Kyle Karros is ready to make the Rockies his own

Scottsdale, Ariz. – After the Rockies traded Ryan McMahon at the 2025 deadline, Kyle Karros became the heir apparent at third base.

The 23-year-old made his MLB debut on August 8 against the Arizona Diamondbacks and started hot, going 4-for-11 with two doubles, three RBI, two walks and two strikeouts. He hit his first home run at Coors Field against his dad, Eric’s, former team — the Los Angeles Dodgers — on August 19.

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Karros started to dip towards the end, though, finishing the season with a .226/.308/.277 slash with four doubles, one homer, nine RBI, 15 walks and 41 strikeouts in 43 games. But, like many young Rockies, 2025 was a learning year for Karros.

“I think (my biggest lesson) was just to have more trust in myself,” he said at Rockies spring training camp.

“I think that was kind of what allowed me to perform so well in the minor leagues – I believed in what I was capable of, and I really stuck with it. It didn’t matter if I went 0-for-4 in a night, I’d come back the next day to the yard and be confident going up to the plate, and wouldn’t start changing stuff.”

But he found it hard to stay consistent after being promoted.

“I know in the big leagues, I got up there and honestly started off pretty well. But then you have a couple of 0-for’s throw together when you don’t have a lot of at-bats under your name, and then you’re looking up at the scoreboard, and you’re batting .220, and so I think that definitely affected me a little more in the big leagues than it did in the minor leagues just because there’s more at stake – more people watching and stuff.

“But I think I kind of got to the point near the end where I said, ‘To hell with the numbers. Whatever this experience has been, just go out there and play,’” he continued, “and I thought I finished pretty strong. So I think going into this season, I know what I have works. I’ve seen it work at every level, so just being more convicted with that and staying true to myself each and every day.”

Karros hit the gym in the offseason, and is now playing “the heaviest [he’s] ever been,” as he put it.

“That was another thing I learned last year being in Denver, playing [at] altitude every day. Obviously, the big-league schedule is a bit more rigorous than the minor leagues, so I definitely made it a priority to put on some weight and get strong showing up to camp. [I’m] still moving well. I feel great – I feel strong, I feel durable, and ready to take on 162.”

Warren Schaeffer said that “getting his body right” was a priority for Karros, as well.

“With Kyle, it was his first offseason after playing in the big leagues,” Schaeffer said, “so it was important for him to know that he needed to get his body right coming into spring training because [playing in the big leagues is] a grind on your body.

“The minor league season is tough, too,” he continued, “but the big leagues offer something a little different in terms of the mental stress that it can put on you if you choose to let it, which affects your body weight and affects everything. But you can’t feel it until you go through it.”

Heading into this year, there has obviously been a lot of turnover throughout the Rockies, both players and coaches (as has been chronicled many times). But Karros is excited to see what the new coaches bring.

“I’ve connected with everyone on board, and I think we have a great thing working here,” he said. “I think we’ve got some really good people in the right spots.”

Plus, he’s eager to work with some of the former Dodgers who’ve joined the organization.

“I think it’s pretty cool that we got a lot of people from the Dodgers,” he said.

“Obviously, they know how to do it over there, and they’ve been doing it for a couple of years. So we’ve got some people in some pretty important spots that came over from them, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about them, and now I’m experiencing those good things for myself. It’s been really pleasant to work with them throughout spring so far.”

One of the coaches that Karros has connected the most with is new hitting coach, Brett Pill, who came over from the Dodgers.

“We’ve been seeing eye-to-eye a ton,” Karros said. “I mean, I’m hitting the ball harder than I’ve ever hit it. Things are going well offensively so far, and I really like what we’re doing. We’ve been clicking on all fronts, so I’m really excited for this year.”

“He came in looking strong,” Schaeffer said. “He looks great with the glove. He’s working on his swing with Brett Pill a lot. He looks like he’s put in a lot of good work.”

In addition to the new coaches, the Rockies have signed a number of veteran players – both pitchers and position players. One of the veterans that Karros has gravitated towards is Nicky Lopez, who was signed as a free agent in December after spending 2025 in the Angels’, Cubs’, Diamondbacks’ and Yankees’ systems.

Notably, in 2024, Lopez played for the 41-121 Chicago White Sox.

“We’ve been taking a lot of ground balls together,” Karros said. “He obviously is one of the best defenders in the game, so I’ve been picking his brain. He was part of the White Sox when they had their tough year, so he’s seen what it’s like to be on a good team and what it’s like to be on a bad team. So he’s going to definitely offer some good insight on how to get us going in the right direction.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Karros has one main goal.

“Without a doubt, my biggest priority is to make this team my own and feel like this is my team going into the year,” he said. “I know that’s kind of what I experienced last year, joining the team so late in the year after they’d already kind of gone through a season with one another. When you join in near the end, it’s a little different.

“But when you’re able to go through spring training with a team and build those relationships and earn the trust of your teammates and your coaches, that helps a lot over the course of the season,” he continued.

“So I’m looking forward to just building relationships with the guys and with the coaches.”

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