The 22-year-old is the definition of a “super-utility player”
10. Cole Carrigg (588 points, 27 ballots)
The term “super-utility player” is often employed with hyperbole, but in the case of Carrigg, it fits like a glove (any kind of baseball glove, in Carrigg’s case). The 22-year-old has played literally every position (and played them well) in a college or pro game over the last few years — and he’s even a switch-hitter so he provides versatility there too. Colorado drafted the 6’2” Carrigg 65th overall in 2023 out of San Diego State as a catcher — where his plus-plus arm (he threw 102 MPH from the outfield at the Draft Combine) could make him a defensive weapon in a MLB where robots call balls and strikes — and signed for a a $1.3 million over-slot bonus (by $116k).
Carrigg hit well as a professional during his draft year, tearing through the complex league with a .396/.464/.688 line including two homers, nine extra-base hits, and seven steals in 57 PA (176 wRC+). That was enough for the Rockies to send him up to Low-A Fresno in mid-August. In 23 games there, Carrigg hit .326/.376/.554 with three homers, four triples, four doubles, and six steals in 101 PA (145 wRC+). Defensively, Carrigg split his time between catcher, shortstop, and center field — a true up-the-middle defender!
In 2024, Carrigg was moved up to High-A Spokane, where he mostly played center field (92 games, 2 errors) with some shortstop (14 games, 2 errors) sprinkled in. Outside of a brief trek to the ACL in late June for an injury rehab, Carrigg’s progress stayed on an upward trajectory. Against pitching that was on average 0.5 years older than him, Carrigg continued to rake. His .280/.358/.475 triple slash in 510 PA was highlighted by Northwest League-leading totals of 16 homers and 11 triples, with 15 doubles and 42 steals in 51 attempts added for good measure — earning a 132 wRC+.
Carrigg walked in nearly 10% of PA while striking out in about 19% and hit markedly better from the right side of the plate (.960 OPS vs. .824 from the left side), which is the opposite of his 2023 splits. He won the Northwest player of the week award three times — once each in June, July, and September — and was named the best defensive outfielder and most exciting player in the league by Baseball America en route to an All-Star berth and league championship.
Here’s Carrigg showing off his speed with a three-hit game with two steals in Spokane in September 2024:
John Trupin of Baseball Prospectus ranked Carrigg 5th in their recent system ranking with a 55 OFP grade:
San Diego State gave Carrigg the chance to do everything from pitch to catch to field all over the diamond, and Colorado has been similarly open-minded. Sadly, the backstop reps came to a close in 2024, however Carrigg responded as well as could be hoped. In a fully healthy campaign, he swiped over 50 bags, while hitting for power and contact, maintaining his average rates at a higher level. Carrigg pokes his big flies more than crushes them, but his strength is sufficient to keep a pitcher honest, and a lot of his hardest contact comes in the air. Every action he takes on the field has a slight raw tinge still, with his athleticism covering some mechanical inconsistencies on both sides of the ball and an at times overexuberance for swinging outside the zone whilst at the plate. He may not be a superstar, but you only need to look at another multi-positional player, Tommy Edman, to see a beacon for what this sort of player is capable of.
Carrigg could be a shortstop and center fielder with 30-40 steals a year and 20+ home runs.. His relative rawness on both sides of the ball make his longer-term projection hazier, however, as he could end up an outfielder only without the game power to put the rest of his profile together.
Carrigg was listed by MLB.com last month as the best Rockies prospect not on the top 100 (implying he was third in the system):
Carrigg’s athleticism, versatility, arm and solid college career at San Diego State helped him land with the Rockies in Competitive Balance Round B in 2023. He’s been even better as a pro with an .850 OPS, 17 homers and 53 steals in 2024. The switch-hitter can play multiple positions — he used to catch — and his 70-grade arm works from anywhere.
Carrigg was slotted 7th in the system by MLB.com during the season as a 45 FV player with a 60 run and 70 arm grade, so it’s clear he’s taken a leap in their eyes since then:
A switch-hitter who can make a ton of contact from both sides of the plate, Carrigg can be a little overly aggressive at times. There were some questions about how his bat would transfer to the pro game, but so far they’ve been unfounded, as he’s been athletic in the box and shown good bat speed with the ability to drive the ball. He’s a plus runner who should continue to be a threat on the basepaths.
Defensively, Carrigg has seen most of his time up the middle: at short, in center field and behind the plate. His double-plus arm is an asset in all three spots, as is his athleticism. His best position is center, with the Rockies cognizant that a plus arm is needed there in the vast expanse of Coors Field. He’s constantly on the attack on ground balls at short, and there’s confidence that would play if he got more reps there. He loves to catch, but it’s seen as the third-best option and the Rockies may not want to take his speed away by having him there full-time. Wherever he is, his hair-on-fire style of play should help him maximize his tools.
Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Carrigg 8th in the system last week (as an OF/SS):
The Rockies took Carrigg in compensation round B in 2023 out of San Diego State, where he’d split time between catching, playing three infield spots (all but first), and playing center. Colorado ended the catching part and they’ve had him primarily in center, with a little time at short last year to keep that on the table. He’s a plus runner with a hose for an arm and is athletic enough to play just about anywhere, with center field clearly his best position. He’s aggressive at the plate and even last year, when he was a little experienced to spend the entire year in High A, he showed some cracks in his pitch recognition, chasing more than he had in college and having difficulty picking up spin. He plays hard, almost too hard, and he ends up incurring a lot of fines as a result, so he’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. His positional versatility makes him a no-doubt big leaguer, barring injury; his chance to be a regular depends mostly on whether he can hit better quality pitching, which is in doubt right now.
Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs graded Carrigg as a 40+ FV player, 17th in the system, with an 80 grade on the arm:
Carrigg is a unique multi-positional prospect, a fair switch-hitter with some low ball pop from the left side of the plate and an all-world arm. He slashed .283/.359/.491 with 17 homers in his first full pro season, spent mostly at High-A Spokane. Both visual scouting and a data-oriented assessment of Carrigg as a hitter have him more average (contact) or a shade below (raw power). Both of Carrigg’s swings are geared for pull and lift (he has a pretty classic low-ball stroke as a lefty), and he’ll be able to get to relevant (if modest) power.
The Rockies deployed Carrigg behind the plate a little bit right after he turned pro, but he spent most of 2024 in center field, with infrequent starts at shortstop. A long-striding runner, Carrigg has plus speed underway but takes a little while to get going. In a year and a half of pro ball, Carrigg has now played twice as many games in center field as he did throughout his three years of college. He was more comfortable out there late in 2024 than he was at the start and should be average there in time. Plus, he brings show-stopping arm strength to the table. The way Carrigg’s body unfurls on a max-effort outfield chuck is incredible, though he isn’t an accurate infield thrower at all, and it’s a big enough issue that he might just be an outfielder. The peak outcome for Carrigg would be a dynamic, Willi Castro-esque utilityman, though he’s trending more like a good part-time outfielder whose career might have a relevant second act on the mound.
Carrigg was ranked 5th in the system by ESPN.com (as a CF), albeit without further commentary.
Carrigg’s tremendous defensive utility and athleticism means he is very easy to fit into whatever fantasy future Rockies roster you may have in mind. He also showed more power this year in Spokane than his profile suggested up until 2024 (his previous season high in homers, including college, was just five), making him more of a candidate to be a big league regular than was thought entering the season.
Carrigg should get a shot at Double-A Hartford to start 2025, and he honestly could be at Coors Field not long after since he legitimately could back up any position. If and when a MLB debut happens, Carrigg could be a valuable player all over the diamond, especially if his plate discipline improves and the power develop sticks. I ranked Carrigg 12th in the system as a 40+ FV player, but if the power gains are sustained in 2025 he’s easily up another tier.