Young talent headlines Rockies spring training

(Our Esquina)

Expectations might be at rock bottom, but with the calendar turning and the weather slowly warming up, baseball is back. After another colossal offseason in Major League Baseball, where the Rockies were on the outside looking in, it’s time to knock off the rust and get the juices flowing for 2025 Spring Training.

The Colorado Rockies begin their campaign in Scottsdale, Arizona, home to the Cactus League. They share the league with some notable division-rivals like the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. They’ll open Spring Training against the Arizona Diamondbacks on February 21st and play 34 games through late March, all leading up to their Opening Day matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays on March 28th.

When you watch Spring Training baseball, there’s something special about it. The weather’s perfect, the vibes are up and the game is stripped down to its purest form. For a month each team is not fighting for wins but rather working out the knots and setting their lineups for the upcoming season. This spring the Rockies are beginning their season with one word in mind, youth.

Aforementioned, this year the Rox have very low expectations. Not getting last place in the National League West Division alone would be a successful season, as they’ve finished 4th or 5th out of five teams the last six years. Today’s day and age is quite literally the worst Rockies' baseball they’ve played in team history, with back-to-back 100 loss seasons.

They could lose another 100 games in 2025, but as long as the organization can lock in a stable, young core to build on for years to come, the season will be a success. The players that are seemingly already established for the future are

Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle and Nolan Jones.

Tovar, at only 22 years old, already finished with the most doubles of anyone in the National League last season and was awarded the NL Gold Glove honor for his play at shortstop. The Rockies have him under contract for the next seven years and he will likely become the face of the franchise soon.

Doyle, 26, in just his second year in the majors created the most WAR of any Rockie last season and slashed a .764 OPS. He has two Gold Gloves already out in center field and is expected to slug consistently well over .400 in 2025.

Jones, 26, in 2023 bashed a .931 OPS (140 OPS+) and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. He took a big step back last season though, hopefully putting his name in the Comeback Player of the Year conversations for 2025.

More young names that have already made their appearance in the major leagues include Micheal Toglia, 25, who had a three home run game against the Mets last season, Hunter Goodman, 23, Adael Amador, 21, and right-handed arm Victor Vodnik, 24, who rallied nine saves last year.

At the end of January, the team announced which non-roster players they’ll be inviting to join them in Scottsdale. The most notable include 2024’s second overall prospect for the Rockies, right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander. He’s 23 and currently plays in AA with the Hartford Yard Goats and is expected to be called up this season.

More pitchers to keep an eye on are lefties Carson Palmquist and Sean Sullivan. Sullivan, drafted from Wake Forrest in 2023, was the organization’s tenth-highest rated prospect last year. His ETA is 2026 and is looking to build his impressive minor league resume, chucking a 2.11 ERA in 21 starts last summer. Palmquist, at 24 is also expected to make his debut in the majors this season. He’s spent three years climbing up the minor league ranks and is the current 14th ranked prospect in Colorado’s system.

The final name to watch in Arizona is newcomer Thario Estrada. He was the only significant signing the front office made this winter, and has historically hit well at Coors Field. Estrada, 29, is coming from in-division rival San Francisco Giants and will fill the shoes of the departed Brendan Rodgers at second base.

With all that in mind, the Rockies go into Spring Training with excitement. Not necessarily for wins, but getting to watch the development of the future of the team. With a little help in the pitching department, Colorado’s general management has a hopeful set of guys that in a couple of years could slowly grow into contenders.

Stay tuned into Mountain Time Sports for coverage of everything 2025 Rockies.