Colorado Rockies news and links for Tuesday, May 6, 2025
On Friday, the Colorado Rockies announced their Organizational Player and Pitcher of the Month. The April awards to go RHP Gabriel Hughes and OF Jared Thomas.
Hughes (No. 11 PuRP) was recognized for his 2.08 ERA in 21.2 IP. During that time, he gave up five earned runs, four walks, and 17 strikeouts in five starts. It’s worth noting that his 0.88 WHIP ranked sixth in the Eastern League while his ERA was eighth. Also, Hughes held opponents to a .197 average.
Meanwhile, Jared Thomas (No. 14 PuRP) has been making steady progress with the High-A Spokane Indians. He slashed .352/.472/.534 with four home runs and 19 RBI in 23 games. Add to that, Thomas maintained an on-base streak for most of April, reaching base in 22 of 23 games. He hit safely in 19 of 23, including eight multi-hit games. As for league standings, Thomas led the Northwest League in both hits (31) and RBI, was second in average, and tied for second in total bases (47).
Hop on before the hype train leaves the station. Congrats to Jared Thomas on being named the Rockies Organizational Player of the Month! #GoSpo
— Spokane Indians (@spokaneindians.bsky.social) 2025-05-03T17:08:08.095Z
So far in 2024, he’s earned 18 walks and 27 strikeouts in 95 at-bats. His SLG (.505) is down from 2024 (.545), but his OBP (.440) is up significantly (.389). That suggests some offseason adjustments that are starting to pay off. Remember: Prior to 2024, Thomas made his reputation as hitting for contact rather than power. However, at the recommendation of Troy Tulowitzki, that changed in 2024. Sure, his K% increased, but so did his power.
This year, he’s trying to strike a balance between the two.
After coming off a significant quad injury last year that limited him to only eight games as Low-A Fresno, for Thomas, this season is about developing, both physically and mentally as he hones his approach to batting leadoff.
“I’m the guy they look to set the tone,” Thomas told reporters on Friday, “and that’s something that I’ve always enjoyed. I’ve been the lead-off guy since I was 14 or 15-years-old. It’s a huge thing for me.”
He added, “Leading off some of the games this year, my objective is to get on base, so I can let everybody else hit the long ball.”
And that has meant taking “accepting” his walks in addition to hitting homers.
“I’m definitely a hitter first,” Thomas said. “I’m a true hitter before the power and everything else. So I really got back to that this off season.”
Thomas is, he says, less aggressive at the plate than he was in college. “I felt like the weight of the team was on my shoulders.”
Pro ball, however, is different, and he knows he can count on his teammates.
“I’m still on the aggressive side, but I’m not reckless just swinging at everything.”
That means hunting for pitches he can drive.
“Sometimes I’m looking for the ball down,” he explained, “and sometimes I’m looking for the ball up. So if we’re facing the sinker-baller guy, and he’s got a good slider, I’m looking for something up that I can really drive gap-to-gap. And if we’re facing a guy with some vert, obviously I’m going to try and see him down and get that fastball below my hands.”
He credits hitting coach Trevor Burmeister with helping him adjust this part of his game. They review scouting reports prior to games and work on mechanics in the cage.
Thomas also notes one of his biggest connections since joining the Rockies is #1 draft pick Charlie Condon (No. 2 PuRP).
“His success speaks for itself,” Thomas said. “And winning the Golden Spikes being, a top-five overall pick, he’s a special brain to pick.”
In the near term, Thomas understands his place is in the outfield, but he hasn’t put away his first baseman’s glove just yet since it may provide a lineup spot later in his career.
“I’m having a lot of fun going out there and being able to show off the show off the athleticism (in the outfield),” he said, “but I think first base will always be in the back pocket.”
He’s considering, too, his mental approach to the game.
“I think the one thing that I’ve done really well is managing expectations,” Thomas said.
“I really want to be really good at mastering the mental game this year. I want to be able to take the wins just like I take the losses.” He sees that as part of preparing for the long grind of an MLB season, something former MLB players have described to him.
What about “Snake Farm,” the Ray Wylie Hubbard standard that became Thomas’ hallmark while leading off for the University of Texas?
“You know, that was something I really thought hard about in the off season, but I did not decide just to bring ‘Snake Farm’ with me.”
Perhaps, like his first baseman’s glove, he’ll keep that in his back pocket, too, but it would absolutely rock Coors Field.
In the meantime, he’s clearly doing fine without it.
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This week on the internet
Go into the cage with Jared Thomas — and be sure to watch until the end.
Yeah, that’ll play.
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Coors Field catalyst: Mickey Moniak’s breakout bid in 2025 | Blake Street Banter
Eli Whitney examines what Moniak brings to the Rockies.
Ex-Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones: ‘Surprised” at trade out of Colorado | Denver Gazette ($)
The Gazette’s Keven Henry caught up with Jones when the Cleveland Guardians played the Washington Nationals. Jones is honest to a fault, told Henry he was surprised at the trade. “I thought that I was going to get an opportunity to prove that I was part of the future there,” he said, adding, “It really caught me by surprise that they didn’t see it that way, which is the nature of the business, and I understand.”
John Oliver Offers to blindly rebrand MiLB teams on HBO’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ (SI.com)
In case you missed it on Sunday, John Oliver has taken an interest in minor-league baseball. He loves the absolute absurdity of it, and he’s doing a very John Oliver thing:
“We are willing to use all of our resources and stupidity to give one minor league baseball team a total rebrand,” Oliver said. “We will give you a new team name, a new mascot, we will even throw you a theme night. It will be personalized, it will be personalized and it will be bespoke. I promise, we will put just as much time, energy and research into this as we do exposing the dark underbelly of America’s criminal justice system – arguably more. And we will do this in the spirit of your team, city and the league to which you belong.”
I remember what he did for the Pūtekeke, and I am eager to see his plans for minor league baseball.
Did the Rockies just have the worst month in baseball history? | The Athletic ($)
Enos Sarris does the math — and games the numbers for the rest of the season.
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