SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Strikeouts have always been a big part of Cade Denton’s repertoire on the mound. The Colorado Rockies prospect in showing that part of his game again in a big way in the Arizona Fall League.

A 23-year-old right-handed reliever taken in the sixth round of the 2023 draft, Denton has struck out a team-high 17 batters in his first 10.2 innings this fall for the Salt River Rafters. That includes all six batters he faced in a two-inning outing on Oct. 24, boosting his strikeouts per nine innings to 14.34 this fall.

AFL opponents are hitting just .154 against him, a testament to a fastball-slider-splitter combination that has been working well, according to Rockies pitching strategies coordinator Flint Wallace.

“We really like what we see here,” Wallace said. “He’s gotten a little more aggressive with his stuff. He’s started using the heater at the top (of the strike zone) a little bit more than he has been, and it’s played really well for him up there. It allows the split and the slider to tunnel better than what they had been earlier, and he’s featuring a little bit of a cut fastball, which, from that arm angle, gives lefties a little bit different look.”

Drafted out of Oral Roberts University, where he earned the Stopper of the Year Award from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and first-team All-American honors after posting a 1.83 ERA and 15 saves over 64.0 innings, Denton was sidelined early in 2024 with shoulder weakness. Finally debuting with Low-A Fresno on May 22, he posted a 2.86 ERA over 28.1 innings before being promoted to High-A Spokane.

That’s where he spent the entire 2025 season, logging a 3.73 ERA in 50.2 innings and nailing down seven saves.

The late start to the 2024 season may have slowed down his rise through Colorado’s farm system, but Denton is also looking at it as a positive as he prepares for what could come in 2026.

“I think it put me in a good position for where I am now. I think it allowed me to not get hurt later on down the road,” Denton said. “It’s nice to get it out of the way early and put myself in a good position, health-wise, now have a good routine for strengthening my shoulder and keeping that healthy.

“This year proved my point. I stayed healthy the whole year, kept the shoulder issue from being a problem, and it’s not something that I have to worry about now.”

Denton is also taking in stride that he hasn’t advanced past High-A yet while three other members of the 2023 draft class (starter Chase Dollander, reliever Seth Halvorsen, and third baseman Kyle Karros) have already made their debuts in Denver.

“Everybody wants to get moved up and everyone wants to improve. I felt like I was in a good position all year, a couple of bad outings here and there. But overall, I was very happy with what I put together,” Denton said. “I’m looking forward to next year and seeing where that takes me. The fall league is an experience and a chance to prove myself against higher-level talent. Hopefully, I go out and continue to keep doing what I’ve been doing.”

With AFL regular-season action wrapping up on Nov. 12, Denton is focused on finishing his time in Scottsdale strong and setting himself up to be a pitcher to watch when spring training arrives.

“I think the biggest takeaway this fall is just trusting what made you the athlete or the pitcher that you are now. Go out there and trust your stuff,” Denton said. “These guys are all really good ball players, and you’re going to face some of the best from one through nine in these lineups.”

Denton is also using his time in the Rafters bullpen to connect with pitchers from other organizations to learn what has been working for them and what he can bring into his own pregame routine and in-game arsenal.

“I picked the brains of quite a few guys and learned what it is mentality-wise that they have that I think I could add to my routines and where I could add to my pitching day,” Denton explained. “You have all these pitchers in one spot from all these different organizations that you never get to play against, like the (Pittsburgh) Pirates and the (Boston) Red Sox, and guys that you’ll play against in Double-A down the road.

“I’ve learned a lot, and there’s a lot that I think I can add to what I already do to help put me in a better place, mentally, physically and emotionally.”