Mile High Minors: Thompson's September Zone, Condon Reaches 27 Homers
By Cameron Wright ·
Mile High Minors covers the last 7 days of action for the Rockies farm system.
Thompson's Plate Discipline Is the Story of His September
Sterlin Thompson (AAA, OF, Rank: 13) went 6-for-20 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI, and six walks across 26 plate appearances at Albuquerque last week. The six walks tell the real story: Thompson drew as many free passes as he recorded hits, and that patience is the engine behind one of the more productive stretches in the Rockies system right now. Over his last 30 days at Triple-A, he is slashing .376/.518/.647 with five home runs, eight doubles, and 17 RBI in 110 plate appearances. The walk rate over that span sits at 19.1 percent, and the strikeout rate has dropped to 10.0 percent. The contact rate over that stretch is 81.8 percent against a 48.4 percent swing rate, which means he is making contact at a high clip while still being willing to offer at pitches. Those numbers do not move together by accident.
Thompson is a 55 hit tool with a 45 power grade, and the profile has always been built around contact quality and zone management rather than raw thump. His season line at Triple-A sits at .329/.475/.530 through 408 plate appearances, with a 18.9 percent walk rate and a 14.7 percent strikeout rate. For context, his 2025 Triple-A walk rate was 10.3 percent with a 20.9 percent strikeout rate: both numbers have improved significantly this year, moving in opposite directions. A brief Colorado stint earlier this season (77 plate appearances, 27.3 percent strikeout rate) showed the friction that premium spin and velocity at the edges can create against a flat, extension-oriented swing, and below-average speed locks him into left field where the offensive requirement stays high. A second-division left fielder or strong-side platoon bat remains the realistic destination. But the last 30 days at Albuquerque are a clear demonstration of the floor: a hitter who controls the zone this well and makes contact at this rate gives himself a workable chance to sustain value even against big-league arms.
Condon Crosses 27 Homers in a Patient Week at Albuquerque
Charlie Condon (AAA, 1B, Rank: 1) went 5-for-20 with two home runs, six RBI, and six walks across 26 plate appearances at Albuquerque last week. The six walks matched his hit total and pushed his season walk total at Triple-A to 79 in 598 plate appearances, a 13.2 percent walk rate. The two homers moved his season total to 27, giving him the most home runs in the Rockies minor-league system this year. He now has 98 RBI on the Triple-A season as well. The counting production across 130 games is substantial, and the walk totals are a meaningful piece of the package: a selective hitter with a 40.3 percent swing rate who also generates this much power is a real offensive profile.
Condon is a 70 raw power grade with a 50 hit tool, and the concern has always been the swing-and-miss attached to a long, uphill swing. His season strikeout rate of 25.1 percent reflects that, and the contact rate of 71.1 percent is a limitation. Over his last 30 days, the strikeout rate sits at 24.1 percent and the swing rate has dipped to 39.8 percent, meaning he is being genuinely selective without sacrificing damage: five home runs, six doubles, and 23 RBI in 108 plate appearances over that stretch. Compare that to his 2025 Double-A line, where a 28.3 percent strikeout rate in 237 plate appearances raised real questions about contact against advanced pitching. The Triple-A translation has been more favorable than the strikeout total might suggest, and the walk rate has stayed consistent. Below-average speed narrows his defensive ceiling to the corners and eventually to first base, which raises the offensive bar he needs to clear at the major-league level. A 27-homer, 98-RBI season at Triple-A with a 13 percent walk rate is a credible body of work, and the power is no longer a projection: it plays.
Quick Hits
- Roc Riggio (AAA, 2B, Rank: 20) · landed on the 7-day injured list September 18, ending what had been a strong stretch in Albuquerque. A diagnosis has not been confirmed. His last appearance came September 13, and in the 14 days before the placement he went 11-for-28 with two home runs across 30 plate appearances. The IL stint comes at an unfortunate moment: Riggio had slashed .297/.359/.527 across 103 plate appearances at Triple-A since arriving from Double-A Hartford, where he posted a .256/.371/.492 line with 16 homers and 20 stolen bases in 380 plate appearances. The combined season across both stops remains one of the more productive two-level years in the system.
- Jack Mahoney (AAA, RHP, Rank: 37) · also landed on the Triple-A injured list, retroactive to September 17, with no diagnosis confirmed. The placement capped a rough stretch at Albuquerque: over his final three appearances before going down, he allowed 11 earned runs across 10.2 innings, walking five while striking out just five. That roughness at Triple-A has been the story of his 2026 tenure there: a 6.21 ERA across 33.1 innings at the level, with 18 walks against 23 strikeouts. The contrast with his Double-A season is stark; he posted a 1.99 ERA in 68 innings at Hartford with 64 strikeouts and 24 walks. The jump to Albuquerque has been a significant challenge, and the IL placement gives him some forced downtime to close the year.