The Colorado Rockies nearly had the worst season in baseball history. But they had a pair of prospects that emerged as potential pieces of the future.
With a 119-loss season, the Rockies jettisoned their manager, Bud Black, and general manager Bill Schmidt stepped aside. Paul DePodesta has emerged as the franchise’s new president of baseball operations. Interim manager Warren Schaeffer is still just that — interim. A permanent manager is to be determined.
As DePodesta learns the ropes, he must quickly assess the talent he has on the Major League roster and in the organization. On the 40-man roster, two players that were prospects to start the seasons are now considered among the Top 30 graduated prospects of 2025, according to Baseball America (subscription required) — pitcher Chase Dollander and third baseman Kyle Karros.
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Baseball America ranked Dollander as the No. 8 graduated prospect and Karros as the No. 20 graduated prospect. To qualify the players in question must have graduated from prospect status based on playing time.
Dollander was the Rockies’ first-round pick out of Tennessee in 2023. After going 6-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 23 starts in 2024 with two affiliates, including Double-A Hartford, he was promoted to the Majors on April 6. He had a rocky rookie season.
He went 2-12 with a 6.52 ERA in 21 starts, with 82 strikeouts and 49 walks in 98 innings, while allowing batters to hit .270 against him. He dealt with injuries, too., He missed time with right forearm tightness and ended the season with a left patella tendon strain.
Even after his awful rookie season, Baseball America still believes in his upside and sees Dollander as a No. 3 starter, writing “… his stuff is better than the results.” Dollander will be an early project for the new pitching room assembled by DePodesta this offseason.
Karros was a fifth-round pick in 2023 out of UCLA. He’s the son of former Major League star Eric Karros and he made his MLB debut on Aug. 8 after the trade of Ryan McMahon to the New York Yankees. He slashed .301/.398/.476 with six home runs and 26 RBI with three different affiliates before the promotion.
While with the Rockies he slashed .226/.308/.277 in 43 games, with one home run and nine RBI. He’s considered an above average defensive third baseman and Baseball America sees him as a solid to average third baseman for his career. Karros has room to impress new leadership now that the job at third base is wide open.