Robert Calaz Can Race Through Rockies Farm System if He Fixes This Stat

Robert Calaz has the kind of bat that organizations dream of. But to reach the Majors the Colorado Rockies prospect must do this.

A Colorado Rockies batting helmet. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Finding Colorado Rockies top prospect Robert Calaz on a list of potential prospect bounce-back candidates is an interesting choice.

Just 20 years old, the No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline has played his entire career in the lower levels of the organization. The Dominican Republic native won the Arizona Complex League triple crown in 2024 as he slashed .349/.462/.651 with a 1.113 OPS. He hit 10 home runs and 45 RBI. He added 12 doubles and five triples.

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That earned him a ticket to Class-A Fresno, where he was named a California League player of the week in July after he had a four-home-run week. While his slash was not as potent as his previous two seasons — .259/.338/.399 with 10 home runs and 55 RBI — there’s no reason to panic about his development.

Yet, Baseball America (subscription required) highlighted Calaz as one of 15 prospects that could have a bounce-back season in 2026. So, what gives? It’s the advanced numbers that give some scouts pause and correcting them is his ticket to a multi-affiliate jump in 2026.

What Robert Calaz Must Correct

A Colorado Rockies hat and baseball glove. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It takes young hitters time to learn discipline at the plate. At lower affiliates, some hitters see that lack of discipline exposed less because the pitchers tend to have a similar lack of experience as the hitters.

Calaz spent 2023 in the Dominican Summer League and 2024 at both the ACL and Fresno. His strikeout-to-walk numbers were basically 2-to-1. He struck out 43 times and walked 22 times in 43 games in 2023. Then, in 2024, he struck out 63 times and walked 37 times in 62 games.

The ratio expanded for Calaz in 2025. In 99 games at Fresno, he struck out 110 times and walked 37 times. So, what happened? Baseball America’s Jesús Cano broke it down:

“The 20-year-old posted a 33.4% overall miss rate while chasing 29% of pitches and missing 26.2% of the time on strikes,” he wrote.

Calaz’s problems have multiplied. He’s chasing pitches out of the zone nearly 30% of the time and he’s swinging and missing at strikes more than 26% of the time. Every hitter chases pitches and Calaz must minimize that. But, swinging and missing at pitches in the zone is problematic. It means pitchers will be less afraid to challenge him, at least until he proves he can make them consistently pay for it. Cano boiled it down to swing tweaks needed to eliminate unnecessary movement in his swing.

There is immense potential in Calaz’s bat at a position where the Rockies will need reinforcements in a couple of years. If he breaks out as hoped, a move to Double-A or even Triple-A in 2026 isn’t out of the question.

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