We’re entering the mid-point of the mid-season 2025 Purple Row Prospects (PuRPs) list. Previously we had PuRPs 30-26 and 25–21; today we head into the top 20. As a reminder, in this edition of the PuRPs poll, 23ballots were cast, with 30 points granted for a first place vote, 29 for second, etc.
For each player on the PuRPs list, I’ll include a link to individual stats and contract status (via Baseball-Reference), PuRPs voting stats, a note on the 2025 season to date, and a scouting report from a national
prospect writer where possible. For what it’s worth, I’ll also include where I put each player on my personal ballot. All ages are as of the date the article is posted.
20. Jaden Hill (201 points, 17 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 19 — High Ballot 11, Mode Ballot 17
How did he enter the organization?
2021 Second Round, Louisiana State University
Why did he make the PuRPs list?
Hill is now a contributor to the Major League bullpen, having done so for long enough now that his rookie (and PuRPs) eligibility has now been exhausted. The 25-year-old 6’4” right-hander throws three plus pitches: an upper-90s fastball, a nasty changeup (probably the best in the system), and a strong slider. When Hill throws those plus pitches for strikes, he looks like a closer, though he has struggled with command throughout his professional career.
When the Rockies Hill selected 44th overall in 2021 and signed him to a slot bonus of $1.69M, despite him having had Tommy John surgery before the draft, they were hoping for a top-of-the-rotation starter. His lack of efficiency and effectiveness in longer outings led them to wave the white flag as they moved to a full-time relief role starting with the Arizona Fall League at the end of 2023.
As Thomas Harding reported in November 2023, before the AFL stint, the Rockies pulled him from competition and worked on Hill’s entire motion:
“He had taken so long off from ‘T.J.’ that the lower half was inconsistent from outing to outing, and really from pitch to pitch at times,” Rockies coordinator of pitching strategies Flint Wallace said. “He came down here and worked hard at getting that dialed in. Basically, it’s getting his stuff in the zone more often. He was falling behind in counts early, but his stuff is electric.”
Jack Etkin wrote more about Hill’s transition from the rotation to the bullpen in April 2024 if you’d like to get to know Hill and his repertoire better.
Hill made 11 appearances (all in relief) in the AFL with good results: four earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out 13 in 11 1⁄3 innings (3.18 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9). In 2024, the Rockies sent Hill to Double-A Hartford, where Hill was slightly below league average age. Hill’s six saves, 3.52 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 13.1 K/9 rate, and 2.6 BB/9 rate results in 38 1⁄3 innings over 34 appearances were a welcome sight that led to an early August promotion to Triple-A Albuquerque.
In the hitter friendly Pacific Coast League, Hill got roughed up in seven appearances (eight runs on nine hits and six walks allowed in seven innings), though he struck out 13 batters and picked up a save. That was enough to get Hill a Major League assignment in September 2024. In total, Hill allowed six earned runs on eight hits and four walks with six strikeouts in 10 2⁄3 innings of work (while averaging 96.9 MPH on his fastball), which were replacement level results.
This year, Hill found himself just outside the MLB bullpen to start the year, though he did get a call-up for a week in April and made three appearances (2 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K). Hill suffered a right hamstring injury when back with Albuquerque in mid-May, which sidelined him about two months (including a rehab assignment) and is the reason why Hill was eligible for this PuRPs list. Hill was excellent when healthy in Albuquerque, throwing 17 2/3 innings in 14 games with a 3.57 ERA (2.42 xFIP), 0.74 WHIP, 14.3 K/9 rate, and 1.5 BB/9 rate.
The Rockies called up Hill five days after he returned to Albuquerque in late July and he’s been a bullpen fixture since then, appearing in 10 games over the last four weeks. Outside of a three-run blow-up against the Blue Jays two weeks ago, Hill has delivered strong relief performances. In total, Hill has thrown 13 1/3 innings for the Rockies across 13 games with a 4.05 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 9.5 K/9 rate, and 5.40 BB/9 rate. That’s good for 0.1 rWAR and what looks like a more secure spot in the big league bullpen for next year and beyond.
Here’s some video of Hill from this April in Triple-A:
What do the scouts say?
Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs slots Hill in as a 40 FV player, 24th in the system, with three plus pitch grades (FB, CH, SL):
[Hill] battled shoulder soreness in 2023 and picked up reps in the Arizona Fall League as a reliever. His stuff took a leap, with his fastball up about three ticks into the 97-99 mph range, while both of Hill’s mid-80s secondary offerings flashed plus or better. Hill entered 2024 as a pure reliever, dominated Double-A, and reached the big leagues.
Though Hill has three plus pitches, he’s a little too wild to trust in high-leverage spots. He’s nearly a sidearm thrower whose fastball tails, sometimes way, way in on righties. His changeup also has a lot of tailing action, and the horizontal split between his slider and his two other pitches forces hitters to deal with a tough combination of east/west movement, though his lack of command doesn’t enable these pitches to consistently play to their full potential. Hill projects as a feast-or-famine middle reliever.
Hill ranked 20th in Colorado’s system at MLB Pipeline (before his prospect status expired) as a 40 Future Value player despite a 65 grade on the fastball, a 60 for the change-up, and a 55 on the slider:
The Rockies feel that perhaps Hill has finally figured some things out in order for him to unlock his vast potential. The stuff is still elite, with a fastball that was flirting with triple digits and sitting in the upper-90s in the AFL, with a little more run than he’d shown previously in pro ball. His mid-80s tumbling changeup is easily a plus pitch and his slider has gotten back to being an above-average offering with some mechanical adjustments.
Hill’s command may never be pinpoint, but he made strides in that department thanks to more consistency in syncing up his lower half and being much more comfortable in his delivery. That also has allowed him to recover between outings more effectively, a key to keeping him healthy, especially as he tries to grow into a back-end bullpen role.
Keith Law of the Athletic wrote this about Hill before the season:
Right-hander Jaden Hill reached the majors last year, sitting 96-98 with a plus changeup and a sweeper that showed some promise as a third pitch. He’s never stayed healthy in any role, but relief gets him to the majors right now and maybe the limited workload will give him a chance to avoid the IL.
When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?
The Rockies chose the less exciting but more probable path for Hill’s development, which made sense given Hill’s lack of consistency and the fact he would have been Rule 5 eligible if the team didn’t add him to the 40-man roster in 2024. Hill has looked more and more comfortable in the relief role and now looks like a solid middle reliever with the potential for later innings work down the line if he can iron out the command — the pure stuff is closer material. That profile to me is a 40 FV player and I ranked Hill just off my top 30.
19. Ashly Andujar (206 points, 19 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 22 — High Ballot 15, Mode Ballot 17, 19, 23
How did he enter the organization?
2024 International Free Agent, Dominican Republic
Why did he make the PuRPs list?
Andujar was the headliner of Colorado’s international free agent class last January, earning a $1.7 million bonus as the 18th ranked international prospect at MLB.com as a well-rounded offensive and defensive player who was likely to stay as an up the middle defender.
The newly turned 18-year-old 6’1” switch-hitting shortstop spent his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League as expected (since he was one of the youngest players in his signing class), where he was 1.7 years younger than league average. In 229 PA, Andujar fit right in with a .292/.376/.352 line that included ten extra-base hits and 17 steals in 25 attempts, good for a 105 wRC+. On defense, Andujar committed 14 errors in 45 games at shortstop.
That was enough for the Rockies to bring Andujar stateside to the Arizona Complex League, where he was 2.6 years younger than average but looked like a natural on a strong Rockies team. In 217 plate appearances, Andujar again had good contact numbers without much power, hitting .319/.370/.356 with seven doubles and seven steals (which is a 95 wRC+). Andujar walked in 7% of his plate appearances and struck out in 14% of them. In the field, Andujar was the primary shortstop, committing 11 errors in 53 games at the position.
Andujar didn’t turn 18 until after the season, so despite a lack of thump in the batting line, it was a very impressive showing in his stateside debut — to wit, Andujar didn’t face a pitcher who was younger than him all year. The trajectory of Andujar’s season was encouraging as well: he went from a .610 OPS in May to .716 in June and .860 in July.
Here is a recent slo-mo look at Andujar’s left-handed swing:
Here is some video of Andujar before he signed with the Rockies, including some looks at him at shortstop and his swing from both sides of the plate:
What do the scouts say?
Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs grades Andujar as a 40+ FV prospect, 15th in the system, with a plus run grade and a 55 future hit and field tool evaluation:
Amateur Andujar was billed as a speedy, contact-oriented infielder who should be a long-term shortstop fit, and that remains true. He only K’d 13.5% of the time last year and slashed .291/.376/.352. He is still very skinny and frail looking, but at just 17, that’s fine. The foundation of a good baseball player is here, now Andujar needs to layer on strength. It might take a few years yet, but once he does that, he should break out.
MLB Pipeline ranks Andujar 30th in the system as a 40 FV player, giving him a 55 on his arm and fielding ability:
One of the youngest players in the class who didn’t turn 17 until late July, Andujar certainly has time to figure things out. He starts out with a pretty good feel for hitting from both sides of the plate. He can find the barrel routinely and makes a ton of contact. He struck out just 13.5 percent of the time, isn’t afraid to hit behind in the count and even drew some walks. He needs to add strength so he can impact the ball more, even if power isn’t ever a big part of his game after slugging .352 in his debut.
More strength should also augment Andujar’s speed. He likes to run despite having just average speed at present and he moves well defensively at shortstop. He has good hands and an arm that could develop into a plus for him at the premium position. His ability to slow the game down gives him an even better overall defensive package and something he can lean on to help his team win if his bat is slow to develop.
Keith Law of the Athletic wrote this about Andujar before the season:
Shortstop Ashly Andujar signed for a $1.7 million bonus last January for his potential as a switch-hitter with plus defense at a tough position. He hit .291/.376/.352 in the DSL with just a 14 percent strikeout rate, with solid swings that generate line drives and should eventually lead to doubles power. He could move quickly to Low A if this plate discipline is real.
When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?
As an up-the-middle player who was a seven-figure international signee, Andujar is joining a recent tradition of PuRPs, including Adael Amador and Robert Calaz. Also fitting that category is former PuRP Dyan Jorge, whose all-around game except a lack of power echoes Andujar’s batting lines so far. Then again, Jorge didn’t even sign until he was 19 and didn’t make it to the ACL until he was 20, so Andujar has more runway ahead of him.
Andujar should be one of the youngest players in Low-A next year and we’ll see if another offseason in the strength and conditioning program bears fruit for his power. He’s a long ways away, but his athleticism provides a good foundation for him as a potential regular, so long as he doesn’t end up a Punch-and-Judy hitter. The potential and performance so far were enough for me to rank Andujar 19th on my list at the top of the 40 FV tier.
18. Sterlin Thompson (267 points, 20 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 15 — High Ballot 10, Mode Ballot 15, 16
How did he enter the organization?
2022 Supplemental First Round, University of Florida
Why did he make the PuRPs list?
Fair or not, Thompson’s progress will be judged in part by Rockies fans by the fact his draft pick (31st-overall in 2022) was the only compensation Colorado received for Trevor Story leaving in free agency, in lieu of a deadline trade. Thompson signed for a slot bonus of just over $2.43 million as a productive draft-eligible sophomore college hitter from the SEC. The 24-year-old 6’4” lefty hitter, right-handed thrower split time between second base and the outfield in college at Florida, but as a professional he’s played everywhere except shortstop and catcher. This year though he’s been exclusively a left fielder or DH.
Thompson mashed his way to Double-A by the end of his first full year in 2023 and had a strong stint in that year’s Arizona Fall League, hitting .338/.460/.475 with nine extra base hits in 80 PA. That led to some top 100 discussion for Thompson, but it wasn’t a smooth ride for him in 2024. Thompson went back to Hartford, where he was 0.6 years younger than average. Thompson wasn’t bad offensively — his .245/.319/.385 line in 518 plate appearances with 13 HR among his 35 XBH and 12/16 steals translates to an above average 103 wRC+. Still, it was below his 2023 level and certainly below expectations for fans and scouts alike, especially given that he slid down the defensive spectrum (from second base to left field).
This year, Thompson got the bump up to Triple-A Albuquerque. As the team’s primary left fielder on a team that has several highly regarded outfield prospects, Thompson’s .291/.388/.506 batting line in 420 plate appearances — including 13 homers, eight triples, and 22 doubles with nine steals — looks very good. Of course, the hitter-friendly of the Pacific Coast League takes the air a bit out of those numbers, but his production is a very respectable 113 wRC+. The lefty hitter has some pretty big platoon splits, with a strong OPS against righties (.949) vs. his mark against southpaws (.739). In 80 games in left field, Thompson has committed five errors but has also added five outfield assists.
It didn’t help the perception of PuRPs voters when Thompson started the season off very poorly, hitting for a .562 OPS in April, but since then Thompson has been excellent. His monthly OPS numbers after the tough start were 1.103 in May, .935 in June, .783 in July, and a scalding 1.408 OPS with three homers thus far in August. Of course, when polling was going on a couple weeks ago, Thompson’s wRC+ was hovering closer to league average. He has cut his strikeouts year over year by 2.5% while raising his walks 2%, which is also a positive development.
Here’s some video of Thompson hitting in the 2023 AFL, including some slo-mo looks at the swing at the end:
For a more recent look at the swing from a side profile, here’s Thompson hitting a double in Triple-A this April.
What do the scouts say?
Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs slots him as a 45 FV player, fifth in the system as a left fielder with a 50 future hit tool:
Thompson is a left-handed Miguel Vargas of sorts, a bat-only prospect without superlative physicality. Built in the Daniel Murphy and Nolan Schanuel mold, Thompson isn’t an especially mobile athlete, and he has trended down the defensive spectrum during the last few years from 2B/3B to 1B/LF, where he isn’t particularly sound. Thompson has great hands in the batter’s box, his pretty swing generates airborne contact from pole to pole, and he does not miss mistakes. He’s going to actualize the power he has, but it will only be fair pop unless something about his physicality changes drastically in his mid-20s. Now a career .270/.345/.430 hitter in the minors, Thompson has a roughly average contact and power combination undercut a bit by a lack of plate discipline. It’s enough to consider him a high-probability platoon piece, but not enough to consider him a foundational everyday player at the positions he’s capable of playing.
MLB Pipeline ranks Thompson 17th in the system as a 45 FV player (as an OF) with a 50 hit tool:
The Rockies think the adjustments Thompson made as the season went on bode well for him reaching his offensive ceiling. He still has a smooth left-handed swing and is capable of using the whole field, hitting the ball hard for extra bases. He’s had a little difficulty keeping weight on his 6-foot-3 frame, but he showed up in Arizona after his offseason more physical, which should help him get to a little more power. Because he trusts his feel to hit so much, he sometimes isn’t patient enough and increased discipline could allow him to get more pitches to drive.
The hardest thing to figure out has been where Thompson could play defensively. He’s seen time at third, second and first on the dirt, but he may have finally found a home in left field, looking more athletic than he has anywhere on the infield. Removing defensive stress could also help him unlock his offensive potential, with the knowledge it’s the bat they were buying in the first place.
Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Thompson 12th in his pre-season Rockies top 20 (as a LF/1B) after ranking him 70th overall in MLB before the 2024 season:
Thompson was on my top 100 a year ago, and when I saw him last spring he looked just the same — a very advanced hitter with a great swing and a chance to get to above-average power. He might have had the most disappointing year, to me, of any prospect, as he hit .245/.319/.385 and looked worse than that; I saw him in June, waving at 90 mph in the zone like he never saw it. He was such a natural hitter before last year that I know I at least overrated his feel to hit, as in Double A he didn’t seem to have much of an approach or a plan for his at-bats. He still doesn’t expand the zone much, but when he did last year, he whiffed at an extraordinary rate, nearly 80 percent on non-fastballs out of the zone. He’s going to have to play a corner somewhere, so he has to hit. He did hit everywhere until he reached Double A, if you’re looking to hang on to something, but with over 650 PA at that level he’s overdue for a major adjustment.
John Trupin of Baseball Prospectus ranked Thompson 18th before the season:
Contrary to many of his contemporaries in the system, Thompson is a bat-first prospect whose ability to cover an outfield corner is in question. Previously trusted with greater responsibility at the hot corner, Thompson played just a single game at third in 2024, covering first most after a corner outfield role. Suffice to say, the pressure on Thompson’s bat grew significantly, and it’s not clear he met the challenge. Precisely average at a 100 DRC+ in Double-A Hartford across 518 plate appearances, Thompson’s swing is still slightly longer and floatier than may be ideal. He coils his body as he loads, in a move that generates significant bat speed but can leave him closed off as he attempts to whip the bat through the zone. The swing is well planed to elevate line drives, but leaves him little recourse when fooled, and does not create as much over the fence pop as might be necessary to cover his athletic but limited efforts in the field.
When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?
I actually think this season (especially Thompson’s performance since April) has been quite encouraging for Thompson’s future big league prospects given the improved production and plate discipline. Normally, a high draft pick in Triple-A like Thompson who is just about to hit Rule 5 eligibility would be a natural fit for a September call-up, but there are fewer big league spots to go around in September these days and Zac Veen is likely ahead of Thompson on the outfield pecking order for a promotion. If Thompson does get a 40 man roster spot this offseason (I’m leaning yes given the draft pedigree and proximity to the big leagues), he should contend for a big league roster spot in the spring and could serve as an up-and-down player next year.
In Thompson, I see a hit-over-power prospect with limited usable defensive utility where the hit tool will need to carry him to the Show. To make that work, Thompson will need to improve his contact against off-speed stuff and continue the power surge he’s been on lately. Thompson does have a better hit tool than many of the outfielders he’s competing against for playing time (he’s got decent raw power too) and the hit tool is the most important one, but it is a narrower path to success than I would like. He’s a 40 FV player for me, ranking 24th on my list.
17. Carson Palmquist (278 points, 20 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 9 — High Ballot 8, Mode Ballot 13
How did he enter the organization?
2022 Third Round, University of Miami
Why did he make the PuRPs list?
Palmquist has a low, funky arm slot and has utility as both a starter and reliever — he’s worked in both roles this year for the Rockies enough that he’s only about a week short of exceeding rookie eligibility, so this could also be his last PuRPs list appearance if he gets back up with the big league club later this year.
The 6’3”, 24-year-old lefty largely flew under the radar as an amateur — he wasn’t highly scouted out of high school, going undrafted (despite not allowing a single earned run during his junior and senior seasons). In his first two years at Miami, Palmquist was dominant in the bullpen, then he transitioned to the rotation in 2022 and was quite good at that too. Palmquist added a change-up to his fastball/slider portfolio once he joined the starting rotation, all coming from that low lefty arm slot. It’s a profile reminiscent of Kyle Freeland, as many noted at the time he was picked 88th overall in 2022 by the Rockies, receiving a $775k bonus that was about $62k over slot.
Palmquist’s first full season assignment in 2023 was to High-A Spokane, where his 106 strikeouts in 70 innings was tied for eighth in the league and his K/9 rate led the circuit for anyone with 40 or more innings pitched, and pitched decently after a late August promotion to Double-A Hartford. In 2024, Palmquist headed back to Hartford. The lefty again put up strong numbers, carving through the Eastern League with a 3.17 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 12.4 K/9 rate, and 3.6 BB/9 rate in 82 1⁄3 innings across 18 starts.
That earned Palmquist a promotion in August to Triple-A Albuquerque, where he faced hitters that were 4.5 years older on average and some of the toughest environments for a pitcher in minor league baseball. Palmquist struggled with the challenge, as most do at the level. He struck out fewer hitters (7.9 K/9 rate), walked more (6.9 BB/9, 1.84 WHIP), and was less stingy in run prevention (5.86 ERA and 6.72 xFIP) in his 35 1⁄3 innings across nine starts (giving him 117 2⁄3 total innings pitched in 2024).
Palmquist was back in Albuquerque to begin 2025. He made seven decent (for the PCL) starts, including two quality starts, with Albuquerque before the Rockies selected his contract to add him to the 40 man roster in mid-May. Palmquist took seven straight turns in the big league rotation, every one of them lasting between four and five innings with multiple runs allowed. He struggled with pitch efficiency, throwing over 19 pitches per inning with 5.3 BB/9.
Palmquist was sent back down to Albuquerque in late June. He made three more starts with them (all pretty decent starts too) before getting moved to the bullpen after the All-Star break. Three relief appearances followed in late July before Palmquist got called up at the beginning of August as a potential long man out of the pen for the Rockies. Unfortunately, Palmquist got shelled for eight runs on ten hits and seven walks in just 3 2/3 innings in two games with Colorado, so he went back down to Albuquerque. In three relief outings since then, he’s gotten rocked for multiple runs again in two of them.
Palmquist has been a fringe starter for the Rockies and Isotopes this year, lacking length and command but picking up strikeouts. As a reliever, he’s had some of his worst outings of the season (silver lining — more strikeouts). With Albuquerque, he’s thrown 63 1/3 innings with a 4.83 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 11.1 K/9 rate, and 4.8 BB/9 rate. In a Rockies uniform, Palmquist has pitched 34 1/3 frames with an unsightly 8.91 ERA (7.63 as a starter), 2.04 WHIP, 7.1 K/9 rate, and 6.6 BB/9 rate. Palmquist has been a below replacement level pitcher (-0.7 rWAR) for a very bad MLB team this year.
Here’s some highlights of Palmquist’s eight strikeout game against the Mets in June:
What do the scouts say?
MLB Pipeline ranks Palmquist 14th in the system as a 45 FV player, highlighted by a 55 slider:
There’s confidence that Palmquist will make the necessary adjustments to find success both there and in the big leagues because he’s shown the ability to do so at every level since he’s entered pro ball. With a funky delivery that adds plenty of deception, and a lower arm slot, all of the left-hander’s pitches play up despite them grading out as largely average across the board. His fastball averages only around 91 mph, but it misses more bats than it should thanks to carry up in the zone from that lower slot. He’ll actually throw two different kinds of sliders — a big sweepy one in the upper 70s and a slightly harder, cutter-ish one, both of which can miss bats. His low-80s changeup is also effective and hard to square up.
Other than his time in Triple-A, Palmquist has largely been around the zone as he’s moved up the ladder and he loves going right after hitters and pitching inside without fear. He’s added a little strength and answered some durability questions with his 2024 campaign, so there’s hope he can start long-term, even if he is first called upon to help out of the bullpen should the need arise in Denver.
Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs lists Palmquist as a 45 FV player, 6th in the system with 55 future grades on the slider and change-up:
Palmquist’s arm slot has come up a lot since college and, though still low, it now looks much more like a lot of other starters’ arm strokes. Palmquist has also gotten much stronger since entering pro ball, and has now performed across a 27-start, 117.2-inning load, including success at hitter-friendly Hartford. Palmquist has retained enough of his Clay Rapada-like funk to remain deceptive, allowing his 91-mph fastball to punch above its weight. He mixes breaking ball shapes and speeds across a wide range of velos, most of them in the upper 70s. Palmquist’s slower breaking balls are the ones with his best swing-and-miss rates. These are sweepers in the 74-75 mph range, and likely will be less effective against big leaguers. Conversely, Palmquist’s changeup should have meaningful long-term growth as he gets more comfortable with this newer delivery; he also has the arm action and athleticism combo you want in order to forecast changeup growth. Palmquist lacks the pinpoint command one would need to be an impact starter with average stuff, but he’s poised to be a consistent no. 4/5 starter soon by virtue of his repertoire depth and deception.
John Trupin of Baseball Prospectus ranked Palmquist 13th before the season:
Albuquerque can be unkind to individuals who only pull one q in Scrabble, as well as soft-tossing command-based pitchers. Like [Sean] Sullivan, Palmquist is a deception and targeting pitcher with a low release angle that is functionally sidearm from a hitter’s perspective. Appropriately, Palmquist’s mitts allow him to palm his changeup well, generating great fade and velocity separation on his upper-80s/low-90s heater. On some days, Palmquist sat 91-94 and saw unsurprisingly sterling results, but at 88-92 he has to be impeccable. Fading late in the campaign, he was, well, peccable in the PCL. Still, he’s on the cusp of big league work thanks to his bat-missing sweeper and disappearing cambio. Another depth rotation option for Colorado, he’ll be in contention with a few others on this list if and when the first spot in Denver opens up.
Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Palmquist 17th in the system before the season due to doubts about him remaining in the rotation:
The Rockies have continued to start Palmquist up through Triple A, although he’s a sidearming lefty who already gives up more power to right-handed batters, something that isn’t going to get better in Denver. He’s 90-93 with a sweepy slider, a slower breaking ball that Statcast calls a sweeper but that looks like a curveball, and an occasional changeup. Until he reached Triple-A Albuquerque, his walk rates were at or just under 10 percent, and I’m not dinging any pitcher who struggles in that environment. It’s just such a reliever look that I can’t see him facing right-handed batters two or three times in a game as a starter.
When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?
Much like fellow PuRP Michael Prosecky, the Rockies gave Palmquist a chance to start after relieving in college. They were rewarded with strong performances all the way up to the big leagues in just over two years, though Palmquist hasn’t been a strong contributor yet. Palmquist has been a dominant reliever in major college baseball, so I’m betting he can work it out in that role if that’s where the team thinks he can best contribute. The scouting reports and the role flexibility meant to me that, despite the rough results this season in MLB, Palmquist is a 40+ FV prospect and I ranked him 16th on my ballot.
16. Roc Riggio (349 points, 22 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: NR — High Ballot 6, Mode Ballot 14
How did he enter the organization?
2025 Trade, New York Yankees
Why did he make the PuRPs list?
Riggio, who was the headline prospect in the Jake Bird trade with the Yankees last month, is a decent up-the-middle defender who has both power and patience at the plate, all in a compact 5’9” package. The 23-year-old lefty-hitting, righty-throwing second baseman has had a breakout 2025, tearing up High-A and Double-A for the Yankees before joining the Rockies organization.
Riggio was a well-regarded player out of high school, but a commitment to Oklahoma State resulted in a fall to the 11th round in 2021 (though he didn’t sign with the Brewers who had drafted him there). Two strong years with Josh Holliday’s team (including a 1.139 OPS his draft year) led to Riggio getting drafted in the fourth round of 2023 by the Yankees and signing for a $693k bonus that was almost $200k over the slot value.
As a professional, Riggio was solid in his first full year of professional ball in 2024, putting up a walk-heavy 117 wRC+ (.221/.349/.397) with 11 homers and 27 steals in High-A at a league average age. In 2025, Riggio was delayed a month by a hand injury and went back to High-A. He quickly showed that he had mastered the level, hitting .264/.436/.597 with six homers in 94 plate appearances while walking 21% of the time, which was a 195 wRC+. That got Riggio a promotion to Double-A, where he is slightly below league average age.
Against upper minors pitching, Riggio kept on hitting well. In 170 plate appearances, he hit 11 homers and 10 doubles en route to a .261/.335/.542 line (155 wRC+, though he only walked in 8% of PA) before getting traded away to the Rockies at the deadline. Riggio has been assigned to Hartford (which is the same league he was beating up on in the Yankees system), where he is hitting .204/.268/.327 with one homer and three doubles in 56 plate appearances (71 wRC+). In the field, Riggio has committed four errors in 66 games at second base.
Here’s a look at Riggio’s 2024 offensive and defensive highlights, beginning with a double play that has to be seen to be believed and which shows Riggio’s baseball IQ (as does his straight steal of home later in the video):
What do the scouts say?
Longenhagen at FanGraphs liked Riggio the most of the Rockies’ trade acquisitions (ranking him 10th among players dealt at the deadline and comparing him to Roughned Odor in both skill and demeanor) and grades him as a 45 FV player, seventh in the system with a 60 future grade on fielding to go with 55 grades on power:
Lefty-hitting infielders with this kind of bat speed are uncommon, and the Yankees made changes to Riggio’s swing (he has a much bigger leg kick now) that have made it more athletic and seem to have positively impacted his plate coverage. He’s been more dangerous than vulnerable against pitches out away from him this year, and had a 55% hard-hit rate around the midway point of the summer. Riggio is no slouch as a defender, either, even though he is likely limited to second base. His surface stats are a caricature of his true talent because the hitting environments at Hudson Valley and Somerset are favorable, but this is still an “arrow up” prospect who is starting to look like a potential everyday second baseman.
MLB Pipeline ranks Riggio 11th in the system as a 45 FV player:
Riggio has the build, bravado and max-effort swing of a lefty-hitting version of Dustin Pedroia, but he doesn’t have the same feel for the barrel. He lives for launching balls in the air to right field and his solid raw power will play well in any big league ballpark, if he can keep making the improved contact he’s shown this year. He has a reasonably disciplined approach and draws walks, but his all-out stroke comes up empty too often against non-fastballs and when he does stray out of the strike zone.
His aggressiveness is evident on the bases as well, as Riggio swiped 27 bags in his first full pro season despite below-average speed, though he wasn’t looking to run as much in 2025. His lack of quickness and fringy arm strength should limit his effectiveness at second base, but he has looked better than expected in the Minors and could become an average defender. The Yankees tried him briefly at shortstop last summer, but he doesn’t possess the tools for the position and the game speeds up on him too much there.
When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?
Riggio has big league-regular potential at second base thanks to his power/patience combo, defensive instincts, and overall baseball IQ. I’m excited about his offensive potential with the Rockies and am inclined to round up his likelihood of reaching that potential, ranking him 10th on my ballot as a 45 FV player. Riggio will be in the upper minors scrum next year but figures to compete for a big league roster spot before he’ll need to be added to the 40 man roster after 2026.
Tomorrow we’ll enter the top half of the mid-season 2025 PuRPs list!
