Despite a winning record in 2024 at 67-64, the Colorado Rockies Low-A affiliate Fresno Grizzlies missed the playoffs. They entered the 2025 campaign with perhaps the weakest (on paper) roster of any Rockies farm team.
The Grizzlies started the year with just three of our Purple Row top prospects on the roster in outfielder Robert Calaz (no. 3 PuRP) and right-handed pitchers Brody Brecht (no. 5 PuRP) and Jackson Cox (no. 25 PuRP). However, they also started 2024 with minimal star power and top-ranked prospects and finished the year with a winning record nonetheless. Hopes were high that the Grizzlies could find the same energy and perhaps their way back to the California League playoffs.
Fresno won their first two games of the season against the Stockton Ports (Sacramento Athletics) to win their short opening series. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies did not win another series until over a month later. They finished the first half eight games below .500, at the bottom of their division, and tied for the second-worst record in the California league at 29-37.
A big part of the Grizzlies’ early struggles was due to attrition on the roster. As previously mentioned, Fresno entered the season lacking in big names. Many of their best players from 2024 were lost either to promotion or injury. All three of their 2024 California League All-Stars in utility-man Braylen Wimmer (no. 38 PuRP), left-handed reliever Welinton Herrera (no. 21 PuRP) and right-handed starting pitcher Jace Kaminska were no longer with the Grizzlies in 2025. Kaminska—the 2024 California League Pitcher of the Year—missed the entire 2025 season due to injury while both Wimmer and Herrera ended the season with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats.
Fresno also lost two talented hitters in Aidan Longwell (no. 60 PuRP) and 2024 draft pick Jared Thomas (no. 8 PuRP), as well as a plethora of other pitching talent. Thomas, Herrera, and left-handed pitcher Stu Flesland III would go on to have breakout seasons.
Fresno Grizzlies Key Position Players: 2024Position Player NamePosition2024 Mid-Season PuRPs RankGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBAVGOBPSLGOPSBraylen WimmerUTILNo. 5811852946094131213146434.285.362.435.797Jared ThomasOFNo. 148363351110241.333.389.545.934Aidan Longwell1BUnranked6328324039751124343.313.403.425.828Fresno Grizzlies Key Pitchers: 2024Pitcher NamePosition2024 Mid-Season PuRPs RankGGSSVERAIPHRERHRBBSOHBPWHIPSO/WJace KaminskaRHPNo. 62171602.7887.180302761210441.0538.67Welinton HerreraLHPNo. 6923002.38342599196251.0006.89Stu Flesland IIILHPUnranked32703.9171.16934312277061.3462.59Jack MahoneyRHPNo. 23171703.5294.28740376229131.1514.14Sam WeatherlyLHPUnranked30082.85413118133195141.2202.68Cade DentonRHPNo. 6226012.8628.126129172341.1653.29
Despite turning over a lot of their pitching staff, the Grizzlies were actually quite strong on the mound. They finished the season with the third-best team ERA and starting pitcher ERA in the league.
Brody Brecht and Jackson Cox anchored the rotation with excellent seasons. Brecht made 16 starts and posted a 2.60 ERA over 55 1/3 innings while striking out 87 batters. Cox—in his first full season since Tommy John surgery—made 23 starts with a 3.39 ERA and struck out 92 batters over 85 innings.
Brecht and Cox were joined by Everett Catlett—who also made a handful of bullpen appearances—and Lebarron Johnson Jr., each of whom would be promoted to the High-A Spokane Indians during the course of the season.
Tyler Hampu and Nathan Blasick made for a unique two-headed late innings monster out of the Grizzlies bullpen. Each reliever made 43 appearances and had double-digit saves this year. Hampu had ten saves and posted a 2.61 ERA over 48 1/3 innings with 56 strikeouts, while Blasick notched 19 saves with a 3.59 ERA and 66 strikeouts over 52 2/3 innings.
Fidel Ulloa, the Grizzlies’ lone California League All-Star this season, was largely excellent. In 26 appearances with Fresno before a mid-season promotion to Spokane he had an ERA of just 1.77 with two saves. He struck out 46 batters over 35 2/3 innings of work.
Where the Grizzlies struggled this season was on offense. Despite being middle of the pack when it came to hits, strikeouts, and batting average, they had the worst team on-base percentage in the California League and the second worst OPS. They drew the fewest walks, had the second-fewest doubles, third-fewest home runs, and third-worst slugging percentage in their league.
Only one player—Robert Calaz—reached double-digit home runs with ten, while only one other player had more than five in outfielder Derek Bernard (no. 52 PuRP).
An infusion of fresh blood mid-season was massively welcome for the Grizzlies, but one name stood above the rest.
Middle infielder and center fielder Roldy Brito (no. 29 PuRP) arrived in Fresno after a standout campaign in the Arizona Complex League.
The Complex League MVP, Brito hit .368/.445/.555 with 13 doubles, six triples, three home runs, and 22 stolen bases. He also walked 22 times to 42 strikeouts in 51 games with the ACL Rockies.
Brito didn’t miss a beat when he arrived in the California League. If anything, he might have been better.
In just his second Low-A game, the 18-year-old went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two stolen bases against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Los Angeles Dodgers) and never slowed down.
Brito hit .375/.442/.463 with seven doubles, a triple, and a home run and 17 RBIs in 33 games with the Grizzlies, walked 14 times to 27 strikeouts, and swiped 13 bases in 20 attempts. He went hitless in just eight games and failed to reach safely in only six games.
Brito was joined by fellow Arizona Complex League standout Wilder Dalis (no. 41 PuRP), and 2025 draft picks Tanner Thach and Ethan Holliday (no. 1 PuRP) on a revitalized Grizzlies that surged in the second half.
The Grizzlies went 41-25 in the second half, finishing atop their division for the half and pushing their overall record well above .500. They finished the season tied with Rancho Cucamonga for the second-best record (70-62) in the California League and earned themselves a post-season berth.
Sadly, the surge came to an end when a very young team with eight starters who were 20-years-old or younger ran into the San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants). Three of their starts, Brito, Dalis, and Holliday, were just 18-years-old.
The inexperience showed. In game one the offense went quiet for a 2-0 shutout loss despite a fantastic start by Brody Brecht. In his longest outing of the season, Brecht gave up just two earned runs over seven innings and struck out eight batters with no walks.
In game two, starting pitcher Marcos Herrera lasted just 2/3 of an inning after giving up three earned runs. Three errors certainly didn’t help.
The Grizzlies made the game close—thanks in part to four errors by the Giants—in a 7-6 loss. The Grizzlies had the winning run on base in the top of the ninth inning thanks to singles by Kevin Fitzer, Ethan Holliday, and Tanner Thach, while Roldy Brito had reached on an error. A Wilder Dalis strikeout and a Kelvin Hidalgo lineout ended the game—and the season.
The Grizzlies will go through a similar off-season to what happened last year. Many of their top names from this season will no longer be here when spring arrives. However, we’ve now seen in back-to-back seasons that the Grizzlies can overcome a weak roster on paper and be a fun farm team to watch. I expect the same in 2026.
Weekly Pebble Report: September 9th-September 15th
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (2-4, 59-84 Overall)
The Isotopes dropped their final road series of the season against the El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres), but I’m sure a record setting 21-10 victory eased some of the sting. The ‘Topes went off for 21 runs on 27 hits—15 for extra bases—and five home runs.
⬆️ Stock Up: Knock the Amadoor Down
It’s been a disappointing season for infielder Adael Amador, who bounced several times between Triple-A and the big league team. However, he seems determined to end his season on a high note. Amador went 9-for-20 against the Chihuahuas with four doubles, a home run, a stolen base, and eight walks to just one strikeout.
⬆️ Stock Up: You snooze, you Hughes.
Gabriel Hughes (no. 11 PuRP) may be running on empty, but he’s still able to dominate with what he’s got left in the tank. In a game cut short by rain, Hughes pitched a “complete game” five inning shutout, giving up just two hits.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (2-4, 69-68 Overall). Season complete.
The end finally came for the Yard Goats after a brutal slide to end the season knocked them out of playoff contention. They finished just one game above .500 on the year, but did walk away with the win in the final game played at the Diamond in Richmond.
⬆️ Stock Up: Carrigg on, my wayward son.
Hot-headed center fielder Cole Carrigg (no. 6 PuRP) had one more hot-streak in him to end the season. Carrigg went 9-for-27 against the Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants) with a double and a home run. The home run was his fourth grand slam of the season.
⬇️ Stock Down: Beef, well done.
I’m not saying “stock down” on Welinton Herrera because he performed particularly poorly this week. Quite the contrary. He struck out four batters in 2 1/3 innings and gave up just one earned run on four hits without issuing a walk. What concerns me is that over the last month the Yard Goats have used Herrera—a high octane, single inning power closer—for multi-inning mid and late game appearances. I’m also a little concerned with the idea of sending Herrera to the Arizona Fall League after he’s completed a full season of work. A full off-season of rest would do the young prospect wonders.
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (0-2). Season Complete.
In an unfortunate end to their splendid second half, the Grizzlies were swept out of the California League division series by the San Jose Giants.
⬆️ Stock Up: Brecht rises to the occassion.
Brody Brecht (no. 5 PuRP) was absolutely excellent in his first career playoff start, pitching seven innings with sharp command. He didn’t issue any walks and struck out eight batters, giving up just two earned runs on four hits.
⬇️ Stock Down: Going on Holliday
Despite a clutch single in the ninth inning in game two, Ethan Holliday (no. 1 PuRP) did not have a good series against the Giants. He went just 1-for-8 with a walk and five strikeouts. Holliday earned a golden sombrero with four strikeouts in game one, including going down on three pitches with a runner on third in the bottom of the ninth.
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