Which Rockies Prospects Actually Matter in 2026

Which young up-and-coming Colorado Rockies will make their mark on the 2026 roster?

Colorado Rockies right fielder Zac Veen / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The benefit to being a perennial bottom-feeder is the ability to land lofty, high draft selections in order to construct a rosier future for the organization. As they find themselves mired in years of losing, the Colorado Rockies have landed top-10 picks in the annual June draft in six straight seasons, including the No. 3 pick in 2024 and the No. 4 pick in 2025.

While that run of high draft selections speaks volumes of what has been a rather dark stretch in the franchise's history, it offers optimism that they can continue to fill what has been a largely barren cupboard heading into the future.

But at a time when a front office overhaul has signaled that change is coming and losing will no longer be tolerated, there is newfound pressure to see some of those prospects develop at the major league level.

The good news for the Rockies is that this spring has offered signs of prospects beginning to make their mark at the big league level. Here are some of the young players who look poised to matter for Colorado this season.

Zac Veen

Zac Veen walk-off homer

113.3 MPH, 468 feet

Veen put on 43 pounds over the offseasonpic.twitter.com/PqSdeB3iQ3

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) February 23, 2026

It's been a long road for Zac Veen since being selected ninth overall in the 2020 draft, as struggles with both on-field performance and sobriety have prolonged his journey to regular major league duty. Now, the 24-year-old is focused and ready to contribute after adding more than 40 pounds in the off-season. He already has two home runs this spring, including a walk-off long ball against the Chicago White Sox.

Veen made a largely forgettable debut with the Rockies last April, lasting just 12 games before being sent back down. This time around, he is showing some early, promising signs that he might be ready to stick around.

TJ Rumsfield

Former New York Yankees and current Colorado Rockies prospect T.J. Rumfield / New York Yankees Photos via Imagn Images

T.J. Rumsfield is a new face to the organization (so much so that we don't have a picture of him in a Colorado uniform), coming over from the New York Yankees last month in exchange for Angel Chivilli. However, it hasn't taken the 25-year-old first baseman long to make an impression.

Playing at what is a wide-open position for the Rockies, Rumsfield has forced himself into the Opening Day starter conversation with three home runs and a .417 average in six Cactus League games.

He has shaken up a positional battle once thought to be between Blake Crim, Tony Johnston and Edouard Julien. That conversation could also include 2024 No. 3 pick Charlie Condon, but he is currently taking reps in the outfield.

Chase Dollander

Colorado Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 2025 season wasn't exactly the rookie campaign that Chase Dollander was hoping for. On a 119-loss Colorado squad, the 24-year-old was unable to prop up a pitching staff that produced the league's highest ERA (5.97). He struggled to a 2-12 record with a 6.52 ERA, allowing 18 home runs in 21 starts.

And yet, there was some promise for Dollander in the form of 82 strikeouts, for an average of 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings. That promise has carried through to the spring, where after fixing up his mechanics in the offseason, he has pitched two clean innings for the Rockies, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out two.

Colorado is likely to usher in a wave of young talent this season, meaning that plenty of new faces have the chance to make their mark. For now, though, it looks like Veen, Rumsfield and Dollander might be leading the way.