Rockies Rookie Third Baseman Looks To Cement Spot at Hot Corner in 2026

This former high ranking Rockies prospect is primed to breakout in 2026, cementing a spot at the hot corner.

Tobey Schulman | 2 Hours Ago

Sep 23, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros (12) hits an RBI-infield single against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at T-Mobile Park. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

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Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies have an interesting group of young players projected to start in their 2026 Opening Day roster. One of those players is slated to start at third base barring any moves from the front office for the remainder of the offseason.

The right-handed hitting Kyle Karros is projected to be the starting third baseman for the Rockies come Opening Day. According to FanGraphs Roster Resource tab, Karros would be the second youngest projected starter in the field, behind switch-hitting second baseman Adael Amador.

Karros is coming off of a 2025 season where after slashing .306/.368/.500 in Triple-A, he earned a promotion to the Major League club. In 43 games with Colorado, Karros slashed .226/.308/.277, with one home run and nine RBI.

Sep 23, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros (12) hits an RBI-infield single.

Steamer projections for 2026 are now available on FanGraphs, and Karros' projections have him playing 89 games for the Rockies. In those 89 games, Steamer has Karros finishing with a .263/.335/.396 slash, ultimately being slightly below league average with the bat.

Considering these projection models typically have lower expectations for players, it's not inconceivable at all to think he can exceed these projections.

While not a qualified hitter in 2025, Karros plate discipline was solid for a prospect in his early twenties playing his first stint in the Major Leagues. He limited chase and was walked at a near 10% clip. He's shown that the bat has potential to develop more.

Sep 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros (12) throws to first for an out in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Coors Field. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Karros gives Colorado value on defense as well, further giving him the chance to stick at the position longer than just the 2026 season. A solid arm with a glove that only let up two errors in 42 games played, if the bat can play slightly above league average it's a win for the Rockies.

As previously mentioned, Colorado has a core of young players that will see more playing time this season. Other exciting players under 25 include Ezequiel Tovar, Jordan Beck, Zac Veen, and Amador.

Other players over 25 but still under 30-years-old include Hunter Goodman, Brenton Doyle, and Mickey Moniak. It's not a roster fueled by known All-Stars, but it's a roster full of homegrown talent and bounce back players.

Karros will be 23-years-old for the first half of the 2026 season. Over the stretch of next year, it'll be interesting to see if he can live up to the projections that have been given to him. If he can, Rockies fans could be looking at a 10-plus home run bat, with good traits defensively to pair.

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