Double-A Notebook: Rockies Scouting Reports

Aside from the electric power he’s known for, Condon also impressed me with his plate discipline. He drew five walks in the six games he played, and he wasn’t afraid to let himself get into deeper counts, waiting to crush his pitch.

In fact, many of his hits during that week came quite deep in at-bats.

This type of passivity isn’t common for hitters with as much power as he has, which was the most impressive thing about his game. Usually, hitters with Condon’s profile are more anxious to hit fastballs early in the count, or are more willing to expand out of the zone. Condon fit neither of those stereotypes when I saw him.

Not only did Condon wait until he was deeper in counts to record most of his hits, but he also wasn’t shy to use the entire field to his advantage. Condon pulled all of his extra-base hits, but he didn’t shy away from shooting balls into the right side of the field, or even slightly more up the middle.

This type of approach will help Condon develop as a hitter tremendously, as he won’t be backed into any tough position by only being able to use one field consistently. If he’s facing velo, he’ll be able to slap balls the other way, or in the opposite scenario, he’ll be able to slug balls deep into the left field gap.

One of the other pieces of Condon’s game I found to be most surprising was his speed.

There was one instance early in the week where Condon hit a ball past the third baseman that he turned into a double. When the ball came off his bat, I never imagined he’d end up at second base, but he rounded first sharply and snuck his way into second base with ease.

Although the injury earlier this season derailed the beginning of his pro career slightly, Condon looks like one of the most complete players I’ve seen in a long time. I genuinely mean it when I say I haven’t been this impressed with a prospect in a long time. With nearly no negatives to take away from his game, I was blown away by our No. 67 prospect.

Sean Sullivan, LHP, Colorado Rockies

Over the past couple of seasons, the Colorado Rockies have selected a few very interesting college pitchers early in the draft. From Brody Brecht to Chase Dollander, these arms have been fascinating. One of the best arms they’ve taken the chance on, Sean Sullivan, looked phenomenal against the Curve.

During his start, the former Wake Forest standout threw 7 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out six batters along the way. Generating lots of soft contact, Sullivan was locked in during his start.

Sullivan has arguably the best command of any arm I’ve seen all season. He’s been on fire as of late, pitching to an ERA of just 0.87 over his last five starts, while also posting a walk rate under 4%. This doesn’t come at the expense of strikeouts, though, as Sullivan has posted a 30% strikeout rate in the same time frame.

Sullivan doesn’t have the electric fastball that many dominant aces feature nowadays, but his heater is still quite effective. It gets a lot of carry, making the pitch play very well up in the zone.

Sullivan does have a pretty nasty slider, which he utilized heavily against lefties. With the pitch moving like a sweeper, he can easily start it as a strike and have it finish in the other batter’s box, making it a tough pitch to handle.

His changeup is arguably his best pitch, as it plays fairly well off of his heater. It comes with some tremendous movement, allowing it to duck and dive around opposing hitters’ barrels. It’ll be a plus pitch someday in the future, in my opinion.

Understandably, it’s hard to get excited about a pitcher in the Colorado Rockies system, as that player will eventually have to pitch at Coors Field. However, I fully believe Sean Sullivan is worth paying attention to, and also an arm to be excited about.

Jared Thomas, OF, Colorado Rockies

During last year’s MLB Draft, the University of Texas had a star outfielder who really caught my eye. One year later, I finally got to take a look at Jared Thomas in person, where he lived up to the expectations I had for him ahead of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Although Thomas only slashed .211/.360/.211 with an 84 wRC+ during the week, it wasn’t his results that caught my eye. There’s much more to the story than the numbers show, as Thomas hit many balls extremely hard that were caught.

Thomas has quietly been one of the best hitters for the Rockies in the minors this year, as he’s slashing .318/.413/.479 with 14 homers and a 142 wRC+ between High-A and Double-A. He’s also stolen nearly 30 bases, speaking volumes about all aspects of his game.

His smooth, left-handed stroke is my favorite part of his game, as his swing allows him to be quick to the baseball without sacrificing his power. His barrel stays in the strike zone for a long time, as he stays through the baseball every single time he makes contact.

Thomas also comes with a fantastic eye. The former second-rounder has posted a walk rate of 13% this season, while keeping his strikeout rate under 25%. For a hitter as lethal as Thomas, forcing pitchers to throw him strikes will be incredibly important for him moving forward.

Thomas is a good runner while also coming with a good glove, giving his game more layers than just his offensive skillset. Thomas played a little bit in center field while also playing the corners, and he looked comfortable in both places. I truly believe he could stick in center if given the opportunity, though.

While Thomas’ results weren’t fantastic on paper, I really liked what I saw from the former second-rounder. He’ll be a prospect to keep a close eye on over the rest of the season, as Thomas has flown through the minor leagues during his first full season.

Recognizing a Few Other Names

While they may not have as much discuss as Condon, Sullivan, and Thomas did, there were a few other names that caught my eye during the series the Hartford Yard Goats played in Altoona.

Cole Carigg, OF – Depending on where you look, Cole Carigg is regarded as a top 100 prospect, and he certainly has the tools to do so. With a sweet swing from both sides of the plate, Carigg looked good mechanically, but struggled to find success at the dish during his time in Altoona.

Carigg has posted a 111 wRC+ this season alongside 40 stolen bases at Double-A, meaning he’ll be a name to monitor throughout the rest of the season.

Connor Staine, RHP – Although he hasn’t received much recognition due to a higher season ERA, right-hander Connor Staine threw a very impressive game against the Curve. Going 5 1/3 innings of shutout baseball, Staine flashed smooth mechanics and a good fastball before his night was ended after a comebacker to the leg ended his night.

His season ERA has sat near 5.00, but the type of dominance and consistent mechanics Staine displayed on the mound caught my eye. If he can replicate this start in the future, he could become a nice arm for the Rockies.

Roc Riggio, 2B – After being dealt to the Rockies in the Jake Bird deal at the trade deadline, I was quite excited to watch second baseman Roc Riggio hit in Altoona. Riggio is in the midst of a nice season at Double-A, and I was really impressed with his mechanics and approach at the plate.

He’s been off to a slower start since joining the organization, but his power will play in Coors Field someday. Riggio has hit 18 bombs while recording a 153 wRC+ this season at Double-A.

Ben Shields, LHP – Roc Riggio wasn’t the only member of the Jake Bird deal to head to Hartford, as left-hander Ben Shields also joined the club after the trade. Shields threw a very nice outing against the Curve, going five innings of one-run baseball in his start.

Shields was the final arm on this team to impress me in a big way. With multiple solid pitches in his arsenal, Shields will be a name to keep a close eye on in the future.