{"id":115572,"date":"2026-03-12T22:07:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T02:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=115572"},"modified":"2026-03-12T22:07:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T02:07:51","slug":"nl-west-prospects-who-could-make-2026-opening-day-rosters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/12\/nl-west-prospects-who-could-make-2026-opening-day-rosters\/","title":{"rendered":"NL West Prospects Who Could Make Opening Day Rosters"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/div>\n<div><span>The NL West has the smallest group of upper-level, high-end prospects <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/02\/top-nl-central-prospects-who-could-make-opening-day-roster\/\" target=\"_self\">among the divisions so far<\/a>. However, if you are a Los Angeles Dodgers fan, there is plenty of talent on the way. They currently have three outfield prospects with 2027 ETAs for making their major league debuts. Elsewhere in the division, a few high-ranking prospects have their eyes on a potential debut this season, or possibly even making their team&#8217;s Opening Day roster.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span>\u200b<\/span><\/div>\n<div><p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 610px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOB4tzSaneR\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 4627px; aspect-ratio: 4627\/3470;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p><\/div>\n<h2>NL West Prospects Looking to Debut in 2026<\/h2>\n<h2>Prospects with Something to Prove<\/h2>\n<h3><span>Charlie Condon &#8211; 1B\/OF (Colorado Rockies)<\/span><\/h3>\n<div><span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=condon000cha\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Charlie Condon<\/a> is a former Golden Spikes recipient in the Rockies\u2019 farm system. He is a right-handed hitter known for his prodigious power, which he displayed at the University of Georgia, hitting 62 homers across two seasons. Since being <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/07\/14\/2024-mlb-draft-tracker\/\" target=\"_self\">drafted by the Rockies<\/a> in 2024, he has been <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/03\/15\/rockies-prospect-charlie-condon-out-six-weeks-wrist-injury\/\" target=\"_self\">hampered by injuries<\/a> that have affected his production. Until his most recent assignment to Double-A Hartford, he had trouble hitting for power. This is in large part due to his difficulty with breaking balls, which led to him striking out in a third of his at-bats in Hartford. As an overall prospect, Condon has the arm strength and power capabilities to man a corner outfield spot, but has been relegated mostly to first base during his pro career. He will always be a power-over-hit guy with below-average speed.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rockies #2 prospect Charlie Condon hits his third homer of Spring Training!<\/p>\n<p>Ranked 70th in MLB, Condon was drafted third overall out of Georgia in 2024 after winning the Golden Spikes Award as the best collegiate player <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CI2A3OlzQS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/CI2A3OlzQS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Talkin&#8217; Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TalkinBaseball_\/status\/2027848488340365752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 28, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div><span>\u200b<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span>The Rockies are rebuilding yet again, but have a few young offensive pieces to be excited about. Currently, Condon is not on the 40-man roster even though the Rockies&#8217; first base situation is meager at best. He has been off to a hot start this spring, hitting over .400 and even getting to his power potential. However, Condon has yet to play a game in Triple-A and didn\u2019t play that well in Double-A. The Rockies may take an aggressive approach due to his success this spring and assign him to Triple-A. This would fast-track Condon\u2019s path to Denver, but don\u2019t expect to see him make the Opening Day roster.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><em>Likelihood to Make Opening Day Roster: 10%<\/em><\/div>\n<div><span>\u200b<\/span><\/div>\n<h3><span>Ryan Waldschmidt &#8211; OF (Arizona Diamondbacks)<\/span><\/h3>\n<div><span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=waldsc000rya\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan Waldschmidt<\/a> is a by-product of <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/carroco02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Corbin Carroll<\/a>\u2019s Rookie of the Year Award in 2023. The Diamondbacks were able to select Waldschmidt thanks to the pick they received as part of the Prospect Promotion incentive. Since joining the Diamondbacks\u2019 system, Waldschmidt has displayed his 20-20 ability. He\u2019s also able to play all three outfield spots, having worked to improve his defense.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Will Ryan Waldschmidt be in the D-backs\u2019 Opening Day lineup?<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MLBNHotStove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#MLBNHotStove<\/a> | <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamDykstraMiLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@SamDykstraMiLB<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/m7W1HRc2Kj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/m7W1HRc2Kj<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLBNetwork\/status\/2028172416359207245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span>\u200b<\/span><span>Waldschmidt is unlikely to join the Diamondbacks at Chase Field to start the season. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lawlajo01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jordan Lawlar<\/a>\u2019s move to the outfield limits his chances. Waldschmidt is not on the 40-man roster and has not played a game in Triple-A. He showed strong contributions at Double-A Amarillo for half a season. An aggressive assignment could see him make the Triple-A squad.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><em>Likelihood to Make Opening Day Roster: 5%<\/em><\/div>\n<div><span>\u200b<\/span><\/div>\n<h2><span>Prospects Who Debuted in 2025<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span>Bryce Eldridge &#8211; 1B\/DH (San Francisco Giants)<\/span><\/h3>\n<div><span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/e\/eldribr01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bryce Eldridge<\/a> is well regarded as having the most raw power in all of the minor leagues. This is imperative given his other tools. While Eldridge has a strong arm from his pitching days, he is a liability in the field. He also takes a very aggressive approach at the plate that allows him to mash fastballs, but also leads him to strike out a lot. This was a major factor in his early struggles during his debut.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Let\u2019s walk through what happened here:<\/p>\n<p>Bryce Eldridge hit this ball so hard it landed 10 ft behind the SS and still got to the wall before the outfielders touched the warning track<\/p>\n<p>This dude is scary when he\u2019s consistently making contact \ud83d\udc40 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/h9ejNY42Jy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/h9ejNY42Jy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Baseball Unstitched (@BaseUnstitched) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BaseUnstitched\/status\/2029411077877105033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span>\u200b<\/span><span>Buster Posey\u2019s first major move heading the front office was <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/06\/15\/sf-giants-acquire-rafael-devers-red-sox\/\" target=\"_self\">acquiring<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/d\/deverra01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rafael Devers<\/a> to play first base in San Francisco, which will not change with Eldridge\u2019s arrival. Both Devers and Eldridge share a similar profile as powerful hitters who are viewed as defensive liabilities. They are expected to alternate between designated hitter and first base, with their main value coming from their offensive production. Eldridge\u2019s display of power is expected to stand out at the big league level from the start of the season. The primary question for Eldridge, as with other power hitters, will be whether he can lower his strikeout rate.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><em>Likelihood to Make Opening Day Roster: 95%<\/em><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Main Photo Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The NL West has the smallest group of upper-level, high-end prospects among the divisions so far. However, if you are a Los Angeles Dodgers fan, there is plenty of talent on the way. They currently have three outfield prospects with 2027 ETAs for making their major league debuts. Elsewhere in the division, a few high-ranking [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5736,"featured_media":106945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1071,29,32,926,31],"tags":[6474,28429,2670,4785,1308],"class_list":["post-115572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","category-diamondbacks","category-rockies","category-milb","category-giants","tag-bryce-eldridge","tag-charlie-condon","tag-corbin-carroll","tag-jordan-lawlar","tag-mlb-prospects"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5736"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115572"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115591,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115572\/revisions\/115591"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}