\u201cWe\u2019re tracking swing decisions,\u201d Rockies farm director Chris Forbes said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get guys into count levers. And that\u2019s going to be key going forward. When you\u2019re trying to change the narrative of what we\u2019ve seen in the big leagues with the last three or four years offensively, we\u2019re going to have to grow the guys we have differently.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where Brito, Colorado\u2019s No. 3-ranked prospect<\/a> and the No. 80-ranked prospect in baseball, comes in.\n<\/p>\n Just 19, the second baseman\/center fielder from the Dominican Republic is a speedy, high-average, low-strikeout switch-hitter who has rocketed up prospect boards after a head-turning 2025 season in which he won Arizona Complex League MVP and then tore it up in the latter part of the summer in Low-A.\n<\/p>\n Brito is back in Low-A Fresno again this year, largely because the Rockies can afford to slow-play the teenager\u2019s development, especially when it comes to his swing decisions. Brito hit .371 with a .444 on-base percentage in \u201925, and is batting .327 through 49 California League games in \u201926.\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy to sit there and stare at his batting average, right? And say, \u2018Is he being challenged enough at this level?’\u201d Forbes said. \u201cBut we\u2019re trying to refine his approach. What he\u2019s looking for, what zones he\u2019s trying to protect, just having knowledge to advance what he\u2019s seeing from his plan standpoint. This has been a big emphasis for him this year.<\/p>\n \u201cAs in, what at-bats are you giving away? What at-bats are you getting soft contact? There has to be a give and take with what (hitting) zones you\u2019re trying to cover, because you can\u2019t cover it all. We\u2019re trying to kind of create more of the hitter mindset with him and everyone at all levels.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s why Brito is still in Fresno, even as he continues to rake. Under the Rockies\u2019 old front office, he\u2019d likely already be in High-A Spokane, where Forbes says he\u2019ll end up at some point this summer.\n<\/p>\n But under new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta<\/a>, Forbes said the focus on swing decisions and better approaches with hitters on the farm has been heightened.\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a big thing that\u2019s been talked about in the past, but I just had never felt that we had the buy-in like we do now,\u201d Forbes said.<\/p>\n The expectation is that focus cuts down on strikeouts organization-wide but also increases walks, another area where Colorado has struggled.<\/a> The Rockies\u2019 6.7% walk rate in \u201925 was the lowest in the majors, and a direct correlation to that was that Colorado had the lowest on-base percentage in the minors last year at .293.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Even though he\u2019s over two years younger than the average position player in Low-A, Brito understands his role as a highly rated prospect in helping shift Colorado\u2019s offensive approach.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m putting a lot of work into my strike zone \u2014 trying to swing less, lay off balls out of the zone, and really focus on that area,\u201d Brito said. \u201cBeing MVP of the Arizona Complex League last year, that was a beautiful moment. I prepared a lot for that. But I knew what it took to get there, and I know what it takes to get to the next level, and the level beyond that. It\u2019s about being consistent and trying to get better every day.\u201d<\/p>\n While the Rockies aim to harness Brito\u2019s raw speed on the bases and in the outfield, especially considering he only started playing center field about a year ago, the organization sees a big-league future for him that was largely unexpected when Brito signed as a lower-profile international prospect for a $420,000 bonus in 2024.\n<\/p>\n![\"Rockies](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/TDP-Z-ROLDY-BRITO-4.jpg\")
Rockies prospect Roldy Brito slides into the bag during a 2026 California League game for the Fresno Grizzlies. (Courtesy of Fresno Grizzlies)<\/p>\n