The latest piece of bad news came on Friday when word got out that Ethan Holliday, the Rockies’ No. 1 prospect, will undergo surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot and miss the remainder of the season. Colorado has not announced the surgery.

According to MLB.com, the decision came after several examinations Holliday underwent since being scratched from Single-A Fresno’s lineup last Thursday. A date for the shortstop’s surgery has not been set.

Holliday, 19, will end the season slashing .262/.395/.557 with one steal, two triples, nine home runs, and 32 RBIs across 152 plate appearances.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Holliday was drafted out of Oklahoma’s Stillwater High School last summer with the fourth overall pick of the 2025 draft. He signed for $9 million, a record for a player getting drafted out of high school.

Holliday’s dad, Matt, the former Rockies outfielder, was a seven-time All-Star and won a World Series with the Cardinals. Ethan’s big brother, Jackson, was the first overall pick out of Stillwater High in the 2022 draft by the Orioles.

The Rockies, hit hard by injuries to the big-league club, opened a three-game series vs. the Giants on Friday night at Coors Field, coming off a difficult 1-6 road trip through Arizona and Los Angeles.

The Rockies finally got a day off on Thursday, their first after a stretch of 16 consecutive days playing a ballgame. They were 4-12 over that stretch.

Reeling rotation. There are a lot of issues for a team that was 6-19 this month entering Friday’s game, but front and center are the struggles of the injury-depleted rotation.

Veteran lefty Jose Quintana was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Thursday with a left elbow sprain. Although the injury won’t require Tommy John surgery, Quintana will be out for an extended period of time.

Right-hander Chase Dollander, on the 15-day IL since May 15 with a sprained elbow, has not begun throwing. There is no timetable for his return.

Asked where he is regarding his rehab, Dollander said, “I’m not sure yet. I still haven’t thrown yet. We want to make sure that we take our time.”

Veteran struggles. Left-hander Kyle Freeland and right-hander Michael Lorenzen were being counted on to stabilize Colorado’s rotation, but both have struggled mightily.

Freeland has an 8.08 ERA after getting shelled for eight runs on nine hits (including three home runs) in four innings on Tuesday night in Colorado’s 15-6 loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

On Friday, Freeland was candid about his struggles, which include a stint on the IL for shoulder inflammation.

“I’m going through some things, and I’m trying to figure things out,” he said. “It’s not easy to figure things out when your confidence has been ripped away from you. Things have not been good since I came off the IL (on April 28). Nothing has been pretty, nothing has been crisp.”

Manager Warren Schaeffer said he has not considered putting Freeland in the bullpen, in part because the rotation is so thin.

“That doesn’t even cross my mind,” Schaeffer said.

Lorenzen entered Friday night’s start against the Giants with a 7.21 ERA, including a 10.03 ERA at Coors Field.

“Michael, behind closed doors, is working very, very hard,” Schaeffer said. “He’s analyzing (things) and making adjustments.”

Feltner’s return. There is some good news on the pitching front. Right-hander Ryan Feltner, out since April 24 with right ulnar nerve inflammation, is scheduled to start Saturday night’s game against the Giants. Feltner made two solid minor-league rehab starts. He struck out four in 3 2/3 scoreless innings at Double-A Hartford and gave up one run on six hits over five innings at Triple-A Albuquerque, fanning five and walking one.

“I was happy with my stuff in the Hartford start,” Feltner said Friday. “It’s the best I’ve felt in a long time, physically and with my stuff. In Albuquerque, the same thing.”

Doyle’s injury. Centerfielder Brenton Doyle has not begun any baseball activities and is not close to returning. He’s been on the IL with a left oblique contusion since May 20.

“I don’t need surgery or anything,” he said. “I don’t really have a set timetable, just taking it day by day, see how it progresses. And yesterday was probably the first noticeably better day for me, so that’s a good sign of relief that we’re heading in the right direction.”

Still, Doyle has some painful moments.

“When I sneeze,” he said. “Anytime I have to really brace my core for anything, like coughing, sneezing, blowing my nose, that kind of stuff kind of flares it up. But yesterday was a good day, so we’ll go from there.”

Pitching probables

Saturday: Giants RHP Adrian Houser (2-4, 5.30 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 6.30), 7:10 p.m.
Sunday: Giants LHP Robbie Ray (3-6, 4.60) at Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (0-0, 5.85), 1:10 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Now, he’s a full-time professional who signed for $9 million. That’s not kids’ stuff.

But he’s thriving, and swinging a hot bat for the Single-A Fresno Grizzlies. Not an easy trick for a 19-year-old away from home for the first time.

“I think things are going well and I’ve settled into a groove,” Holliday said in a phone interview Tuesday before the Grizzlies played the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. “Last year was challenging, no doubt. And this is still challenging, but I’m starting to figure it out. I’m trying to keep things as simple as possible.”

Entering Tuesday, the shortstop ranked first in the California League in slugging (.580) and OPS (.984), was tied for first in home runs (nine) and RBIs (30), and was tied for 10th in walks (22). Last Saturday, Colorado’s top-ranked prospect launched two home runs and drove in three runs in Fresno’s 11-6 win over Visalia.

“I was feeling good and on time with my swing,” he said. “I got some fastballs over the middle, and I took ’em deep a couple of times.”

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Holliday is part of Stillwater, Okla., baseball royalty. Ethan’s dad, Matt, the former Rockies outfielder, was a seven-time All-Star and a World Series champion with the Cardinals. Ethan’s big brother, Jackson, was the first overall pick out of Stillwater High in the 2022 draft by the Orioles.

When Ethan was still in high school, some projected that he would have a better big-league career than his dad or his brother. Of course, nothing is guaranteed in baseball. During Ethan’s 18-game taste of pro baseball last summer with Fresno, he hit just .239 with two home runs and struck out in 39.3% of his plate appearances. There were whispers in the baseball industry that he was having trouble hitting fastballs.

The “Worries about swing-and-miss cropped up when he was on the summer showcase circuit, and he expanded the zone too much, and there were a lot of whiffs during his brief pro debut, but he has the chance to be a solid all-around hitter with big home run totals. ”

Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes likes what he’s seeing from Ethan.

“I mean, Ethan just turned 19 in spring training, so he’s got growth ahead of him,” Byrnes said Tuesday at Coors Field before Colorado hosted the Rangers. “In talking to Ethan and his dad, we talked about hitting the fastball better — without losing his other strengths. And in May, he’s really done a lot better with it.

“He’s made some slight swing changes, but taking that into your first full professional season is not that easy. But the overall production, and how he’s doing it has been really, really encouraging.”

Byrnes is also impressed by Ethan’s maturity.

“He’s his own person, but I think his family pedigree has helped,” Byrnes said. “Even so, when I’ve talked to Matt, he’s told me, ‘You don’t have to baby him. He’s a professional baseball player now. The thing is, Ethan loves talking the game, and he loves picking the brains of his brother and his dad.”

Jackson came off the injured list on Tuesday and started at second base for the Orioles for the first time this season. After undergoing right hamate surgery on Feb. 12, Jackson had to pause his rehab assignment twice, first due to right wrist soreness and then due to right hand discomfort. The hamate bone is on the lower outside edge of the hand.

“I’m so glad to see him back with the Orioles,” Ethan said. “Our schedules get crazy, so we can’t talk every day, but we talk a lot.”

And what does his big brother tell him?

“He says, this all the time: ‘Just give yourself some grace. Just go out there and play the game you have always loved. Don’t think too crazy about any of it. Go compete and have fun. And make sure to give it your all every night.’ ”

Jackson needed only 155 minor league games to reach the majors. It took Matt a lot longer. He appeared in 556 games over six years before debuting with the Rockies in 2004. Patience is a prerequisite in pro baseball.

“I tell Ethan all the time,” Matt told The Post during spring training. “I was 24 years old when I made it. I had some really lousy seasons. I let him know, ‘You are 19. Let����ap relax. You don’t have to get to the major leagues this year.’

“Everybody is on a different timeline. He doesn’t have to be like his brother. He is his own person. And I am proud of him.”

Ethan has taken his dad’s advice to heart.

“It won’t be sunshine and rainbows every day,” he said. “We have to understand that baseball is a game of failure, but you have to show up every day.”

And you have to get away from the diamond when you can.

Last Monday, Ethan and his girlfriend, Mary, drove from Fresno to Yosemite National Park and spent the day there.

“It was unbelievable, breathtaking,” he said. “I need that. Showing up every day, and playing every day is not easy. Thankfully, we have that built-in off day on Mondays. I try to make the most of it.”

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. ]]> 7755819 2026-05-12T15:56:41+00:00 2026-05-12T16:10:58+00:00 /2026/04/30/rockies-charlie-condon-zac-veen-prospects/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:20:19 +0000 /?p=7574268 In many ways, Zac Veen’s first dozen games in the majors last year summed up everything the Rockies’ new front office boss thought the club was doing wrong when it came to debuting top prospects.

Veen, Colorado’s No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 draft, hit just .118 in that stint while striking out at a 37.8% clip. The outfielder’s at-bats were largely undisciplined, and judging by the entirety of his turbulent 2025 season, Veen clearly lacked the off-field maturity to be ready for his call-up.

Enter Paul DePodesta, the Rockies’ first-year president of baseball operations, and his belief that even the organization’s most prized minor leaguers needed more seasoning before getting a chance in LoDo.

“One of the things we really did purposely this winter was to try to help stabilize the big-league team,” DePodesta said. “The ancillary benefit of that was, and we’ve talked about this extensively (since I was hired), that it was going to force our young players to really earn their spot, to force their way onto the team, and not sort of skip part of what we think is really foundational experience at both Double-A and Triple-A.

“Sometimes players that are extremely talented will show up in the big leagues just a little too quickly.”

That philosophy is being exercised in real time this season with Veen as well as first baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon. Both players opened the season with Triple-A Albuquerque, and the Rockies seem in no rush to get Veen back up to the majors or to debut Condon, the club’s No. 3 overall pick in ’24.

Veen’s newfound sobriety

For , his biggest hurdle back to the bigs — a substance abuse issue — is now out of the way after the 24-year-old got sober in the offseason.

As Veen first detailed during spring training the outfielder was smoking marijuana every day last season and drinking excessively, too. Veen further explained those issues in an interview this week with The Denver Post, noting he got in trouble with the organization last season after getting caught smoking marijuana during a game at Isotopes Park.

“There where times last year where I had the world in the palm of my hand, or so it seemed, and I wasn’t feeling as fulfilled as I am since I stopped doing all that stuff,” Veen said. “I’m more fulfilled now, even if baseball or other things aren’t going my way, than if I was with the world seemingly in the palm of my hand when I was drinking and smoking.”

Veen, who says substance abuse issues are prevalent in his family, understands addiction recovery is not a straight line.

He’s been intentional with his actions to maintain sobriety this season, including attending Bible studies, recovery groups in Albuquerque and consistent calls with his pastor from his church back in his home state of Florida. Veen also leaned heavily for guidance on his former high school and club coach, Johnny Goodrich, whom Veen called “the closest thing to a father figure I have in my life,” considering the outfielder has not seen his biological father since the age of 15.

“I have gone to a few random (recovery) meetings since I’ve been in Arizona or I’ve been here (in Albuquerque),” Veen said. “And that’s kind of how I stay on that (sobriety). I just really appreciate being around people who want to better themselves and be the best they can be, which is what I want for myself.”

On the field, Veen is hitting .258 with two homers through 25 games. He’s played all three outfield spots this season, and DePodesta believes that finding the balance between being a free swinger and being selective when the situation or count calls for it will help Veen take the next step offensively.

“If he can rein in that (aggression) in a little bit because big league pitchers are better equipped to take advantage of that, he can do so much damage on so many pitches,” DePodesta said. “So if we can bring him in a little but still allow him to be aggressive on the right pitches, he has a really, really bright future. He’s still showing all the same tools. He’s got big power, he can run. He’s versatile defensively.”

Veen, who was limited to just 46 games in 2023 and 65 games in ’24 due to injuries, says his goal is to stay on the field all season.

“Best-case scenario is I get 500 to 600 at-bats and I play in the most games that I’ve ever played in,” Veen said. “That is the ultimate scenario for me. In a perfect world, I’m obviously in the major leagues (at some point in ’26), but in an even more perfect world, I’m just being the best version of myself every day. And at the end of the year, the pieces fell right where I wanted them to.”

Condon stacking ‘healthy reps’

While Veen bides his time, fans have been clamoring for the arrival of , who followed up a torrid spring training with a solid start to the season in Triple-A.

The 23-year-old is batting .269 with four homers through his first 21 games, but DePodesta says the debut of Colorado’s behind shortstop Ethan Holliday (who is currently in Low-A) likely isn’t imminent.

“It’s hard for any of us to say exactly what that time is or how long that takes, but we all want to make sure that he has that (base),” DePodesta said. “And I think he’s certainly showing signs of that. He’s doing all the right things. Now it’s just a matter of being able to do that longer and get even more experience under his belt so he feels really, really good about it before he gets a chance to come up to Coors Field. Hopefully, at that point, he never goes back.”

After struggling in his debut pro season in 2024, where Condon hit .180 with one homer in 24 games while dealing with a finger injury, he fractured his wrist at the start of the ’25 campaign. So ’26 has been his first fully healthy season as a pro, which Condon is relishing as he waits for the call that’s been expected since the day he got drafted.

“It’s been nice to be able to stack healthy reps,” Condon said. “There’s something to be said for being able to be healthy for an extended period of time and really finding a groove. And so that’s been refreshing for sure.

“Whenever that time comes (for my debut), I will 100% be ready.”

Condon, who led the NCAA with a BBCOR-era record 37 homers has yet to find consistent power in the minors. He has 19 homers in 145 games, and while DePodesta lauded Condon’s “mature approach” at the plate, Condon acknowledged he’s still searching for the right combination of average and power.

“For me, it’s really about blending the hit tool and the power tool,” Condon said. “I don’t want to be a guy that’s just all one or the other. I want to be a guy that handles the bat well but also runs a fair amount of balls out of the yard every year.”

In the field, Condon has split his time this season between first base and right field. He also played third base in college and briefly in the minors, but that position seems to be tabled for now.

“It comes pretty easy to him in the outfield — he feels comfortable there, he tracks the ball well,” DePodesta said. “He’s working hard in pregame in terms of getting even better jumps and covering more ground. But given his athleticism and his length (at 6-foot-5), he’s going to get some balls both down the line and in the gap. He’s got a chance to be a pretty good corner outfielder.”

Veen, Condon fit in 2026

With the Rockies outperforming critics’ expectations through the first month-plus of 2026 — Colorado is 14-18, matching the win total the club didn’t get to until June 15 of last year’s disastrous 119-loss season — the question becomes of how Veen and Condon could fit into the big-league roster.

Veen is on but Condon is not, so the latter would require designating someone for assignment. Triple-A outfielder is also on the 40-man roster, and given he’s currently hitting .308 with a .438 on-base percentage, he very well might get the call before Veen or Condon.

There could be a performance-based opening for one of those players sometime in the near future if current trends hold. In the outfield, Troy Johnston (who also plays first base) and Mickey Moniak have been two of the strengths of the lineup so far. But left fielder Jordan Beck (hitting .153 with one homer) and center fielder Brenton Doyle (hitting .220 with one homer) are struggling.

Both Beck and Doyle have options, though it’s unlikely Colorado would send Doyle down to Triple-A, given the importance of his two-time Gold Glove Award defense in the wide Coors Field outfield. DePodesta gave a vote of confidence to both players, especially considering the platooning that has been going on in the outfield with Johnston, Jake McCarthy and Tyler Freeman also seeing time out there.

Meanwhile, at first base, T.J. Rumfield is hitting .264 with three homers and is playing well enough to warrant an extended opportunity to keep that job for the time being. Rumfield tore up spring training to earn the job after being acquired via a January trade with the Yankees for reliever Angel Chivilli.

Condon, like Veen, isn’t putting extra weight on himself to force the Rockies’ hand for a call-up.

“This game is hard enough by itself, and it becomes even harder when you start putting external pressure like that on yourself,” Condon said. “So for me it’s about focusing on the day-to-day. Obviously (debuting this season) is a goal of mine. That’s something I’m working very hard for. But will I be upset and disappointed in myself if that doesn’t happen? Yeah, sure, probably a little bit. But it’s not something that I can focus too much on because so much of that is out of my control.”

Here are the top 10 most intriguing Rockies prospects to watch in 2026, with their estimated times of arrival to the big leagues.

SS Ethan Holliday

The 4-1-1: Last year’s No. 4 overall pick hit .239 with two homers in 18 games for Low-A Fresno. He’ll likely start 2026 in Fresno or High-A Spokane and brings a recalibrated offensive approach into the season, including an adjusted stride to help with timing. For fans looking for light at the end of the Rockies’ dark tunnel, a solid sophomore pro season from Matt’s son would be a great sign.

ETA to LoDo:��2028

1B/OF Charlie Condon

The 4-1-1:��Along with Holliday, Condon is the other primary reason to believe that star power is on the horizon for Colorado. The 2024 No. 3 overall pick turned in a stellar spring training, and the first half of 2026 should be his final test in the high minors. If he can stay healthy — Condon had a thumb injury in ’24, and a wrist injury in ’25 — he’s tracking to debut sometime this summer.

ETA to LoDo:��2026

UTL Roldy Brito

The 4-1-1:��The Dominican is a switch-hitter who plays middle infield and center field, and had a dominant season in ’25 across rookie ball and Low-A. The 18-year-old was the Arizona Complex League MVP, an ACL postseason all-star, a Baseball America rookie all-star and the Rockies’ minor-league player of the year. He hits for average with sneaky pop, too. A fast-riser to keep tabs on.

ETA to LoDo:��2029

OF Sterlin Thompson

The 4-1-1:��The 2022 first-round pick swung a solid bat over 120 games in Triple-A Albuquerque last season, batting .296 with 18 homers and a .911 OPS. That led Colorado to add Thompson to its 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. He’ll start 2026 in Albuquerque again, and if he stays consistent, an injury could open the door to his debut this season.

ETA to LoDo: 2026

OF Cole Carrigg

The 4-1-1:��When Carrigg was picked in the second round in 2023, there was a question about where he would fit defensively. That question has been answered, as Carrigg played outfield exclusively with Double-A Hartford in 2025, primarily in center. A switch-hitter with speed, Carrigg will need to bring down his strikeout rate (27% in ’25) in order to take another step in ’26.

ETA to LoDo:��2027

RF Robert Calaz

The 4-1-1:��The other most intriguing international prospect in the system besides Brito, Calaz tore it up in ’24 in rookie ball and Low-A, before getting humbled in Fresno last year with a regressive season. But there’s still hope the righty with raw power can develop a more seasoned approach starting in ’26. He’ll likely start in High-A; getting back on track could land him in Hartford.

ETA to LoDo: 2028

RHP JB Middleton

The 4-1-1:��Following a high workload with Southern Miss ahead of Colorado taking Middleton in the second round, he’s set to make his professional debut in ’26. For an organization in desperate need of starting pitching depth at all levels, Middleton has a repeatable delivery, a three-pitch mix and competes with an edge. This summer will be the start of the test of his potential as a pro starter.

ETA to LoDo: 2028

OF Jared Thomas

The 4-1-1:��The 2024 second-round pick raked last summer with a .330/.427/.495 slash line in High-A Spokane, earning a promotion to Double-A. Then he carried that momentum into the Arizona Fall League, batting .302 in 17 games. He has the wheels to rack up steals and play center field. He had surgery to fix a broken left hamate after last season; likely starts ’26 in Hartford.

ETA to LoDo:��2027

RHP Gabriel Hughes

The 4-1-1:��The No. 10 overall pick in 2022 has been through the wringer, including on-field struggles (7.14 ERA in Double-A in 2023) and Tommy John surgery. Last year was his first full season back from the procedure, and he made to Triple-A. He’s on the 40-man roster and in spring training. The Rockies will soon see if he can fulfill his first-round potential.

ETA to LoDo:��2026

LHP Konner Eaton

The 4-1-1:��After taking a flier on Eaton in the sixth round in 2024, early returns suggest the Rockies got a steal. In his first full pro season in ’25, the southpaw dominated High-A before earning a promotion to Hartford. He led all Rockies minor leaguers with 149 Ks, and also led the organization in Ks/9 (9.58) and was second in WHIP (1.26). The Rockies’ 2025 MiLB pitcher of the year.

ETA to LoDo:��2027

“I went away from a toe tap to more of a stride,” Holliday said after a recent workout. “And I try to stay off social media as much as I can.”

The Rockies are universally projected to become the first franchise since the Washington Senators to lose 100 games in four straight seasons. They are building an infrastructure, a foreign concept for nearly a decade, while assembling a more competitive Major League roster.

Part of the new vision centers on customizing plans to help prospects reach their potential. They don’t need them to reach the big leagues. They need them to produce when they arrive.

Holliday, taken as the fourth pick overall in the 2025 draft, represents an important test case. He was drafted a few months before president Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes took over, but his road could mirror the organization’s return to relevancy.

That is a lot for a kid who turned 19 last month. Even more on a young man who carries the name of one of the organization’s greatest players and is the brother of one of the fastest risers ever in the minor leagues.

“He is dealing with it times two, following in my footsteps and Jackson’s (the starting second baseman for the Orioles),” said dad Matt Holliday, a seven-time All-Star, and prominent figure in Rocktober in 2007. “That’s not easy. But he knows he can’t worry about outside things. We try to get him to shrink his world. Be present. Be a good teammate, and don’t be so quick to be on your phone and worry about what people say about you.”

Criticism found Holliday this February. Baseball America pounced on Holliday’s inauspicious minor league debut, extrapolating from three weeks that he was not “twitchy or athletic” and that his 33 strikeouts validated “major questions around the hit tool.”

Can’t move. Can’t crush it. Can’t make contact. All that from 84 plate appearances by an 18-year-old in Class-A Fresno who did not face a single pitcher his age?

Impressive deduction.

And so many reasons to believe it will be wrong.

Walking into the interview room at the Rockies’ spring training complex provides the first evidence. The silhouette is a cross between that of a guy with the stomach of an Olympic swimmer and the shoulders of a Pro Bowl receiver.

Holliday is 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. Puka Nacua would get the part if they needed a stunt double for a movie.

Seeing Holliday in person, it seems there’s no way this could be the physique of a teenager.

Holliday is stronger, adding 10 pounds of muscle after a winter spent working out with his father, brother and assorted major leaguers. More importantly, he is wiser. The scathing criticism — he hit .239 with a .357 on-base percentage and two home runs — focused on his performance and not potential improvement.

The idea that Ethan will not learn from his first exposure to pro ball is ridiculous. He is a Holliday after all.

“I changed my whole setup. I went away from a toe tap that helped me a lot in high school with different guys throwing off speed all the time. I took it into pro ball and started to create bad habits by trying to do too much and getting behind in counts,” Holliday said. “I had to take a step back and fix some things.”

At its core, hitting is about timing. Holliday played against good competition in high school and on the summer circuit. But it did not prepare him to see daily fastballs in the mid-90s and sharper off-speed pitches.

Hindsight suggests that the Rockies should have kept him at the spring training complex last summer in controlled scrimmages rather than sending him to California.

Holliday scoffs at the notion.

Humility is a terrific teacher. He leaned on teammates Brody Brecht, Tanner Thatch, Jacob Hinderleider and Kevin Fitzer. Became more committed to his faith when returning to a lonely, dark apartment in a new city.

“It����ap OK to fail. It����ap a really hard game. There’s never been a player that killed it in every single season of their life. So you have to go earn it. I would not change the experience for the world,” Holliday said. “People want to think it is harder for me because of my last name. I have failed at multiple levels in baseball. I am very callous to it. Pressure is what you make it. I see it as an opportunity to show what kind of person I am and what kind of player I am.”

Using a stride has helped Holliday keep his head still while keeping his body more compact and under control. Watching him take BP, and in a few at-bats as an extra player for Team USA in spring training, it is easy to understand why he believes he is in the “best position he has ever been in” to hit.

There will always be heightened awareness of Holliday’s progress because of where he was drafted. An organization attempting to turn a ship around in a swimming pool cannot afford to miss on a talent like this. Byrnes understands the stakes and embraces them after an 11-year run of developing impact players for the Dodgers.

“Ethan is in the building foundation phase of his journey, and as he gets to the upper levels, it����ap more of a finishing school. There is only one promotion that matters. And that����ap the last one,” Byrnes said. “He is learning how to handle and hit velocity the right way, not just sell out and cheat to hit it. Probably the most important thing is that he is really passionate about this. And understands that there is a lot of hard work ahead.”

While Jackson only required 155 minor league games to reach the big leagues, Matt navigated a red clay path through the farm system. He appeared in 556 games over six years before debuting in 2004.

“I tell Ethan that all the time. I was 24 years old when I made it. I had some really lousy seasons. I let him know, ‘You are 19. Let����ap relax. You don’t have to get to the major leagues this year,’^” Matt said. “Everybody is on a different timeline. He doesn’t have to be like his brother. He is his own person. And I am proud of him.”

Ethan is on a path of self-discovery. He is independent with a backstop. The Hollidays recently moved from Stillwater, Okla., to Scottsdale to make it easier to fly to their sons’ games across the country.

The Hollidays are not the Mannings. But they are a family capable of becoming baseball royalty.

The reason? They don’t think of it that way.

As Ethan knows, keep it simple.

Be on time for the fastball and spend less time on social media.

“Everybody has their own opinion. I get it,” Ethan said. “The goal is to be a winning player in the big leagues, have a great career and help the Rockies. I can’t focus on what others think. My focus is on my process, my routine and becoming the best version of myself.”

Kris Bryant is not expected to play for the Rockies again. Ever. His aching back won’t not allow it. Nor should the Rockies.

Tuesday, the organization took a step in that direction, placing Bryant on the 60-day disabled list. The strict interpretation means Bryant will miss the first 57 games. Common sense screams that he will miss all of them.

There will be lawyers. But, he is all but done in Colorado.

There should be empathy for his injury, but no sympathy for his lack of production. The Rockies owe Bryant $81 million over the next three seasons. All that is left is to restructure the contract with scheduled payments, buy him out or file a workman’s comp claim.

Regardless, it is time to put Bryant in the rearview after following protocol.

“He’s not ready. He is going to come in and take a physical, and we will get our eyes on him. But talking to his people (The Boras Corporation), his back is not responding,” Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes told The Post. “The 60-day was an easy decision because he’s not ready to play.”

So is his career over with the Rockies?

“It’s really a question at this point,” Byrnes said. “It is ongoing.”

The realization that it is not working, even if it was as simple as following Bryant’s symptoms, is welcomed. At last year’s fan fest 11 months ago, Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt insisted Bryant would contribute. I bit my tongue, resisting the temptation to quip, “As a player?”

Bryant was better cast as Dinger than to hit dingers.

His back has betrayed him. It flares up when he runs, making the 2025 plan to use him in the outfield on the road laughable. And the rotational torque from swinging a bat left him powerless, his cuts a success if they did not produce winces of pain.

Officially he is not gone. But the Rockies are finally, mercifully moving on.

They don’t deserve credit. And they won’t get it from frustrated fans. But they are taking steps in the right direction.

(Pause for eye rolls).

Yes, the Rockies stink like a baby’s diaper. Three straight 100-loss seasons. I get it. They are, however, under new management. President Paul DePodesta and Byrnes have established a vision for success, adding multiple major league players and implementing philosophical changes in the minors.

None of this will be obvious in the standings. But, they are using cellphones, have access to the internet and are embracing technology.

They are not saving baseball on 20th and Blake this season. Or next. Or even in 2028. But when the pitchers and catchers reported to Scottsdale this week, the Rockies sent a clear message:

They don’t see the Dodgers as the Death Star. They see them as the North Star.

What rebuilding looks like for the Rockies, even if they are starting out with Legos, is following the Dodgers blueprint, not their checkbook.

Baseball owners, with Dick Monfort playing a prominent role as a hawk in labor negotiations, are expected to lock out the players after this season, seeking a salary cap, believing that is the only reason the Dodgers win.

Hate to break it to you. It is not.

The Dodgers have aced the developmental piece. Players love getting drafted by them, knowing they will have a plan that gives them the best chance to succeed and reach The Show.

Don’t believe it?

More than a dozen players from their Class-A Great Lake Loons 2022 team have appeared in the big leagues. It is a mixture of arms and bats — Gavin Stone, Emmet Sheehan, Johny DeLuca. It’s a battery of players capable of making an impact, providing depth and creating flexibility in trade talks.

From 2014 to this fall, Byrnes was there for all of it as the senior vice president of baseball operations.

Long before the Dodgers began issuing $100 million contracts, they had their minor league pitchers using data and technology and players playing multiple positions to increase their versatility.

The Rockies are applying these principles. They signed three veteran pitchers who are embracing the concepts — Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano and Jose Quintana —and added super utility player Wil Castro and outfielder Jake McCarthy.

These moves fill holes and buy time for prospects, forcing them to meet certain thresholds before advancing through the minors.

On any given night last season, half of the Rockies’ roster belonged in Triple-A. Or worse.

“We want as much depth as we can create and to stabilize the rotation, which helps everything,” Byrnes said. “We have used the term ‘’Raise the floor’ a lot. That comes from competition.”

The pitching piece remains the Rubik’s Cube at Coors Field. The days of emphasizing sinkers and sliders and leaning too heavily on fastballs — see Dollander, Chase — are over. The Rockies want pitches of all shapes and sizes.

“I think a deep arsenal is that much more important for us. It is hard on hitters because they have to account for it,” Byrnes said. “That should translate at altitude.”

The hitting is going to take time to fix. Reducing the chase rate and strikeout percentage remains a top priority. No place awards contact more than Coors Field. That is often lost in the myth of baseball in Denver.

“The park affects pitch characteristics. It adds to singles, doubles, triples and home runs. The home runs are the least inflated,” Byrnes said. “There are ways we have to make this to our advantage. I have talked to a lot of people, most notably (former Rockies star outfielder) Charlie Blackmon, about how they feel here, how they perceive pitches.”

There is no guarantee it will work. However, the benefits of alignment in player development are proven.

It is up to Byrnes and crew to help Charlie Condon, Ethan Holliday and Brody Brecht reach their potential, along with the top picks over the next few Julys, for that matter.

How did the Avs, Nuggets and Broncos regain traction? They drafted and developed well. The Rockies must follow suit.

“We are not in a state of denial,” Byrnes said.

Not with the challenge. Not with the haters. And definitely not with Bryant.

Stock Shot Up

—��Colorado added Herrera to the 40-man in November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. A crafty southpaw reliever with a low-three quarters arm slot who has a mid 90s fastball paired with a slider and changeup, he dominated High-A in ’25 (0.49 ERA in 15 games) and did well in Double-A (3.50 in 37). He also got the save for the NL in the Futures Game.

— The versatile Carrigg, Colorado’s second-round pick in 2023, is a switch-hitter with speed. In 2025, Carrigg turned in a decent season at Double-A Hartford even though his strikeout rate jumped up to 27%. If he can cut down on his Ks in ’26, and continue to improve upon his power (15 homers last season), he might fast-track himself to Coors Field.

—��The 2022 second-round pick got off to a slow start when his first full pro season was cut short by Tommy John, forcing him to miss all of 2024. But he returned to Low-A Fresno in ’25 and pitched well, with a 3.71 ERA in 23 starts. If he can keep that momentum up in ’26 across High-A and Double-A, he could be on track to be a mid-rotational starter in the bigs.

—��The 2024 second-round pick has played mostly left field and center field, and looked good in the Arizona Fall League with a .302 average in 17 games. That followed a solid ’25 that saw him hit .300 across High-A and Double-A, showcasing gap-to-gap power plus speed on the bases to compliment above-average bat-to-ball skills that can play in LoDo.

—��Another outfield prospect with an intriguing bat, the No. 31 overall pick in 2022 is knocking on the door of his debut after slashing .296/.392/.519 in a full season in Triple-A in 2025. Colorado added him to the 40-man in November, and he projects as a left-handed-hitting left fielder. He’ll surely get a chance to make a big-league mark in 2026.

Prove-It Time

—��After debuting last season, the speedy and athletic Veen struggled in the bigs with a .118 average in 12 games. After that stint in April, the 2020 No. 9 overall pick spent the rest of the season in Triple-A Albuquerque, which was telling of how the Rockies believed he needed more seasoning. Can Veen turn his cup of coffee into a regular MLB roster spot in 2026?

—��The No. 10 overall pick in 2022 was added to the 40-man in November to protect him ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, so the right-hander is obviously in the club’s future plans. He had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and returned to pitch in the Arizona Fall League in 2024. In ’25, he had a 5.11 ERA in Triple-A. This year is his chance to prove he’s ready for a debut.

—��Check out the most recent Rockies’ and Montgomery is conspicuously absent. The No. 8 overall pick in 2021 has been plagued by health issues, including a groin injury in 2022, a knee injury in ’23, and season-ending shoulder surgery in ’24. He needs to stay on the field, and put up solid numbers, in 2026.

—��After the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft had a rocky debut as a pro that summer while he battled a bone spur in his finger, his ’25 was slowed by an early-season wrist injury. When he came back, he made it to Double-A and then the Arizona Fall League. But he’s only had 15 homers in 124 games; in 2026, the pop in his bat needs to come back.

��— If there’s any reason for hope that the Rockies can be competitive again down the road, Holliday must live up to the hype. Colorado’s first-round pick at No. 4 overall last summer has the skillset and pedigree to be a major-league star — now it’s time to start to prove it in his first full professional season. The goal should be to tear up the Class-A levels.

This autumn, there are no on-field heroics, no sold-out crowds at Coors Field, no playoff drama. Those memorable moments are in the distant past.

But the Rockies have reached a critical crossroads, forced to make the most significant choices since the team was first assembled as an expansion franchise before the inaugural 1993 season. Walker Monfort, the executive vice president, has been tasked with rebuilding the front office after three consecutive 100-loss seasons, which culminated in an embarrassing 119-loss season in 2025.

And the route he takes will likely determine if this will indeed be a new era, or just a rebrand of the same old Rockies.

“This is one of the most crucial decisions the Rockies will ever have to make,” said Ryan Spilborghs, the former Rockies outfielder, member of the 2007 World Series team, and Rockies TV analyst since 2014.

“They have been put in a position where it feels like they need to rearrange their grandparents’ furniture and remodel the house,” Spilborghs continued. “If you have ever had to do that, you know it’s not easy. It’s not easy to get people to change when they are set in their ways.

“So, to find their next person to head baseball operations, in a short period of time, and allow them to change their world — flip it upside down — requires an incredible amount of trust. It’s like speed dating to get married for life. The decision-making here is monumental.”

General manager Bill Schmidt and assistant GM Zack Rosenthal resigned earlier this month, leaving the Rockies on the clock. And it’s ticking, with the offseason just a few weeks away. Free agency begins the day after the World Series ends. The general managers’ meetings take place on Nov. 10-13 in Las Vegas.

There are currently five teams looking for a new on-field manager, six if you count the Rockies, who have not told interim manager Warren Schaeffer if he’ll have a chance to return. Scheffer, who has not been interviewed, said he expects to know about his future when the new front office boss is hired.

This coming week, Monfort, the oldest son of team owner and CEO Dick Monfort, is expected to narrow his list of finalists for a new head of baseball operations. He’s also creating a new position — a chief revenue and strategy officer — that will be tasked with helping grow the Rockies from the business side to invest more money in data, analytics and strategy. Those are areas where the Rockies have long lagged behind the rest of Major League Baseball.

Looming questions include whether the new head of baseball operations will have genuine autonomy to reshape the team, and if Dick Monfort will step aside to take a lesser role in constructing and operating the team.

“If there ever were a time he would, it would be now,” said a former major league executive, who spoke to The Denver Post under the condition of anonymity because he still works for MLB. “But will he invest in the right people and infrastructure to go along with the autonomy? That’s probably the bigger question.”

According to a , Colorado has interviewed at least three candidates to head a revamped front office: Toronto Blue Jays executive and former Houston Astros general manager James Click, Kansas City Royals assistant GM Scott Sharp, and Cleveland Guardians assistant GM Matt Forman. It’s not known what other candidates the Rockies might have interviewed.

Spilborghs, who hosts a national radio show for SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio and has also worked as an analyst for Apple TV’s Friday night baseball coverage since 2023, is well-connected throughout baseball. He said he has not learned of any other candidates.

“Walker and the Rockies have done a good job keeping this search quiet, keeping things close to the vest,” Spilborghs said.

Thad Levine, who has ties to the Rockies, has been speculated as a possible candidate, but he’s not known to have interviewed with them. Still, he remains the No. 1 choice for Matt Holliday, the former Rockies All-Star outfielder. Holliday has a vested interest in the Rockies’ future success because his son Ethan was drafted by them with the fourth overall pick of the MLB draft in July.

“I love Thad Levine, but I don’t know if he’ll get an interview,” Holliday said. “But I don’t know why he wouldn’t.”

Levine worked under former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd from 1999 to 2005 before becoming the assistant GM of the Rangers and later the GM and senior vice president of the Twins. He left the Twins after the 2024 season. During his eight years in Minnesota, the Twins won three AL Central titles and earned four postseason berths.

Holliday said that whoever the Rockies pick, the team needs a dynamic new voice.

“I’m hoping that they hire somebody who has a vision of what it’s going to take to turn this around,” Holliday said. “I’m hoping they hire a person with a plan to improve player development. I want them to bring on coordinators within the (farm) system that can really coach and develop.

“First and foremost, I’m hopeful for a head of baseball ops that is given the reins to set up a system like some of the other mid-market organizations, which seem to be functioning at a high level.”

Holliday is referring to organizations such as the Brewers and Guardians, which have been perennial playoff teams in recent years despite ranking in the bottom half of the MLB in terms of payroll.

Near the end of the season, Schaeffer was asked to provide an example of a step the Rockies need to take to catch up to other teams.

“We need information that the players are provided with in terms of how to get better and prosper at this level,” he said. “We can do better.”

Holliday concurred: “If you are not going to be out in the free-agent market signing big-time players, you have to come up with a holistic approach to getting better. Whether it’s R&D or analytics, whatever other organizations are doing, Colorado seems to have been left behind. That’s what I hear when I talk to other people about how Colorado compares to other organizations. I’m hoping the funding, the freedom given to whoever is next, and the ability to set up a great staff will take this organization back to where we all want it to be.”

Given the Rockies’ track record — seven consecutive losing seasons and just five playoff appearances in 33 years — and the challenges and vagaries of playing baseball at a mile above sea level, the job of rebuilding the franchise might seem undesirable for many. Spilborghs, however, believes that leading the offices at 20th and Blake is a highly coveted job.

“I have talked to virtually every organization for the past couple of years,” Spilborghs said. “A lot of executives have asked me about the Rockies. They ask me what’s going on. Then I ask them, in turn, what they think of the situation. I cannot tell you how many of them have told me, ‘That’s my dream job.’ ”

Why would that be the case?

“Because of the location, the fan base, and being able to build from scratch,” Spilborghs continued. “Though their eyes, from their vantage point, having the chance to revamp, reempower, and reengage, it just seems so enticing.

“If you are any sort of person who likes to run toward the fire instead of running away from it, this is exactly where they want to go.”

Spilborghs added that he hopes the Rockies are taking enough time and have scouted enough candidates for the job.

“There should be a line of candidates out the door who want to present and want to show you what they would do in Colorado,” he said. “I would assume that the list of executives is very robust, or at least it should be.

“But the thing is, there might be people that the Rockies might not be asking because they think they might not be willing to come to Colorado. Whereas, really, it’s quite the opposite. If you call them, they would come.”

Several rival managers have said that the Rockies, run the right way, could become a formidable team to contend with, especially at Coors Field.

“I have always admired the Rockies’ ability to develop position players,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said last spring. “Guys like Charlie Blackmon, (Trevor) Story, Nolan Arenado, D.J. (LeMahieu) and CarGo (Carlos Gonzalez). … They made Coors such a tough place to play.”

But the Rockies, fielding an anemic offense and failing to build a dynamic roster, have not posted a winning record at home since 2022.

“Coors has to be the home-field advantage that it can be and has been in the past,” Holliday said. “The Rockies should know the pros and cons, and what works and what doesn’t at Coors, better than anybody else. It should be the greatest homefield advantage in the sport.”

Ethan Holliday, just 18, likely won’t make his big-league debut for at least another two years. But his dad hopes that the critical decisions the Rockies make now will create a brighter future — one that will change the way the franchise is perceived around the league.

“I hope this is a chance to hit a home run on a hire that gets the organization turned about and heading in the other direction,” Matt Holliday said. “I’d like it to become an organization where other teams look at what the Rockies are doing and say, ‘Wow, they really flipped this thing on its head in a hurry, and now they are kind of a model organization.’ That would be my hope.”

His swing was easy, smooth, and powerful. During his first round of BP, the 18-year-old hit line drives to center and right field. During the second round, he hit three homers over the right-field fence.

Then Ethan really cut loose. He rocketed one homer to right-center, clearing the 2007 NL pennant banner above the visitor’s bullpen: estimated distance, 475-480 feet. A few swings later, the left-handed hitter launched a homer into CarGo Country in the third deck in right field. In July 2013, former Rockies All-Star Carlos Gonzalez hit a home run near the same spot at an estimated 480 feet.

CarGo hit his titanic blast in a game, while Holliday’s came in BP, but it was impressive nonetheless. His dad, the former Rockies and Cardinals All-Star outfielder, took notice.

“Those were impressive,” Matt said, then recalled his own batting practice debut with the Rockies. “I hit a few out, I think, but nothing like that. I know he has power; I’ve pitched to him enough to know that.

“But he’s such a controlled kid. In the first round, he was nice and easy. I remember my first round; I was trying to hit it off the scoreboard from the first pitch. But Ethan’s out there getting loose and stroking it. Then he started letting it go.”

Ethan, who’s playing in the Arizona Instructional League, said he had a blast at hitting Coors — literally.

“I was doing what I do every day in Arizona, but the ball flies a little differently here, so I decided to let it rip,” he said. “It was really fun. Just being out here where my dad played is crazy.”

Ethan, the product of Stillwater (Okla.) High School, received a record-breaking $9 million signing bonus, the largest ever for a high school player in MLB draft history. He began his professional career at low-A Fresno, slashing .239/.357/.380 (737 OPS) in 18 games. He hit two homers and four doubles and struck out 33 times (33 Ks in 84 plate appearances) in the California League, where the other players are 3.2 years older than him, on average.

For counsel and advice during his first sojourn into pro baseball, he turned to his dad, naturally, as well as his older brother, Jackson, the starting second baseman for the Orioles. Jackson was the first overall pick of the 2022 draft.

“We talk a lot,” Ethan said. “I called him up after one game. I said, ‘Man, this is tough, I’m striking out a lot.’ And he’s like, ‘Hey, I struck out three times the other night. This stuff happens. You just have to get ready for tomorrow. Come on, dude.’ ”

Ethan said that nothing really caught him off guard during his 18-game stint with Fresno.

“I kind of lived through it with my dad, and I saw Jackson when he went through the minor leagues,” Ethan said. “I was with him on the phone every night. Of course, when it’s your own life, it’s different, obviously.

“You don’t have your parents or your siblings to talk to in person. So you just have to learn to flush the game and get ready for the next day. The blessing in the minor leagues is that you play every day. Getting used to that takes some work, but I felt like that at the end of it, I was in a better place.”

Matt believes that Ethan is handling the transition from high school to the pros well.

“That’s something we’ve talked about, with Jackson and him,” Matt said. “Those are conversations about preparation that have happened over the last three or four years. Certainly, you don’t have that degree of conversation when they are in high school, but the mental part of the game is so important. It’s not easy, but I think he’s as prepared as an 18-year-old can be.”