The Rockies came out of another difficult season with one clear takeaway: a handful of young players took real steps forward in 2026, and Brenton Carrigg was right there near the top of the list.
Colorado’s new president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta, along with the rest of the front office and manager Warren Schaeffer, wanted progress from the club’s younger core. They got it.
First baseman TJ Rumfield, acquired last winter from the New York Yankees, broke out in his first year in Denver and is now a Gold Glove finalist. And among the players who gained meaningful big-league experience, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report named Carrigg the Rockies’ top player under 25.
Carrigg’s path to that recognition was anything but straightforward. He opened the year as the starting shortstop for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic, then shifted into the outfield once spring training and the 2026 season rolled around. Even after that change, his debut didn’t come until June 9.
Once he arrived, though, he made himself hard to sit. In 93 games, Carrigg hit .279/.341/.477 with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs.
He finished with 93 hits, including 22 home runs and four triples. Thirty-eight of Smith's hits were for extra bases.
Carrigg was at his best in September, when he piled up 32 hits, 11 extra-base hits and six home runs while driving in 17 runs. He did strike out 29 times.
The 24-year-old has now locked down a spot in the Rockies’ outfield, mostly in center field. His versatility still gives Schaeffer some wiggle room if needed, but for now, center looks like his best home. That makes Carrigg one of the pieces Colorado can actually build around as it tries to avoid a fifth straight 100-loss season in 2027.
Rumfield probably would have been the obvious answer for Colorado’s best player under 25, but he’s already 26, while catcher Hunter Goodman is 27. That opened the door for Carrigg, who brings more than production.
He plays with emotion, and that’s something the Rockies have been missing. His 2026 season was only a snapshot, but it offered a strong hint of what could come next if he turns it into a breakout 2027.
In Other News...
Rockies Pitching Problems Just Forced Another Big Change
The Rockies are making another change on the coaching side after parting ways with pitching coach Alon Leichman following just one season. It comes with Colorado still trying to dig out from a stretch in which the staff finished last in several statistical categories, a reminder that the clubs rebuilding effort is still very much being shaped by what happens on the mound.
President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said the organization has been concerned about how the pitching has fared early in games, especially in the first two innings. Colorado will now begin searching for a new pitching coach, another important decision for a franchise trying to stabilize a unit that has struggled to set the tone from the start. [Read more 🡒]