignment is probably in the best shape it’s been in a few years.”

Camp standout: Zach Agnos

Agnos was a two-way player at East Carolina who hit .330 as the school’s shortstop in 2022 while posting a 2.31 ERA over 21 relief appearances. The Rockies took him in the 10th round of that summer’s Draft and signed him for his potential on the mound. He spent last season with Single-A Fresno and was absolutely dominant, saving 27 games and finishing with a 2.06 ERA and 11.7 K/9 rate while filling up the strike zone. He’s shown he wants the ball in key situations and has the kind of big personality teams like to see in high-leverage scenarios in the ‘pen. Using a fastball that touches 95 mph and leaning on a late cutter, he looks like he could be ready to start moving a little faster through the system.

“He’s coming in in a really good spot,” Forbes said. “He’s very much a pitcher now, versus kind of being, in his mind, a shortstop that pitches.”

Breakout candidate: Kelvin Hidalgo

The big prize for the Rockies during the 2022 international signing period was Dyan Jorge, who got $2.8 million to sign and is currently No. 7 on the team’s new Top 30 list. Hidalgo got $500,000 to sign, but he didn’t break out of the gate quite as quickly as Jorge. It’s not like the infielder struggled during his debut in the Dominican Summer League after signing (.269/.358/.417), but he was asked to repeat the level. He responded by posting a .980 OPS with 12 homers and 14 RBIs, a season that was recognized league-wide.

“He won the MVP in the DSL and there’s like 108 teams down there; that’s pretty impressive,” Forbes said.

Hidalgo, who has split time between shortstop and third, is now preparing for his United States debut. The Rockies are eagerly anticipating how that goes and they think he perhaps can follow in the footsteps of Jorge, who began the 2023 season in the Arizona Complex League and played his way to full-season ball.

“I love the way he goes about it, I love the way he’s acclimated with our guys from the States,” Forbes said about Hidalgo’s transition. “We were able to bring him over to our performance camp in January and I think that helped. What you’re hoping is [maybe he gets time] down here and then you get him to Fresno and see where things finish out.”

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Something to prove: Sam Weatherly

When he’s been healthy, the 2020 third-round pick out of Clemson has put some outstanding stuff on display from the left side. The only problem is that he’s rarely been healthy. He’s collected just 80 2/3 total professional innings since signing, with most of those (69) coming during his first full season in 2021. He totaled just 11 2/3 innings in 2022 and didn’t pitch at all last year as shoulder issues plagued him before he eventually had surgery. The good news is he has a clean bill of health right now and the Rockies are hoping to get him moving, most likely in a relief role.

“It’s been a couple of years,” Forbes said. “When you’re on the caution list, you wear white pants. To see him in the gray pants like everybody else, it warms your heart. It’s been a long road back to normal. He looks good. It’s a lot cleaner. We’re still kind of building up that arm strength piece. I’m looking forward to seeing Sam in a game, putting him into a different role.”