Why Jack Mahoney is Rockies Pitching Prospect Worth Watching in 2026

The Colorado Rockies have a pitching prospect who doesn’t look like a rising star, but he has something worth watching.

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Some prospects don't stick out when you first look at their numbers. It's important that Colorado Rockies leadership remembers that when evaluating Jack Mahoney.

The 24-year-old right-hander spent his entire 2025 season at Double-A Hartford, and his pitching line didn't look pretty. He went 3-10 with a 5.93 ERA in 24 starts. He struck out 81 and walked 46 in 104.2 innings. He allowed batters to hit .310 against them.

New Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes must walk a tightrope between giving prospects time to develop and knowing when they no longer fit in the organization's plans. Mahoney pitched in college, has a mature arm and has shown flashes of excellence. But he has not shown consistency.

But he does have something an abundance that it takes other prospects years to acquire. That may buy him some time to prove to the Rockies that he could be part of their plans at the Major League level one day.

Jack Mahoney’s Potential Greatness

Recently, Baseball America (subscription required) posted a story that highlighted a breakout prospect for each organization. The trick? It didn't review at the standard statistics. It picked these prospects for their underlying data or a part of their makeup that could make them Major League players one day.

For Mahoney, the publication examined his secondary pitches, something that many prospects struggle developing when they get to the professional level.

He has four pitches, which is a plus for a starter. He has a four-seam fastball, a cutter, a slider and a curveball. It's the secondary pitches that stick out, according to the publication. It cited data that showed that both his cutter and his slider had a whiff rate of 40%. In addition to that, his curveball was at 36%.

Those are the kinds of whiff rates that Major League teams crave, no matter the pitch. The fact that he's able to create that rate with his secondary pitches bodes well for how those three pitches play off his four-seam fastball. Still, the publication reported that his control with those pitches is still an issue, meaning that he will need at least one more year in the minor leagues before a Major League call up is even in the cards.

But that one data point gives Rockies leadership some confidence that Mahoney could grow into something later in his career, whether it be a starter or as a reliever. Colorado needs all the talent it can get, and Mahoney does have that whiff rate going for him.

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