With the Rockies trailing by a run in the sixth inning of the series finale in San Francisco last weekend and the baseball sitting right beside the plate, Zac Veen
Giants catcher Drew Cavanaugh had just blocked a pitch, and the ball sat right under his feet. Veen, taking an aggressive lead off third, took advantage of the moment. His helmet flew off as he dashed home, slid head first into the plate to beat Cavanaugh’s tag, and then popped up with his sunglasses falling off his face and screamed.
“I saw the ball in a spot where I didn’t think (Cavanaugh) was going to see it,” Veen said. “So I just went for it.
“I’d say I’m always trying to anticipate anything happening. I’d also say I’m playing with a lot of faith right now — just going out there and doing what feels natural, and letting (the game) take care of itself.”
The play epitomized the Rockies’ Zac Veen Thrill Ride, which also features a complementing counterpart in rookie utilityman Cole Carrigg, who possesses the same speed and fearlessness as Veen. Colorado farm director Chris Forbes has described Carrigg as a “wild stallion” and a “GTO.”
Together, those two young players are capable of providing a spark that the lagging Rockies franchise desperately needs as part of the plan to eventually return to contention.
“They’re two different players, but they are two players who play without fear and don’t care what it looks like out there,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “They don’t care what anybody thinks about them. They are just going to play the way they play.”
For Veen, his return to the majors this season following a brief stint last year came after addressing his substance abuse issues and then dominating all summer in Triple-A.
The 2020 No. 9 overall pick is hitting .333 with a couple homers through his first six games of 2026, and while his plate discipline has shown drastic improvement, Schaeffer says Veen’s maturity off the field has been the most impactful aspect in his developmental jump.
“The biggest adjustment has been how he’s taking care of himself off the field,” Schaeffer said. “Which has allowed him to prepare better, which has allowed his mind to be locked in, his being to be free. You can’t put a price tag on that, and I couldn’t be more proud of that and I’m happy for him.”
Meanwhile, Carrigg — who debuted June 9 — has emerged as a lineup and defensive pillar. While seeing starts in center field and, more recently, shortstop, the 2023 second-round pick is slashing .284/.367/.474 with 5 homers and 34 RBIs through his first 58 big-league games. Carrigg’s near-elite speed element is similar to Veen’s, as both players’ sprint speed ranks in the top 15% of baseball.
“What (Carrigg) has done speaks for itself,” veteran outfielder Mickey Moniak said. “He’s come up here hungry, playing free. That’s what we want him to do. You’re seeing his talent show through his numbers and what he means to our offense, and causing chaos on the bases.
“(That energy) is something we talked about in spring training. It’s something we wanted our identity to be. He’s a perfect example of that.”
Both Veen and Carrigg have quickly emerged as favorites for a fanbase desperate for exciting up-and-coming talent to latch onto. Both players wear their emotions on their sleeve on the diamond, especially Carrigg.
He’s after a bad at-bat. He swears in the box when he misses a pitch he thought he should’ve mashed, sometimes causing the TV audio to briefly cut out for those watching at home. He was at the center of a bases-clearing incident on July 6 in Los Angeles, when Carrigg and Rushing exchanged words after a play at the plate.
As Moniak explains regarding Carrigg’s competitive fire, “what you see is what you get.”
“He plays (the soccer tabletop game) Biñho with (third baseman Kyle) Karros all the time in the clubhouse,” Moniak said. “You’ll hear Carrigg yelling from across the hallway. Anything he’s playing, he’s competitive. He’s yelling and getting feisty.”
Carrigg vows that fiery nature won’t change, though he acknowledged he’s still working on ensuring tough moments don’t stay with him throughout a game.
“I’ll always have that competitive nature, that competitive edge,” Carrigg said. “(That comes from) being the best player that I can be to help my team win ballgames, and if I’m not doing that at any point in time, I’m going to be rather upset about it.
“But that’s something I’m definitely still working on to not let it (simmer in my mind) — whether it’s traveling (with that emotion) into the dugout or whatnot, I just try to keep it to myself as much as I can. But I’ve always been a super competitive-edge type of player, and I’ll always be like that.”
While Carrigg vows to harness his emotions, Veen continues to approach each game from a place of gratitude. It was not long ago that Veen was skating on thin ice within the organization, especially after the outfielder was benched for a stint last year after he was caught smoking marijuana during a Triple-A game at Isotopes Park.
But Veen showed up to spring training sober from weed and alcohol, and has been attending recovery meetings all season. Getting sober also led to a marked physical change for the outfielder who can play all three spots. After playing last season at around 195 pounds, Veen was about 250 pounds in spring training, and his playing weight this season has been approximately 225 pounds.
“I think that (weight is) probably the best version of myself,” Veen said. “… Ultimately last year, I think I took the field kind of just knowing how good I was and I never really understood how grateful I was to be here and in this locker room, or any locker room. I’m just so grateful and blessed. So every day I come in here (to the majors), it’s just a reminder of trying to be the best I can be.”
Neither Veen nor Carrigg is anywhere close to a complete product, but they both could be part of Colorado’s long-term rebuilding plan. That is barring an offseason trade in which Veen, amid the club’s outfield depth, is the more likely candidate to be shopped for the Rockies’ most in-demand element: starting pitching depth.
With minimal service time and both having minor-league options remaining should they hit rough patches, the Rockies can continue to develop the sparkplugs into big-league veterans over the next six seasons while they are under club control.
