Mile High Minors: Thompson's September Tear, Riggio Goes Deep Twice at Albuquerque
By Cameron Wright ·
Mile High Minors covers the last 7 days of action for the Rockies farm system.
Thompson's September at Albuquerque Is Something to Watch
Sterlin Thompson (AAA, OF, Rank: 14) went 10-for-30 with two doubles, three home runs, six RBI, three walks, and two hit by pitches across 30 plate appearances at Albuquerque last week. The three-homer week pushed his season Triple-A total to 13, and the counting damage he generated fits neatly inside the best stretch of his professional career. Over his last 30 days at Triple-A, Thompson is slashing .382/.535/.671 with five home runs, seven doubles, and 17 RBI in 101 plate appearances. The walk rate over that stretch sits at 19.8 percent, and the strikeout rate has dropped to 13.9 percent. Those numbers move in opposite directions from each other in the right way: more patience, less swing-and-miss, and more damage when he does connect.
Thompson is a 55 hit tool with a 45 power grade and a bat-first profile that has to carry him through the limitations on the other side of the ball. Below-average speed and fringe defensive range keep him anchored in left field, so the offensive bar is real. His season line at Triple-A.331/.476/.528 through 382 plate appearances with an 18.6 percent walk rate, is a genuinely productive body of work at the level. The concern has always been whether the swing's flat extension tendencies get exploited by quality breaking balls and offspeed pitches in the majors, and a brief cup of coffee with Colorado earlier this season (77 plate appearances, a 27.3 percent strikeout rate) offered a preview of that challenge. But the last 30 days at Albuquerque show the floor of what Thompson can do when the approach is locked in: a 19.8 percent walk rate and a contact rate of 77.6 percent over that span suggest a hitter who is seeing the ball well and trusting the strike zone. He projects most cleanly as a second-division left fielder or strong-side platoon option, and weeks like this one make that ceiling feel well within reach.
Riggio Keeps Hitting for Power in His New Home at Triple-A
Roc Riggio (AAA, 2B, Rank: 20) went 7-for-21 with two home runs and four RBI across 21 plate appearances at Albuquerque last week. The two homers pushed his combined season total to 22, split across Double-A Hartford (16) and Triple-A Albuquerque (6). He has been at Triple-A for just 23 games, and the power has translated without a significant adjustment period. Over his last 30 days at the level, Riggio is posting a .568 slugging mark with six home runs and 17 RBI in 91 plate appearances, and the walk rate over that stretch sits at 8.8 percent, consistent with how he has operated since arriving in Albuquerque.
The honest scouting read on Riggio is a 55 power grade attached to a 45 hit tool, which puts the onus on the damage to carry his profile. His season strikeout rate at Triple-A (30.1 percent) is elevated, and the contact rate of 71.1 percent across the full season is not a strength. But the pull-side power is genuine, and the walk totals at Double-A (a 15.3 percent walk rate in 380 plate appearances) demonstrated that he can get to his power in games without completely abandoning the strike zone. The strikeout load is the persistent concern: a pull-heavy approach can create exploitable holes against advanced breaking balls and velocity at the edges, and that pattern will face its stiffest test at the major-league level. For now, though, the 22-homer, 69-RBI combined season across two levels is a productive year for a 24-year-old second baseman with legitimate power and enough feel for the zone to project as a second-division regular or a strong-side platoon bat.
Quick Hits
- Jared Thomas (AA, OF, Rank: 9) · drove in three runs on seven hits, including a double and a home run, across 23 plate appearances at Hartford last week. The 11 strikeouts in that sample are a concern, and they fit a broader pattern: his last-30-day strikeout rate at Double-A is 34.4 percent, with a 62 percent contact rate over that stretch. A 60 speed tool, 55 hit grade, and 55 field grade give Thomas a real floor, but the bat has to hold up against upper-level sequencing for him to reach his second-division projection. He returned from an injured list stint in late July and has 124 plate appearances at Hartford on the season, hitting .270 with four home runs and a 37.1 percent strikeout rate. The swing-and-miss against Double-A spin is the number to watch as he gets more reps at the level.
- Roynier Hernandez (AA, 2B, Rank: 44) · went 6-for-19 with a double and two RBI across 19 plate appearances at Hartford, adding two walks and just one strikeout. That contact rate is vintage Hernandez: a 82.7 percent season-long contact rate and a 15.7 percent strikeout rate across 492 combined plate appearances make him one of the better bat-to-ball profiles in the system. He is a 55 hit tool, 40 power grade contact bat who projects to shortstop in the near term, with a slide to second base possible as he climbs. His last-30-day numbers at Double-A show a 82.5 percent contact rate and just a 17.5 percent strikeout rate, so the approach has held since his promotion. The power ceiling is limited, but a hitter who barely strikes out and has a 14.6 percent season walk rate across the system is worth tracking.
- Charlie Condon (AAA, 1B, Rank: 2) · went 6-for-25 with two doubles, two RBI, and two walks across 25 plate appearances at Albuquerque. No home runs, and seven strikeouts in the sample. He is a 70 raw power grade and the season line of .274/.388/.513 with 25 homers and 92 RBI through 572 plate appearances at Triple-A remains a strong body of work. The last-30-day numbers (.286/.387/.462 with three home runs and a 11.3 percent walk rate) are more modest than his peak stretches, and the long, uphill swing can create holes when pitchers sequence him carefully up in the zone. A week without a home run is not cause for concern at this point in a 25-homer season. I would not read too much into the dip.