In 2024, a 17-year-old second baseman from Bonao in the Dominican Republic had a solid, if unremarkable season with the Colorado Rockies’ Dominican Summer League. The unranked, relatively unknown prospect hit .254/.360/.314 with nine doubles, a triple, and 24 stolen bases over 54 games, playing roughly 60 miles away from his home town at the Rockies’ baseball academy in Boca Chica.
In 2025, the now 18-year-old Roldy Brito (no. 29 PuRP) played his first baseball in the United States and very quickly
ensured he was no longer flying under the radar.
Brito enjoyed a standout campaign in the Arizona Complex League. Helping his ACL Rockies to a playoff berth, Brito was among the league leaders in most offensive categories and led the league in batting average.
He finished the short Complex League season having hit .368/.445/.555 with 13 doubles, six triples, three home runs, and 22 stolen bases over 51 games. He also walked 22 times to 42 strikeouts. He also began playing center field for the first time while in Arizona and played the position well.
For his efforts, Brito was named the Arizona Complex League’s Most Valuable Player.
“I worked very hard. I gave it everything that I had on the field,” Brito told Purple Row at fall instructs. “It was pretty good.”
Brito credited part of his success to something he had focused on improving after his season in the Dominican Republic.
“To have a positive mindset and don’t put my head down when things go wrong,” he explained through interpreter and Rockies mental skills coordinator Jerry Amador. “It was more mental.”
“I put that as a goal,” he continued. “Set the goal that every time I encountered some kind of failure I was going to be able to push my head up and stay still.”
However, Brito didn’t encounter much failure in Arizona, a trend that continued when he was promoted to the Low-A Fresno Grizzlies after the end of the Complex League season. The Arizona Complex League MVP quickly found his footing in the California League. If anything, he might have played even better.
In his first full Low-A contest, Brito went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two stolen bases against a strong Rancho Cucamonga Quakes squad—the Low-A affiliate of the dreaded Los Angeles Dodgers. From there, he never looked back.
Over 33 games with the Grizzlies, Brito hit .375/.442/.463 with seven doubles, a triple, and a home run. He drove in 17 RBIs, walked 14 times to 27 strikeouts, and went 13-for-20 in stolen bases. Brito was hitless in just eight games, and he failed to reach base safely in only six games.
Despite the strong results, Brito acknowledged the challenge he faced in Low-A compared to his previous assignments.
“Some pitchers were working off the plate a little bit more in certain situations,” he said. “When I went to Fresno I saw pitchers—they know where you’re hitting—they’re more sophisticated in terms of the analytical information they have for me. They will be able to pitch me way better in [Low-A].”
However, the young Brito—on average 3.2 years younger than his teammates and the youngest overall player on the Grizzlies—found success against the better pitching.
“Maintaining my average was definitely my highlight,” Brito said proudly. “The high average that I hit in Arizona and over there in Fresno.”
Brito did experience some disappointment in Fresno, though.
“My stealing bases,” he stated. “One of my goals was steadily stealing bases here [in Fresno], but I couldn’t do it. I got a knee situation in the middle of the season, so I wasn’t able to steal as much. That was one big challenge for me.”
Now with the Rockies for fall instructs, Brito plans to keep working so that he can continue to find success in professional baseball.
“My goal is to learn from the game a lot and look for ways to build consistency on the way that I’m playing now, and improving every part of my game.”
He also acknowledged that he needs to continue improving his defense, especially after adding center field to his skill set this season.
“I feel more secure at second base because it’s what I’ve always played.”
Brito has received advice from mental skills coordinator Jerry Amador, his teammates, and most importantly his father, whom he described as “his best coach.”
And what was the most important advice he received?
“Keep working hard. Keep doing what you do and never put your head down. Keep moving forward.”
Weekly Pebble Report: October 6th-October 13th
Arizona Fall League: Salt River Rafters (1-3, 1-3 Overall)
The Salt River Rafters—Rockies prospects joined by prospects from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Pittsburgh Pirates—kicked off their season on October 7th with a win over the Glendale Desert Dogs but sadly dropped three straight. The Rafters are the defending Arizona Fall League champions and need to find their footing if they want to repeat.
⬆️ Stock Up: From Hartford to the Desert
Jared Thomas (no. 8 PuRP) was the standout player for the Rafters on their Opening Day. Thomas went 3-for-5 at the plate with two doubles and a triple. He scored twice and also had an RBI.
⬇️ Stock Down: Smith Sinks
Right-handed closer Austin Smith’s Fall League debut did not go as planned. The Rafters were up by three runs going into the top of the ninth inning against the Mesa Solar Sox… until Smith yielded five earned runs on five hits and two walks. The Rafters got a run back in the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to come back from behind.
Prospect of the Week!
Congratulations to outfielder Jared Thomas (no. 8 PuRP), who was named the Rockies’ Hitting Prospect of the Year for 2025!
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