Young Rockies Outfielder Projected to Take Substantial Step Forward in 2026

The Colorado Rockies have lots of building left to do, which would be aided immensely by a breakout season from one of their young outfielders.

Jun 29, 2019; Denver, CO, USA; General wide view of Coors Field during the eighth inning of the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Colorado Rockies. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies are starting to build towards the future; that much is clear. With a completely overhauled front office, the team is now looking to put together an improved roster following one of the worst MLB seasons of all time in 2025.

With much of the roster being a young core that still needs time to develop, adding some complementary veterans would certainly help out, but coaching will be the most crucial element in the long term.

One of the names the Rockies will hope is a future contributor is outfielder Zac Veen, who was able to make his MLB debut in 2025. He still maintains his rookie status into next year, having played only 12 Major League games. While he struggled in that small sample size, it is clear that he has a lot of promise; it is just a matter of tapping into it and finding that consistency with Colorado.

Additionally, playing time will also be a big part of that, and according to the FanGraphs 2026 steamer projections, he should be getting some increased reps next year.

How Much of an Improvement Does FanGraphs Project Veen to Have in 2026?

Apr 20, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder Zac Veen (13) gestures as he rounds the bases on a solo home run in the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Coors Field. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

According to the FanGraphs 2026 projection model, Veen is set for a much better next season when compared to his short MLB stint last year. They have him playing in 64 games, slashing .250/.311/.401 with 27 RBI, 27 runs, seven stolen bases, seven home runs, an 84 wRC+, 7.4% walk rate and 22.7% strikeout rate.

While this still leaves a decent bit to be desired, it is a stark improvement over his previous numbers. In 2025, he ended his Major League stint of 34 at-bats, slashing .118/.189/.235, posting two RBI, one home run, one run, a stolen base, two walks and 14 strikeouts. Frankly, he was just not ready yet, and given how well he was producing in Triple-A shortly after, it may just be a matter of time until he is ready.

First career hit...Zac Veen style 😎 pic.twitter.com/U9JySdkeNQ

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 9, 2025

The former first-round pick has a decent chunk of experience now throughout the minor leagues and has done well in his continued development. With the Rockies needing more talent on the MLB roster, having Veen turn around and put up some near league-average numbers on offense would be a great sign for their core.

Having him alongside Hunter Goodman and a hopefully resurgent Ezequiel Tovar in 2026 and beyond is the start of a pretty promising future.

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