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How Does Rockies Outfield Signing Drew Avans Play into Roster for 2026?

The Colorado Rockies recently signed an outfielder to the roster, but how will he factor into their lineup heading into the 2026 season?

Jeremy Trottier

Jun 15, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Drew Avans (18) bats during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field.
Jun 15, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Drew Avans (18) bats during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
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The Colorado Rockies are looking to start to build out a new roster heading into 2026, with multiple roster moves having been made already. With a new front office in place and still being fleshed out before the offseason really gets underway in a few weeks, some preliminary additions have been processed to build out the depth of the team.

One of the early moves of the offseason for the Rockies was signing outfielder Drew Avans, previously of the Milwaukee Brewers. Avans has showcased some positive hitting strides down in Triple-A over the years, but when he made it to the Major League roster, he struggled at times to put the bat to the ball.

In a Colorado roster that is currently undergoing immense amounts of change, Avans could end up being a factor on the roster for the 2026 season. While his hitting ability needs work, he has been proving to be quite efficient during the Mexican Winter League this year, and that may give the new front office some hope that he can be developed into a serviceable outfielder for at least the next year.

How Will Avans Factor Into the Lineup for 2026?

Athletics outfielder Drew Avans celebrates a home run in spring training, wearing a green and yellow helmet and jersey.
Allan Henry-Imagn Images

When it comes to his hitting stats in the MLB over the past year, there is not a whole lot to build from. In eight career games in the Major Leagues, he is slashing .118/.111/.118, with one run, one RBI, one stolen base, six strikeouts and no walks.

However, when taking a look at his fielding, he is actually quite prolific, which could be mighty useful in Coors Field. He split time between all three outfield positions in 2025 at the MLB level, with his primary being left field, where in 36 innings he had nine putouts and one assist on 10 chances. Between center field and right field, he had seven innings of work, two putouts and no errors.

This has been similar during his 11 games in the Mexican Winter League, as he has played 95.2 innings, and only has one error on 23 chances, good for a .957 fielding rate. However, his offense is bumped up to slashing .326/.392/.413 with four RBI, four runs, two stolen bases, a triple, four walks and only one strikeout.

Obviously, the level of competition is different in that league, but he has been looking quite impressive against still difficult pitching. His role will likely be starting out the year in Triple-A to work on his mechanics at the plate, but throughout the season, he may be promoted a few times to be a defensive stalwart with hopefully some upside as a batter.

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Jeremy Trottier
JEREMY TROTTIER

Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.

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