Cole Carrigg is the Rockies’ AI prospect. Athletic and intriguing.
During spring training, he was a mesmerizing player who immediately grabbed my attention. I’m not an expert on the intricacies of his swing path or any deficiencies in his approach at the plate. But I did see a player with incredible skills — speed, strong arm, power — and the ability to put the ball in play and make things happen.
Manager Warren Schaeffer, who covets those types of players, confirmed my observations.
“I love the way Cole plays the game,” Schaeffer told me. “He’s uber-athletic. Cole plays with a high motor and brings a certain edge to his game that’s infectious. He has an extremely bright future.”
The switch-hitting Carrigg, ranked as is raking for Triple-A Albuquerque. Still, his big-league debut doesn’t appear imminent, even though Rockies outfielders Jordan Beck and Brenton Doyle have struggled so far this season.
The Rockies brass are weighing his 33 games for the Isotopes, but are also aware of his struggles last season at Double-A Hartford.
Here’s what Paul DePodesta, Colorado president of baseball operations, said earlier this month: “We want to call players up when they are banging down the door, where we have to make room for them because they’re just playing so well and that they have the underlying foundation in place to be successful up here — not just to survive, but to be successful.”
But if Carrigg isn’t banging down the door just yet, he’s certainly knocking on it. Loudly.
The Isotopes center fielder/shortstop was named the Pacific Coast League player of the week for April 27-May 3. In six games, Carrigg went 14 for 24 with two doubles, a triple, a homer, eight RBIs and four stolen bases. Overall, he entered the weekend hitting .369 with two homers, 27 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases.
“I feel like my swing is in a great spot and I can put the bat on the ball again,” Carrigg said during a phone interview from Sugarland, Texas, where the Isotopes were playing the Space Cowboys. “That’s something I kind of lost in Double-A (Hartford) last year. I kind of got into some bad habits.
“Those things are kind of hard to get out of sometimes when your muscle memory takes over, and you’re doing something you don’t want to do. So I got a much-needed reset in the offseason and got back to feeling good about my swing.”
At Hartford, Carrigg slashed .237/.316/.394 with a 27% strikeout rate vs. an 8% walk rate. Those were disappointing numbers. But his athleticism shone bright. He stole 46 bases in 56 attempts, and he had a remarkable 18 outfield assists.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Carrigg, selected by Colorado with the 65th overall pick of the 2023 draft out of San Diego State, has one of the strongest arms in minor league baseball. At the ’23 draft combine, he from the outfield.
Carrigg, 24, is self-confident, but not cocky. He realizes what he brings to a ballclub.
“I feel like I have the type of energy that can help spark a team and help create things when things aren’t happening,” he said. “I play with my hair on fire, no matter the situation. I am always going to give it my all. I think that’s a great thing to have, and it’s good for a ballclub.”
Naturally, Carrigg is “itching” to get called up to the Rockies, but he’s doing his best to stay grounded.
“That’s always a tough thing to look at (objectively) because I’ve been itchy my whole life to play in the big leagues,” he said. “Once I realized that was an attainable goal, I wanted it really bad. But as I’ve gone about my days in pro ball, I’ve learned not to GM. That’s a game you will never win. I’m trying my best just to be where my feet are, so to speak.”
