Darnell was waived<\/a> and is now in the Tigers farm syst\u2026<\/p>\n As spring training continues, the Rockies\u2019 new front office and revamped coaching staff will be making hard decisions about who makes the roster, especially in terms of which prospects might be ready and who might need more time to develop.<\/p>\n When to make the call<\/p>\n When it comes to deciding when a player is ready to be promoted to the Major League roster, Rockies new GM Josh Byrnes said there aren\u2019t \u201chard and fast rules.\u201d It\u2019s just a matter of going back to the plan that the player has been tracking toward and making sure they are ready for the harsh reality of life in The Show.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n He wants to make sure that players get a fair shake and at least 40 plate appearances at the MLB level.<\/p>\n \u201cHitting is so hard in the big leagues. It\u2019s not easy \u2026 it\u2019s turbo stuff, game planning, defense, everything, making it hard on you. There\u2019s no soft spots. So it\u2019s just even the mental game of baseball,\u201d Brynes said. \u201cIt\u2019s like, you\u2019re going to go have 40 plate appearances, and there\u2019s no soft underbelly. It\u2019s just not how the Major Leagues is.\u201d<\/p>\n At Rockies Fest in January, new assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas also talked about the importance of having a process to know when a player is ready. He, too, emphasized the value of communication and talking with the player and staff throughout the organization, so that the decision isn\u2019t just based on a player\u2019s recent Minor League performance.<\/p>\n \u201c[We also look at] player playing goals, some work ethic things, routines, if they have enough chronic workload buildup. But you also do want to see him perform, right? So there is a process that needs to lead to winning and competitiveness and all of those things,\u201d Ribas said, adding that there isn\u2019t a computer screen that lights up green when a player is ready.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a human element. They\u2019re taking into account their development path, their interaction with coaches, what their hard skills are, what their soft skills are.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian Jones, Colorado\u2019s director of research and development, believes it\u2019s important to look at elements off the field as well.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s other things going on, right? Are they a good teammate? Are they doing the things in the weight room like they\u2019re supposed to? So there\u2019s a lot of factors we talk about, like, is this guy mature enough to handle these responsibilities?\u201d Jones said at Rockies Fest.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just having some success on the field and looking like he should be called up. So there\u2019s a ton of things that go into being Major League ready. It\u2019s not just looking at the stats.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Who to look for<\/p>\n When it comes to thinking about which prospects the Rockies have in their farm system, Ribas is encouraged \u2014\u00a0especially when it comes to pitchers.<\/p>\n He specifically said 23-year-old RHP Brody Brecht (No. 3 PuRP<\/a>) \u2014 the Rockies\u2019 No. 38 overall pick from the 2024 Draft, who played in Single-A Fresno in 2025 \u2014 and Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP<\/a>) \u2014 the Rockies\u2019 second-round pick from 2023 who played for the Single-A Grizzlies and Double-A Yard Goats last season \u2014 stand out.<\/p>\n He also has high hopes for Gabriel Hughes (No. 12 PuRP<\/a>), who has had a bumpy path with injuries, but still has the stuff that made him the No. 10 overall pick<\/a> in the 2022 Draft.<\/p>\n \u201cI have three years of experience of being in the draft room, and every year I walked away from our Tigers draft saying the Rockies had a great pitching class. Like, there are real arms coming out of here,\u201d Ribas said.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody in this room should be really excited about some of the pitchers that are going to show up here in Denver this year because I think the draft strategy has been good. It will be refined. We\u2019ll communicate and collaborate more frequently, but there has been a lot of exciting arms infused into this organization. So get to know their names. There\u2019s a lot of good ones.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones shares the same excitement.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of unique guys that we have that are gonna be fun to see how they develop,\u201d Jones said. \u201cI mean, you have guys that are hard throwers and guys that are deceptive.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones also highlighted Sullivan, who doesn\u2019t have the velocity like some young arms, but has traits that don\u2019t rely on movement as much \u2014 like a later release point \u2014 that are altitude-friendly.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cThe slot is unique and he\u2019s left handed, so it\u2019s coming from the A [slot], that you typically don\u2019t see,\u201d Jones said. \u201cYou saw Jimmy Herget last year. [He\u2019s] not the hardest thrower, but has some weirdness to him. So weird is pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones also shouted out Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP<\/a>), the 21-year-old LHP who the Rockies signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021.<\/p>\n \u201cOne guy you might see sooner than some others could be Welinton Herrera,\u201d Jones said. \u201cHe throws really hard. He also has a slider that he\u2019s been working on, so you will see that show up here.\u201d<\/p>\n For a team that struggled with promoting young pitchers in 2025, hopefully, Rockies pitching prospects fare better in 2026.<\/p>\n Rockies 2026 Spring Breakout rosters announced | Purple Row<\/a><\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Charlie Condon (no. 1 PuRP<\/a>), Ethan Holliday (no. 2 PuRP<\/a>), and several other top prospects will be in action for the Spring Breakout game on March 21 vs. the top prospects from the Arizona Diamondbacks. This year\u2019s showdown will be the third installment of the new spring training tradition that gives fans a glimpse into what their future rosters might look like.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/80966eff783c57579a3c9e0f46c46309.jpeg\"\/)
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