Top 15 Rockies Prospect Poised to Make MLB Impact in 2026

This 24-year-old outfielder can assist Colorado at the highest level after a successful 2025 season.

Tobey Schulman | Nov 12, 2025

Jun 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Colorado Rockies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies have multiple notable prospects that can make an impact at the Big League level in 2026. Charlie Condon, their No. 2 ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline is among one of the top names, with Cole Carrigg, and Roc Riggio up there as well with 2026 ETA’s.

One prospect ranked within the top half of the Rockies system was banging on the door with the Majors this past season in Triple-A. 24-year-old Sterlin Thompson, taken with the 31st overall pick in the 2022 draft, has slowly risen up the ranks and now seems more than ready.

Thompson is coming off of a strong 2025 season in Albuquerque, where in 120 games the outfielder slashed .296/.392/.519 with a .911 OPS. Colorado’s No. 15-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline clubbed 18 home runs, 28 doubles, and collected 12 stolen bases.

Feb 20, 2025; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Sterlin Thompson (60) as shot during MLB Media Day at Salt River Fields. / Allan Henry-Imagn Images

He’s shown a fair amount of power throughout his professional career. He hit 14 homers back in 2023 with 25 doubles, before hitting 13 homers in 2024, before recording his career high this past season.

On top of the power production, he’s maintained 10+ stolen bases every single season, with a career high of 17 in 2023. Thompson can offer the Rockies lineup yet another bat whose power can translate well to Coors Field, while producing on the basepaths as well.

One thing about Thompson’s offensive profile that stood out in 2025 was his impressive exit velocities. The left-handed hitter recorded a max exit velocity of 112.9 mph. Those numbers are good enough to rank in the 92nd percentile among all Triple-A hitters according to Prospect Savant.

Thompson showed above-average plate discipline this past season with the Isotopes, walking at a 10.3% rate and keeping the strikeout rate down to 20.9%. He won’t chase out of the zone a ridiculous amount, and it’ll be interesting to see how that translates at the highest level.

What might be the most encouraging part of Thompson’s 2025 was how he finished throughout the second half. In 240 plate appearances over that stretch, he slashed .332/.425/.561 with a .986 OPS. The momentum he built this year can hopefully carry over into the 2026 season.

After signing for nearly $2.5 million back in 2022, the Florida product has steadily progressed to appear ready to make his Major League debut. After a strong finish to the season and a phenomenal campaign as a whole, it seems that the time is near for Thompson.

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Published Nov 12, 2025|Modified Nov 12, 2025

TOBEY SCHULMAN

Tobey Schulman is a freelance writer currently covering baseball in the South Florida area, independently on X and SubStack. Prior to freelancing, Tobey was a writer for The Skippers View, covering both Major and Minor League Baseball. Over the past year, he has grown a following of almost 10,000 on X, while covering all things across the sport, both professional and amateur. In his free time he produces and live streams a podcast ‘Inside The Diamond’, where he co-hosts player interviews, breakdowns, and game watch parties.