Welcome to the 2025 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we look back at each player to determine playing time for the Rockies in 2025. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizational principle derived from WAR (rWAR) from Baseball Reference. It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll start with the player with the lowest rWAR and end with the player with the highest.
No. 24, Keston Hiura (0.0 rWAR)
The search for the future Colorado Rockies first baseman featured a carousel of seven starters in 2025. Ultimately, Keston Hiura, a very short trip in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft – when he played in eight games over thirteen days – proved unsuccessful.
Hiura, who the Rockies signed to a minor league deal in January with an invitation to spring training, played well in Triple-A Albuquerque but continued his career-long trend of struggling in the Majors. In 100 games with the Isotopes, Hiura hit .272/.369/.507 with an OPS of .876, 21 home runs, 21 doubles, 62 runs scored, 67 RBI, 47 walks and 123 strikeouts in 383 plate appearances. One of Hiura’s 21 home runs in Triple-A included this 450-foot blast against the Space Cowboys on May 27.
Two days earlier, he hit two home runs in the same inning against the Reno Aces.
It’s no wonder the Rockies made the decision to draft him. After Michael Toglia faced challenges at the plate, especially in the strikeout department, the 2019 Rockies first-round pick was selected to Triple-A on May 31. Because Kyle Farmer did not have the defensive skills to play first, the Rockies called up Hiura, who made his first start on June 1.
In his Rockies debut against the Marlins, he went 0-for-2 and struck out in his first appearance. He was hit by a pitch in his next at-bat and came around to score on a Tyler Freeman homer. He doubled and scored a run in his next game. Despite going 2-for-9, Heston was part of the Rockies’ first sweep of the season as the Rockies defeated Miami in all four road games.
Hiura hit an RBI single against the Giants on June 11 before going 0-for-2 in what would be his final game with the Rockies on June 13 against the Braves.
In eight games for the Rockies, Hiura hit .222/.333/.287 with an OPS of .611 with three hits, one double, three runs scored, one RBI, no walks and seven strikeouts in 21 at-bats. The Rockies recalled Toglia and designated Hiura for assignment on June 18. On June 20, Hiura was sent straight to Triple-A. Hiura played the remainder of the season in Albuquerque and once again put up impressive numbers.
His tenure with the organization appeared to end when the season went as he had opted to do in free agency and remains unsigned. Rockies Prospect Warming Bernabel and longtime Minor Leaguer Blaine Crim, whom the Rockies picked up on August 3 after being cut by the Rangers, finished the season in first place and found more success than Hiura.
Huira, a former Brewer and Angel who also played briefly in the Tigers organization, clearly has power and potential, but that performance has yet to translate to the Majors. As the search for Colorado’s future first baseman continued, Hiura’s turn at the helm ended quickly and without a splash.
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