This Rising Star Was Easily Rockies' Rookie of the Year After Memorable Debut

The Colorado Rockies could have rising star on their hands.

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When going over each team in the Major Leagues, picking the best rookie can sometimes be a tricky choice. With a team like the Colorado Rockies, which has so much young talent coming up from their minor league system, it’s even harder to choose who the best rookie was in 2025.

This season, however, while in a smaller sample size than most notable rookies, the Rockies saw a promising first impression from a 23-year-old first baseman. In just 40 games, Warming Bernabel made himself known as the team's 2025 Rookie of the Year. 

Bernabel made his Major League debut on July 26 of this season. At the end of the year, he recorded a .252/.288/.410 slash line with four home runs and 14 runs batted in. It wasn’t jaw-dropping production, but Bernabel showed flashes at the plate.

Warming Benabel Had Incredible Debut Month

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After coming up to Colorado in July, Bernabel hit his first and second Major League home runs in back-to-back games. His first cleared the left field wall in Camden Yards and his second cleared the left field wall at Progressive Field. 

His pair of homers were the highlight of his productive end of July. He finished the month with seven hits in his first 18 at-bats with the Rockies. Four of those hits went for extra bases, allowing him to finish the month with a 1.254 OPS. 

Bernabel hit two more home runs in the month of August while collecting five more doubles. However, across the final two months of the season, he failed to record an OPS over .650 and finished his debut season with a .698 OPS. 

Those are not typical numbers seen from someone given a "Rookie of the Year" title, but Bernabel showed the ability to produce with power while limiting swing-and-miss. He struck out at just over a 17% rate this season in his first taste of Major League Baseball.

Could Become Coors Field Monster

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While Bernabel’s first two career homers were on the road, he was a much better overall hitter at home. He recorded a .338/.384/.515 slash line at Coors Field with two home runs, four doubles and nine runs batted in.

In 73 plate appearances, both at home and on the road, Bernabel posted an OPS that was nearly 400 points better while at Coors Field. There’s no doubt, he’ll be a young hitter who Colorado fans will flock to watch at home in 2026.

Once the No. 7-ranked prospect back in 2023 on the Rockies MLB Pipeline Top 30, Bernabel showed the potential to be a future star in this Colorado lineup for years to come after his rookie season. Because of that, he takes home the title for the Rockies' 2025 Rookie of the Year.

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