Colorado Rockies news and links for Monday, February 24th, 2025
Spring training is officially underway for the Colorado Rockies. In addition to their 40-man roster, 23 non-roster invitees have joined the team for big league camp.
Last week as part of the Weekly Pebble Report, I introduced you to the first group of position players that were extended non-roster invites. This included the group of four catchers, and the three veteran infielders and utility players.
Now that games have started in Scottsdale, it’s time to wrap things up by introducing our final six non-roster invitees: the prospect infielders and prospect outfielders.
Prospect Infielders
25-year-old Dominican infielder Julio Carreras (PuRP HM) has fallen significantly in our prospect rankings after starting the 2024 season at no. 22. Carreras hit just .237/.290/.344 in his second stint with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes with two home runs and 102 strikeouts over 84 games and 57 wRC+. Carreras was shut down in July due to injury and struggled during winter ball prior to spring. In 32 games with Los Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican winter league, he hit just .139/.262./153 with only one extra-base hit.
Carreras’ value for the Rockies comes via his defensive skill-set and speed. He is capable of playing shortstop, second, and third base, and has earned praise for his footwork, soft hands, and arm talent. He has also racked up 103 stolen bases in 139 attempts during his minor league career, going 25-of-28 last season with the Isotopes.
Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images
Ryan Ritter (no. 17 PuRP) was the primary shortstop for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats in 2024, but his future lies as one of the potential heirs at second base for the Rockies.
Ritter is a skilled infielder that was primarily known for his glovework at the University of Kentucky. However, his bat has exceeded expectations his first three professional seasons with the Rockies organization since being drafted in 2022. Ritter has a career .278/.379/.477 slash line with 32 home runs.
In 91 games with the Yard Goats Ritter hit 270/.370/.403 with 26 extra-base hits, but also put in work to become a more patient hitter. He decreased his strikeout rate in Double-A from 38% in 2023 to 23.6% in 2024 while also drawing 35 walks. He also went a perfect 17-for-17 when it comes to stolen bases.
Ritter is likely to start the 2025 season in Triple-A, but his big league debut could be right around the corner if he continues to improve as a hitter. With his strong defensive profile, Ritter is also an option for the Rockies at second base should Adael Amador fail to develop further.
Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images
Fresh off his Northwest League MVP honors, third baseman Kyle Karros (no. 12 PuRP) enters Rockies camp as one of the organization’s best infield prospects. After a solid 2023 campaign following being drafted out of UCLA, the son of famed Rockies killer Eric made some adjustments that paid off in spades.
Karros led the Northwest League in hits, doubles, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS, while hitting .311/.390/.485 over 123 games with the High-A Spokane Indians. He narrowly missed taking home the Northwest League Triple Crown, but fell short by one home run.
After spending all of 2024 in High-A, Karros is most likely to end up with Double-A Hartford to start the 2025 season. However, the Rockies could choose to be aggressive with his development and send him directly to Triple-A Albuquerque. The Isotopes do not currently have an everyday third baseman fully cemented.
Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Prospect Outfielders
One of the primary goals for 22-year-old outfielder Benny Montgomery (no. 16 PuRP) is staying healthy. Montgomery lost a large part of 2022 and almost all of 2024 due to injury, requiring season-ending surgery just 11 games into last year’s campaign.
When he’s been on the field, Montgomery has found success. He hit .283/.313/.500 with two home runs and four doubles prior to his injury in 2024 with the Yard Goats and has flourished in extra-curricular baseball. In 2023 while playing in the Arizona Fall League he hit .333/.436/.500 with three home runs, and this winter in Puerto Rico he proved himself to be in playing shape. In 19 games with Los Leones de Ponce, Montgomery hit .254/.329/.324 with three stolen bases and four extra-base hits.
The Rockies still have a crowded outfield group in both their farm and on the big league squad. It’s not impossible the organization sends him back to Double-A to start the season, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up the starting center fielder in Triple-A Albuquerque.
Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images
A true super-utility player with a powerful arm, Cole Carrigg (no. 10 PuRP) has played every defensive position either in college or professionally. In college with San Diego State he played a healthy amount of catcher in addition to duties at shortstop in the outfield. However, he has mostly converted to center field with a smattering of shortstop in his young professional career.
Carrigg was the primary center fielder for High-A Spokane in 2024 and committed just two errors in 92 games. The switch-hitter also impressed at the plate. In 111 games and 440 at-bats he hit .280/.358/.475 and led the Northwest League with 16 home runs. He also stole a whopping 51 bases in 62 attempts and hit 11 triples.
Carrigg impressed with his patients at the plate, drawing a roughly 10% walk rate to a 19% strikeout rate. With the potential to become a true five-tool player, Carrigg was also named Baseball America’s most exciting player.
Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post
2022 first round pick and Longmont native Sterlin Thompson (no. 15 PuRP) is listed as an outfielder on the non-roster invite list, but truthfully he has yet to find his home defensively. Thompson has played every position but center field, catcher, and shortstop in his young professional career, with the majority of his reps coming at third base. A solid arm and strong athletic talent make him a good fit for a corner outfield spot, and he spent most of the 2024 season in left field.
Thompson looked to be ahead of schedule in 2023, hitting .293/.376/.487 with 14 home runs, 56 RBIs, and a healthy 38 walks to 74 strikeouts over 94 games across High-A and Double-A. However, he had a down year in 2024 while spending the entire season with the Hartford Yard Goats. He hit .245/.319/.385 in 119 games with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs, but also struck out dramatically more. He also had a whiff rate of more than 80% on non-fastballs out of the zone.
Thompson’s goal in 2025 should be to solidify his plate approach, cutting down on strikeouts and getting back to where he was in 2023. If he can do that, he’ll find his way to the big league sooner rather than later—even without a concrete position to play.
Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images
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Takeaways and Impressions from the Rockies’ First Spring Training Game | Fans First Sports
The Rockies kicked off their spring on Friday with a 12-8 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Skyler Timmins had a lot to say on their first outing. From the ABS system, to the youth movement, to Brenton Doyle being Brenton Doyle, check out these impressions and takeaways from the spring training opener!
Entering Year 9 with Rox, Freeland still energized by challenges | MLB.com
Home-grown lefty Kyle Freeland is entering his ninth professional season with his hometown team. His career has been full of ups and downs, but Freeland continues to reflect on and embrace the challenges of pitching half his games in a difficult environment.
“You’ve got to buy in and understand that we’re the only team that plays in this elevation for half of our games, so we have to deal with going on the road, making adjustments and coming back home and making adjustments every three to seven to 11 days,” Freeland said. “And it’s not easy.”
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