Top Early Standouts in the Colorado Rockies’ Farm System

It has been quite a while since we have been able to declare “Roctober” a thing. In fact, it has been eight years since the last time the Colorado Rockies have made the postseason.

Though the Rockies find themselves in the cellar of the National League West standings as we approach mid-May, we have actually seen glimpses of hope that they may be closer to figuring it out than many are giving them credit for.

That began this past offseason when the Rockies’ primary owner, Dick Monfort, made multiple changes throughout the front office and gave Paul DePodesta the keys to the franchise.

It was in early November that DePodesta decided to make his return to Major League Baseball after spending time in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns. Famous for his time during the Oakland A’s “Moneyball” era, there was hope he would bring some of that recreation of the aggregate back to the sport.

Unfortunately for him, there was a lot of work to do.

It didn’t truly matter which publication you tend to lean on for rankings; the Rockies’ farm system was going to be in the bottom five of any list you clicked on. Entering the 2026 season, per Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list, the Rockies were coming into it with two players in the top 100.

The last two first-round picks, Ethan Holliday (JB No. 60) and Charlie Condon (JB No. 94), cracked the list before the season began. With the premise of this article series being released on Just Baseball, those two aren’t going to be included on the list of early-season standouts in the minors.

Also, though he did not crack that initial top 100, it would be hard for me to include Cole Carrigg on this list as well because of the talent and expectations many had of him entering the year.

What I will be sure to do is highlight those prospects who likely weren’t expected to be turning heads the way they have been so far this season.

Stats were taken prior to play on May 13.

Double-A Hartford

Roc Riggio (2B)

2026 Stats: 123 PA, .260/.366/.510, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 125 wRC+

Dating back to his time at Oklahoma State, some people wondered how someone of Roc Riggio’s stature would be able to produce at the plate as he progressed into a professional career. Shorter frame aside, Riggio is putting those questions to bed.

The former fourth-round pick by the Yankees in 2023 was a part of the return the Rockies received when they sent relief pitcher Jake Bird over to New York. Though the first two seasons of professional baseball were an acclimation period, Roc Riggio turned it around once last season started.

After putting up a 155 wRC+ in 2025, he was able to roll into 2026 with the same positive indicators showing that this production might just be here to stay.

I mentioned the power earlier, which was largely due to the 20 home runs he hit last year between the two organizations’ farm systems. Already through just 29 games this year, Riggio has mashed six for Double-A Hartford.

Andy Perez (SS)

2026 Stats: 129 PA, .341/.367/.488, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 10 SB, 123 wRC+

Though you may not see his name on many of the Rockies’ top prospect lists, Andy Perez prospect status has been highly touted since he was signed as an international free agent out of Cuba in 2021.

Perez has been very impressive for the Yard Goats in 2026. After being named the Minor League Player of the Month for the Rockies to conclude the 2025 season, the 22-year-old has continued to steadily improve his overall contact numbers at the plate. The current 84.2% mark would begin to show us signs that the dip in 2025 was more a fluke than anything else.

The uptick in contact has also coincided with an increase in his swing percentage, which would indicate the uptick in his aggression is providing dividends across the slash line.

High-A Spokane

Jacob Humphrey (OF)

2026 Stats: 132 PA, .336/.402/.496, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 14 SB, 137 wRC+

It’s hard not to be impressed by the line Jacob Humphrey has put together so far this season. Now, what if I told you this production is coming from a 2025 UDFA that the Rockies were able to snag?

Yes, Humphrey ended up being available for any team to sign following the conclusion of the draft and has seemingly set out to make 2026 his revenge tour to all the teams who ended up passing on him.

The power-speed combination this season is what initially stood out to me. The former Vanderbilt product is doing this at the plate while also playing an above-average center field defense down in Spokane.

Although he is a little older for the level, talent is talent.

If he continues to swing the bat nearly half the time, the aggression may generate more swing-and-miss as he climbs up through the system. However, dating back to his time at Vandy, he has always been able to overcome those shortcomings through his overall bat-to-ball skills.

Everett Catlett (LHP)

2026 Stats: 6 G(5 GS), 28.2 IP, 3.77 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 12.2 K/9

There has always been the negative perception of Rockies pitchers, mainly due to their home ballpark and how it plays. Much of the same can be said throughout each of their minor league cities, but what Everett Catlett has been able to do in his first year and a half of his professional career needs to be mentioned.

Keeping the ball on the ground is going to be important for any pitcher in this organization who is looking to have a successful big-league career. Generating ground balls at a high level is something that Catlett has been able to do well up to this point.

The left-hander out of Colgan is also a week removed from being named the Northwest League Pitcher of the Week. I, for one, am finding his success to be something notable going forward. If he is able to cut down on the walks a bit, I believe there’s a chance he serves as a back-end starter in Colorado down the line.

Jackson Cox (RHP)

2026 Stats: 7 G(6 GS), 4.33 ERA, 29.6 K%, 4.07 xFIP

It has been a bit of a journey for the 50th-overall pick in the 2022 draft, Jackson Cox. After being drafted as a young 19-year-old, he ended up missing all of the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery.

In his return to the mound in 2025, he pitched to a 3.39 ERA in 85 innings. The numbers may not have stood out, but he was able to return, still spinning his curveball above 3,000 RPMs consistently. Pairing off well with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s, Cox has also been able to begin throwing a changeup more consistently.

That, in turn, has also created the uptick in the overall strikeout percentage for the young right-hander. As I mentioned earlier in the article, there is always going to be a lot of variance in prospect rankings. Even with that being the case, Cox’s name had been universally mentioned across multiple platforms as an arm to keep an eye on this season.

Single-A Fresno

Derek Bernard (SS)

2026 Stats: 129 PA, 327/.419/.545, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 145 wRC+

After being signed during the 2022 IFA period, Derek Bernard quickly became a name of intrigue. Despite the consistent wRC+ numbers over 100, he is still given the “prospect sleeper” label when being mentioned across the league.

Bernard made his professional debut for the Rockies’ Dominican Summer League team back in 2022 as a 16-year-old and, as I mentioned, hit the ground running. After ending that season with a wRC+ at 150, he came over state-side still putting up strong numbers at the plate.

This left-handed hitting prospect may not have a true “standout” trait that would have him mentioned amongst the likes of the better infield prospects in the league, but his ability to flash raw power and above-average game power leaves a lot of hope that he continues to fill out as he ages.

Tanner Thach (1B)

2026 Stats: 160 PA, .312/.375/.532, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 127 wRC+

It didn’t take very long for UNC Wilmington product Tanner Thach to make an impact for the Rockies in the minor leagues.

As soon as the eighth-round pick inked his professional contract, the Rockies sent him to Single-A Fresno, and he was able to hit the ground running from the very beginning.

In those 18 games last season, Thach hit .279 with two home runs and a 120 wRC+. Even with the strong initial showing, Colorado decided to send him back to Fresno to begin the 2026 season.

Well, all the first baseman has done is continue to show that he should have at least began the season at High-A Spokane with just how hot he has been to kick off the first month-plus of the year. He was also named the MiLB Player of the Month for his play in April.

One thing we find in common amongst players who make tangible improvements year-to-year is how they can turn a lower swing percentage into a higher contact rate. Being more selective at the plate is not always a detriment, as evident by these cases.

Through a more selective approach at the plate, Thach has been able to add more power to his game, already having hit six home runs this year after only hitting two last season.

Angel Jimenez (RHP)

2026 Stats: 6 G(6 GS), 2.86 ERA, 34% K%, 78.5% LOB%

If there was one starter I would like to highlight in this system, it would be Angel Jimenez and what he has been able to do.

There is likely no bigger wild card in the Rockies’ pitching bank down in the minors. It is a strong case of high-ceiling and seeing the floor fall out from under you. What creates this sense of intrigue is just how much whiff he is capable of generating on the mound and how shaky his command can get in the blink of an eye.

Nonetheless, 2026 has shown everyone just how good the upside could be. In his six starts so far, he has an ERA sitting at 2.86 and has struck out 34% of hitters. He is doing this while keeping his walk rate almost two percent lower than what he was doing last year.

The xFIP at 4.34 shows that regression is likely on it’s way, but if he can just find something in the middle — a bit of give and take — he might just live up to the level of intrigue that follows him.