Colorado Rockies prospect rankings, pre-season 2026: Numbers 35 to 31

It’s time to reveal the five players who made it the closest to the pre-season 2026 top 30 Purple Row Prospects (PuRPs) list, the Honorable Mention PuRPS, as voted on by the Purple Row community recently. For each player, I’ll include a link to individual stats and contract status (via Baseball-Reference), as well as notes on their 2025 season if applicable. I’ll also include where I put each player on my ballot. All ages are as of the day the article is posted.

35. Blaine Crim (24.3 points, 5 ballots), 2025 Waiver Claim (Tex), 1B in MLB (28)

The fact that Crim has made his MLB debut is in itself quite an achievement. The 28-year-old righty first baseman is actually the third player from the 2019 draft’s 19th round to make the big leagues, but clearly teams are not expecting to get much major league value from the 565th pick of the draft, especially one who signs for only $5k. As befits someone of that draft pedigree, Crim had to fight his way through the Rangers’ minor league system, but he basically had well above average offensive production and was in Triple-A by 2022.

Over the 2023-2025 seasons, Crim was a consistent presence at the Triple-A level, never producing less than a 115 wRC+ offensively but also no better than a 120 wRC+. In the 2025 season, Crim got added onto Texas’s 40 man and MLB roster in early May, though he went hitless in 13 plate appearances. Crim hit .284/.373/.515 (120 wRC+) in Triple-A, but it was his DFA by the Rangers in late July and subsequent waiver claim by the Rockies in early August that eventually got the 5’10”, 200 pound first baseman some extended run at the big league level (though only after another month spent in Triple-A Albuquerque).

Crim was called up on September 12th when an opening arose and he got into 15 games with the Rockies down the stretch. He recorded his first MLB hit, a homer, in his first game with the Rockies, then Crim added a two homer game in his sixth with Colorado. In all, Crim had a hit in 12 of his 15 games with the Rockies en route to a line of .241/.295/.556 with five homers and two doubles in 61 plate appearances (113 wRC+). In a season as bad as the Rockies had, Crim’s 0.3 rWAR ranked him 14th on the team for the season.

Even after ending the season hitting well for the Rockies, Crim is not a lock to get that kind of playing time in 2026. Recent waiver claim Troy Johnston probably has priority and Charlie Condon lurks in the upper minors as a potential long-term solution at the position. In the interim though, Crim is there as a competent professional hitter (I ranked him as a 35+ FV player) eager to extend his Major League experience.

34. Cristian Arguelles (26.4 points, 5 ballots), 2024 International Free Agent (Venezuela), OF in the DSL (18)

Arguelles, an 18-year-old Venezuelan outfielder, was one of the Rockies’ top international signees in 2024, receiving a $700k bonus. The 6’0” lefty held his own in the Dominican Summer League after signing (84 wRC+) and was impressive in fall instructs. The reason he’s an HM PuRP though is that Arguelles was an absolute unit in 2025 while repeating in the DSL at a league average age.

In 236 plate appearances, Arguelles murdered the ball, hitting .422/.528/.652 with five homers, six triples, and 16 doubles — which is a 201 wRC+! Arguelles was first in the DSL in hits, slugging, OPS, total bases, and doubles. He was second in average, runs, RBI, doubles, and triples, plus he was third in OBP. Arguelles walked in 14% of his PA and struck out in just 11%. He also manned center field, contributing six outfield assists with just two errors in 51 games. That all added up to a DSL MVP award for Arguelles.

So what does that mean for Arguelles as a prospect? It’s not like he was completely unheralded with that signing bonus, and Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs did list Arguelles as a prospect of note before 2025 (saying only that he was a “small center fielder with bat-to-ball skills”). Obviously Arguelles should be heading stateside in 2026, with a full season debut potentially on tap as soon as this season. He’s not yet on my list but is up to the 35+ FV tier — and if Arguelles keeps anywhere close to this pace at a higher level, he will be.

33. Jack Mahoney (30.0 points, 5 ballots), 2023 3rd Round, RHP in Double-A (24)

Mahoney, who relies on a heavy sinker/slider combo, is a prospect that doesn’t necessarily excite me, but the role and polish make him a player to track and a 35+ FV player who was in 30th on my list. He was Colorado’s third rounder in 2023 out of South Carolina, going 77th overall and signing for a slightly below slot bonus of $925k. Mahoney dabbled with hitting in college (he was a shortstop in high school as well) but was mostly a pitcher. The Illinois native pitched very well as a freshman in 2021 (1.62 ERA in 33 1⁄3 IP) but needed Tommy John surgery mid-way through that campaign and also missed all of 2022 on the mound — though he did swat two homers in 19 PA as a DH. Mahoney recovered his stuff enough as a junior to get drafted in the third round.

The 24-year-old 6’3” righty was initially handled more slowly than a high-round SEC pitcher draft pick might expect, but a jump up to Double-A Hartford in 2025 (where he was 1.7 years younger than league average) after a cameo in High-A in 2024 has him back on his expected trajectory. Mahoney spent most of 2024 in Low-A Fresno, throwing 94 2⁄3 innings with a 3.52 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 8.7 K/9 rate, and 2.1 BB/9 rate. After an August promotion to High-A, Mahoney made six appearances (five starts) with Spokane, adding 25 1⁄3 innings with a 5.33 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 8.5 K/9 rate, and 2.5 BB/9 rate. It’s very nice to see that, two years after his Tommy John surgery, Mahoney was able to soak up 120 innings in 2024.

In 2025 with Hartford, Mahoney made 24 starts with a 5.93 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 7.0 K/9 rate, and 4.0 BB/9 rate in 104 2/3 innings — though his 4.40 xFIP suggests a bit of bad fortune to get those run prevention numbers. Mahoney was healthy but did have a one week stint in late May on the Rockies’ development list. He struggled to provide length in his outings — only twice has he gotten through six innings, though some of that is no doubt development-related by the Rockies.

After the regular season, Mahoney was assigned to the Arizona Fall League, where he threw another 15 2/3 innings across five games (three starts), allowing a similar 5.74 ERA and 1.72 WHIP with a 5.7 K/9 rate and 4.0 BB/9 rate against high level prospects. For more on Mahoney’s time in the AFL, Purple Row’s own Samantha Bradfield interviewed the pitcher in November.

Longenhagen of Fangraphs gave Mahoney a 40 FV grade, slotting him 21st in the system, with a 55 future command grade highlighting the package:

Mahoney played both ways a little bit as an underclassman at SC. He pitched out of the bullpen during most of his freshman year, then missed 2022 recovering from Tommy John, though he was still able to hit some that year. He held 92-94 and touched 96-97 across 17 starts as a junior, and Mahoney was thrown right into the fire from an innings standpoint in 2024, as he worked 120 frames and ended his season in Spokane. It was a very positive campaign for Mahoney even though the Cal League was probably beneath his skill level — he held average velocity all year and walked just 30 guys. His fastball tails, he commands a short, mid-80s slider sitting 84-86 mph, and he has arm-side changeup feel. Mahoney’s feel for location is advanced considering his lack of college reps and he has a shot to develop three average pitches. There’s a backend starter projection here, with a non-zero chance he’s scratching the surface of more.

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Mahoney 18th in the system last February:

Mahoney went from pitching in the SEC in 2023 to Low A in 2024, a step back in the competition he’d face; he didn’t dominate there and then got hit around in six outings in High A at the end of the year, with a 5.33 ERA and a .517 SLG allowed. He’s 92-94 on the sinker with a 55 changeup and average slider, mixing in a cutter and curveball as well, giving up too much hard contact on the fastball because he throws it in the upper half of the zone too much. He should have had better results in High A with his present stuff, and could still end up a fourth or fifth starter if he improves his plan of attack even just with the pitches he currently has.

Mahoney ranked 120th overall in MLB Pipeline’s 2023 draft rankings and was 21st overall in their system rank as a 40 FV player before 2025 (though he isn’t in the current top 30):

A 6-foot-3 right-hander, Mahoney saw his stuff bounce back pretty well upon his return. It starts with a fastball that tops out at 97 mph and sits in the 92-95 range with late natural sink to it. His mid-80s slider can be inconsistent, but at its best, it has horizontal and vertical break. He throws his changeup with the same velocity, and when it’s on, it features good fade. He has the ability to get outs early in counts on the ground, as well as strike guys out.

Mahoney is a good athlete who quarterbacked his high school football team and even hit a couple of home runs in 2022 for South Carolina while he was rehabbing his elbow. He has a feel of what he wants to do on the mound, though he’ll need to keep refining his command and control of his repertoire. It’s a pretty good rotation piece starter kit, with perhaps a leap forward to come another year removed from the elbow surgery.

Mahoney’s athleticism, command, and starter projection drive the profile for me — though as mentioned above the overall package might not be as exciting as other pitchers in the system. Mahoney, who will be Rule 5 eligible after the season, will likely return to Hartford to start the year but might finish the campaign at a higher level.

32. Victor Juarez (41.1 points, 6 ballots), 2019 International Free Agent (Mexico), LHP in Triple-A (22)

When considering Victor Juarez (the preseason 2024 number 30 PuRP), it’s important to remember that he has already played four years of full-season ball and only just turned 22 last June. The 6’0” right-hander didn’t have too much fanfare entering 2022 despite a $500k signing bonus in January 2021 out of Mexico, but he impressed as a precocious and polished pitcher who had success as one of the youngest players in the league over the last few seasons.

In 2025, Juarez began with Double-A Hartford, where he was 2.7 years younger than league average and pitched in a bulk reliever role. He appeared in 35 games and ha a 3.49 ERA (3.65 xFIP), 1.06 WHIP, 7.9 K/9 rate, and 2.1 BB/9 rate with four saves across 77 1/3 innings against upper level hitters and didn’t allow an earned run in his last ten appearances. Those are quite respectable numbers given the context, though of course we’d hope for an uptick in strikeouts with a move to the pen.

Juarez finished the regular season in Triple-A Albuquerque with two September appearances, throwing 4 2/3 innings while allowing three runs (two earned) one nine hits and two walks, striking out three. He wasn’t done either, as he also threw 14 2/3 innings in the Mexican Winter League over five appearances (four starts) with a 7.36 ERA against hitters that are nearly seven years older than him on average.

Juarez is a member of the FanGraphs “prospects of note” crew, where Longenhagen noted last January that “Juarez, 21, is an undersized Mexican pitchability righty who worked an efficient 111 innings at High-A in 2024, mostly thanks to a deep coffer of average secondary pitches.”

The question here is if Juarez’s polish and advanced arsenal/command will allow him to overcome lower-end raw stuff and velocity. Or will that take a step forward as well (so far, no)? Those are relevant queries when valuing a player with Juarez’s skillset, but we should also enjoy what he is now: a pitcher who has yet to fail to get hitters out as a younger player at each level. Juarez, who wasn’t protected nor was he selected in the Rule 5 draft this off-season, is in the 35 FV muddle for me if he’s in a relief role (though he really did end up throwing close to a starter’s workload this past season). However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a player with his skillset in the big leagues down the line as a professional out-getter.

31. Ben Shields (45 points, 9 ballots), 2025 Trade (NYY), LHP in Double-A (26)

The nearly 27-year-old lefty pitcher was part of the trade return at the trade deadline last July for reliever Jake Bird from the Yankees. Two years ago, Shields was a 24-year-old undrafted player out of George Mason with only one full season of D1 pitching results and a $25k signing bonus. However, the Yankees improved Shields’ extension and lowered his release, which unlocked some excellent results as a pro. In fact, in 2024 Shields pitched at three different levels in his first pro season, including a cup of coffee in Triple-A.

In 2025, Shields missed the first two months with a hip injury that also bothered him in 2024. As part of his rehab process, he made one appearance each in the complex league and Low-A, plus two starts in High-A before making his Double-A season debut in late June, where he was about a year older than league average. After returning, Shields made ten starts in the Eastern League (five each with Somerset and Hartford), throwing 43 innings with good results. In the five Hartford games, Shields was dominant, pitching 19 1/3 innings with a 2.33 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 11.2 K/9 rate, and 2.8 BB/9 rate. In total, Shields pitched for five teams in four leagues in just half a season in 2025 (plus a short appearance in the AFL), squeezing in 55 innings of work with a 2.78 ERA.

MLB Pipeline ranks Shields 29th in the system as a 40 FV player, highlighted by a 60 grade on the curveball:

New York also had Shields concentrate on throwing his breaking pitches more often. He has a plus curveball that parks at 80-82 mph and a solid slider that’s a tick harder, with both featuring quality depth. His fastball stands out more for its carry and armside run than its ordinary velocity (averaging 93 mph, topping out at 96) and he can miss bats with all three of his offerings.

Shields uses his breakers more than his heater and has all but abandoned his changeup this year, so he may be more of a multi-inning reliever than starter.

Longenhagen at FanGraphs ranks Shields 31st in the system as a 35+ FV arm and future reliever with a 60 grade on his slider (I’m guessing that’s the same pitch evaluated highly by MLB Pipeline):

Shields is now throwing a couple ticks harder than he was in college, but his meal ticket pitch is his low-80s slider, which has really nasty two-plane movement. The changes the Yankees made to Shields’ delivery give his fastball a little bit flatter angle. If he were to move to the bullpen and add another couple of ticks, that might be a second above-average pitch for him. Assuming he keeps living in the 91-94 mph range, he looks more like a solid lefty specialist.

Shields profiles as a MLB contributor somewhat soon, though it could be in the pen rather than the rotation. For now though, his stuff got Double-A hitters out as a starter, which is why he’s a 35+ FV prospect to me that topped my 35+ FV tier at number 24.

To see the players that did make the cut, check back over the new few weeks or so as I unveil the pre-season 2026 PuRPs list one at a time!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Colorado Rockies prospect rankings, pre-season 2026: Numbers 35 to 31

Tags: