Ethan Holliday Headlines Rockies Prospects in Minor League Playoffs

The Colorado Rockies Single-A affiliate will be playing in the California League playoffs.

Jun 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Colorado Rockies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The 2025 Colorado Rockies now hold the worst record in franchise history. At 40-104 and counting, they broke the 2023 record of 103 loses. Not much is going right with the big league team, aside from a feel good story with Hunter Goodman's breakout.

Colorado is likely a few years away from any true excitement, aside from a possible Charlie Condon promotion some time next season. Instead, Rockies fans' eyes are towards the future, and maybe more specifically, Fresno.

The Rockies' Single-A affiliate Fresno Grizzlies will begin a three-game series against the San Jose Giants in the California League playoffs starting on Tuesday night. The winner will take on either Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers) or Inland Empire (Angels).

Fresno's roster is stacked, featuring five players from Colorado's top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline.

Three of the Five Prospects Are in the Rockies Top Five

SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Holliday is the main attraction in this series. The fourth overall pick is already a top 20 ranked prospect and has already made an impact at Single-A.

In 18 games, Holliday has a .737 OPS with two hmoe runs, six RBIs and four doubles. He was thrown right into the fire with his minor league assignment and now he will get a chance to show off his impressive tools in the most important baseball he's played in his young career.

An impressive showing in the playoffs would be even more of a boost to a players' stock that's already sky high. Against an impressive San Jose team, Holliday has the chance to make even more noise.

Behind Holliday are Robert Calaz and Brody Brecht, ranked four and five respectivley in the system.

Calaz is a 19-year-old outfielder with impressive physical attributes. In 99 games, Calaz has a .737 OPS with 10 home runs, 55 RBIs, 16 doubles and three triples. His home run and RBI totals lead the team.

He posted an impressive 1.079 OPS in 2024 across 62 games at both Single-A and Rookie ball.

"Already strong and physical, Calaz hits the ball about has hard as anyone in the system, posting elite-level exite velocites with tremendous raw power he's still learning to tap into," his scouting report reads.

Calaz is a young prospect that has the tools and athleticism to be a riser over the next couple of seasons and that could all start with this playoff series.

As for Brecht, he was one of the most fascinating prospects in the 2024 draft class. He has two elite pitches in his fastball that sits high 90s and regularly hits 100 and a devastating slider that induced a 56 percent swing and miss rate in 2024. His third pitch is a splitter, which is more of an average pitch.

During his final college season, Brecht posted a 14.7 K/9 and that has stayed about the same at 14 in 20 starts in 2025. That profile is extremely desirable, up until his walk issues.

Brecht has struggled with the walk for the entirety of his career. He had a career 6.8 BB/9 rate in college and, while improved, is still high at 5.2 this season. His 1.361 WHIP shows that he has trouble limiting base runners while struggling with command.

He's been able to work around it this season, posting. 2.51 ERA, but his ability to throw strikes is still a concern and there are some worries that it's the profile of a reliever. There is a lot of upside in Brecht's arm and if he can learn to harness it, there is potential for a special pitcher in there. If not, he will be destined for the bullpen.

Kelvin Hidalgo, Colorado's number 25 prospect, leads the team in hits (111), runs (65) and stolen bases (43). A 20-year-old shortstop with above average speed and arm strength, Hidalgo is a threat on the base paths first and foremost.

Although he may not wow with the bat, there is some untapped power in there, though the ceiling is likely limited. He likely won't stick at shortstop long term.

Tanner Thach was drafted in the eighth round of the 2025 draft and has already been very impressive as the number 27 prospect for the Rockies. In 18 games, the 21-year-old has a .772 OPS with two home runs and 15 RBIs.

The slugger recently won MiLB Player of the Week after hitting .400 with two home runs. While he has virtually no speed, Thach's value will come from the raw power that helped him become the UNC Wilmington career home run leader.

In what should be an exciting best-of-three series, the Colorado Rockies will boast some of their best prospects in an attempt to win a Single-A title.

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