Young prospects impressing Rox with Single-A playoff run

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DENVER -- Believing that winning habits occur early, the Rockies are excited about Single-A Fresno, which will begin a California League Division Series against San Jose on Tuesday.

The Arizona Complex League club made the playoffs, one of the Rockies’ two Dominican Summer League teams won its division, and Double-A Hartford is 1 1/2 games from a postseason spot with nine games remaining.

“You’ve got to do what the game asks you to do,” Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said. “Are you playing for a run? Are you playing for a rally?

“If you watch the scoreboard, it tells you how you should be trying to play the game. It’s what we’re trying to teach guys up here.”

Here are players to watch as you follow the California League postseason:

Part of the rush to the playoffs was due to an infusion of talent that went deeper than the pro introduction of shortstop Ethan Holliday (Rockies' No. 1 prospect and No. 17 overall per MLB Pipeline), the fourth overall Draft pick who crushed his first professional home run on Tuesday and has slashed .210/.338/.290 over his first 62 at-bats.

Outfielder Roldy Brito, a $420,000 international signee last year out of the Dominican Republic, was promoted after winning ACL Most Valuable Player honors while slashing .368/.445/.555 this year. He has continued producing at Fresno -- batting .352 with a .423 on-base percentage.

Shortstop Wilder Dalis hit .352 with three homers, 12 doubles and five triples in the ACL to begin the season, and he is now batting .236 with three homers and seven doubles in 29 games with Fresno.

Infielder Kelvin Hidalgo has helped win games on the bases with 43 steals -- third most in the league. Also, 2025 Draft picks such as catcher Matt Klein (sixth round) and first baseman Tanner Thach (eighth round) are getting their pro careers started in a postseason run.

“They’re playing a good brand of baseball with that energy that they’ve infused in that clubhouse,” Rockies player development director Chris Forbes said.

The pitching staff has been helped by the improving health of two high Draft picks.

Righty Jackson Cox, a second-round Draft pick in 2022 who underwent Tommy John surgery in ‘23, has a 3.39 ERA with hitters batting just .225 against him in 23 starts -- including six strikeouts over a career-high six innings in a win over Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday night. Rockies No. 5 prospect, righty Brody Brecht, who battled back issues earlier in the season, has a 2.60 ERA in 16 starts with Fresno.