The Rockies are calling up outfield prospect Yanquiel Fernández, reports Francys Romero. Colorado is off tonight, so they’re unlikely to announce the move until tomorrow. Fernandez is on the 40-man roster, meaning the Rox will only need to make an active roster move.
Fernandez, 22, was signed by the Rockies out of Cuba and made his pro debut back in 2021. A consensus top-100 prospect prior to the 2024 season after breaking out to a .319/.354/.605 slash line at High-A the year prior, Fernandez posted solid numbers at Double-A throughout the majority of 2024 but struggled badly at Triple-A with a paltry .211/.268/.313 slash line in 33 games at the highest level of the minors
That poor performance was enough to knock him off the majority of league-wide prospect lists, but this year he’s turned things around in his second attempt at the level. Across 271 plate appearances, he’s hitting .284/.347/.502. That sounds like a robust figure, but given the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League it’s actually good for a rather pedestrian 96 wRC+. Still, Fernandez’s 14 doubles and 13 homers in 64 games this year is intriguing enough power potential that the Rockies are giving Fernandez a shot in the majors.
It remains to be seen which player Fernandez will be replacing on Colorado’s roster, but Jordan Beck, Tyler Freeman, Sam Hilliard, and Mickey Moniak are currently mixing and matching in the outfield corners while Brenton Doyle patrols center. Fernandez’s role as a left-handed corner bat is one that’s already held by both Moniak and Hilliard. Both have identical 95 wRC+ marks overall, though Hilliard’s performance is propped up by six extra-base hits in just 20 games despite him striking out at a 37.7% clip this season. Neither Moniak nor Hilliard have options remaining, so either one would either need to be placed on the injured list or designated for assignment if Fernandez is to replace them on the roster. Of course, it’s not impossible to imagine the club rostering all three with Freeman moving back to the infield or into a utility role.