Jackson Cox is trying to become a Rockies pitching anomaly.
For a franchise that has had almost zero success with selecting high school pitchers in the first couple rounds of the draft — Aaron Cook and, to a lesser extent, Jamey Wright are the only notable exceptions — it still remains possible that could buck that trend.
Cox is Colorado’s highest-drafted high school pitcher since the Rockies whiffed by taking Riley Pint at No. 4 overall in 2016. Cox was selected in the second round at No. 50 overall out of Toutle Lake High School (Washington) in 2022. In the time since, he went through Tommy John surgery midway through ’23, missed all of ’24 and then was on an innings limit in ’25.
But those speed bumps haven’t dented the confidence of Cox, who is currently in High-A Spokane.
“In the next couple of years, I definitely see myself as a starter in the big leagues,” Cox said. “I’ve just got to keep working and keep chasing that hunger to be the best.”
In a sport defined by what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, Cox’s recent returns are promising.
The 6-foot-2 right-hander struggled out of the gate in ’25, with a 15.43 ERA in four April starts with Low-A Fresno. But then he dialed in his curveball and finished the season with a 3.39 ERA in 23 starts. That featured several dominant stretches, including a sizzling July in which he had a 2.74 ERA in five starts with an 11.7 K/9 ratio and an eye-popping 15.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The 22-year-old has taken that momentum into this season in Spokane, where his K/9 rate is 12.4. He has a 4.25 ERA in six games this season heading into his next start for the Indians on Tuesday. In his last outing on May 5, he spun a career-high seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts in a win over the Tri-City Dust Devils.
“Outings like that, I’m just trying to show that that’s the standard I hold myself to and that’s what the Rockies can expect when I walk out onto the mound,” Cox said.
Cox’s goals for this season include 200 strikeouts and a sub-3.00 ERA. With swing-and-miss stuff, Cox’s fastball sits in the mid-90s and he can reach back to hit 98 mph when needed. His curveball is in the low 80s, and his four-pitch mix is rounded out by a changeup (which he added during his Tommy John rehab) and a cutter (which he added in this offseason as a bridge between the fastball and curveball), both of which sit in the high-80s.
“I’ve definitely implemented the curveball a lot more over the past couple seasons, especially earlier in the game, because that’s always been my best pitch,” Cox said. “But the development of my changeup and recently adding the cutter has been two weapons that I really like relying on now as well, just making sure that I’m not getting too predictable by throwing too many fastballs to hitters.”
Five more updates on Rockies prospects
While Cole Carrigg is one of the hottest hitters in the minors, Charlie Condon is knocking on the door of his debut, and Zac Veen waits for another shot in the bigs, here are five other to watch entering the heart of the season.
SS Ethan Holliday
The No. 1-ranked Rockies prospect, drafted fourth overall last year, scuffled in his debut last season with Fresno. He’s back in High-A in 2026, and hitting better: .258 with six homers through 26 games. He still needs to work on striking out less, but he projects to be in Spokane by season’s end.
2B/CF Roldy Brito
Brito signed with the Rockies in 2024 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, was the Arizona Complex League MVP in ’25 and then tore up Fresno after getting called up. Back in Fresno in ’26, the switch-hitter continues to hit for average (.315) and show off plus-speed.
RHP Brody Brecht
Colorado’s No. 38 overall pick in 2024 out of Iowa, developing command has been a focal point over his first two pro seasons. At 6-foot-4, Brecht sits around 96 with his fastball and can touch triple-digits, with a nice slider to match. He has a 4.91 ERA in six starts this season for Spokane.
OF Sterlin Thompson
One of two minor-league outfielders on along with Veen, Thompson has played right and left in Triple-A this year. The lefty’s hitting .336 with a .473 on-base percentage in 33 games; given left fielder Jordan Beck’s offensive struggles, Thompson’s debut could be imminent.
LHP Konner Eaton
The 6-foot-3 southpaw turned a lot of heads with his performance last year in Spokane, when he posted a 3.56 ERA in 23 starts before a late-season call-up to Hartford. He came back down to earth there, with a 5.30 ERA in four starts, but has a 3.00 ERA in six starts so far for the Goats in ’26.
