Adael Amador Slams Rockies First Home Run of Spring Training

The Colorado Rockies have their first home run of spring training, and it comes courtesy of a player who is fighting for a job.

Colorado Rockies second baseman Adael Amador. / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies played the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second straight day in spring training. They were hoping for more offense.

A day after watching their old slugger, Nolan Arenado, hit his first spring training home run of 2026 off of Antonio Senzatela, Colorado was looking for a home run of its own. The Rockies got one, though it was an unlikely suspect.

Adael Amador only has one home run as a Major League hitter in 51 games. Well, now he has one spring training home run this year, matching his career total. It was also the first for the Rockies in exhibition games this spring.

Adael Amador Fighting For Job

THE ROCKIES FIRST HOME RUN OF 2026

courtesy of Adael Amador‼️ pic.twitter.com/Fm24dvPlVb

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) February 21, 2026

That’s a good start for the 22-year-old, who could be squeezed out of a job by the signing of Willi Castro, who can play multiple positions. Most projected starting lineups for Colorado don’t have Amador listed, meaning he’s probably playing for a bench spot.

He was first promoted to the Majors in 2024 and in 10 games he slashed .171/.194/.200. It was an understandable slash for a player making his MLB debut.

But, Amador got 41 more games last season and he struggled again, with a .177/.256/.265, including the home run and 10 RBI. His Triple-A and MLB batting average spread was more than 100 points, an eye-popping chasm that showed Amador was overwhelmed by MLB pitching.

Amador has produced at every stage of his minor league career but it hasn’t yet translated to the Majors. He played 80 games at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2025 and slashed .303/.405/.478 with 11 home runs and 59 RBI. He was named a Pacific Coast League All-Star and became the 13th player in Isotopes history to compile at least 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a campaign.

His career minor league slash is rock solid — .279/.388/.444 with 56 home runs and 238 RBI in 411 games. But those numbers have not yet translated at the Major League level.

With a new president of baseball operations in Paul DePodesta and a new general manager in Josh Byrnes, every player in the organization is being assessed. Amador likely has an ally in manager Warren Schaeffer, who was a minor league manager in the system before he joined the Major League staff.

But Castro is going to make the team and he can play multiple roles without taking a starting spot every day. Edouard Julien is expected to compete at first base but can also play multiple positions.

One home run won’t put Amador on the team. But it’s a good start for a player that really needs one.  

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