One of the major position battles in Spring Training for the Colorado Rockies was behind the dish. The Rockies re-signed veteran catcher Jacob Stallings to a one-year deal over the offseason, planning for him to get the bulk of starts to begin the season after a solid year in Colorado last season. So, the battle has mainly revolved around who would be the backup starter with the big league team.

Entering camp, Hunter Goodman and Drew Romo (the club’s No. 11 prospect) were the primary two candidates for the job. Goodman broke through with the club in 2023 as an outfielder and first baseman before making a few appearances as a catcher (his drafted position) in 2024. The team had him focus solely on catching over the offseason and in camp and have been encouraged by his progress as they are intrigued by his immense power potential. In nine games this spring, Goodman has shown well, slashing .368/.478/.526 with three strikeouts against four walks.

That performance likely contributed to the Rockies’ decision to option Romo to Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday. It’s been a slow start at the plate for Romo in camp, where he’s batting .118/.211/.176 through 11 games, having gone 2-for-17 with four strikeouts and a walk. However, this also raises the question as to how the Rockeis view the prospect in the future.

Drafted 35th overall in 2020, Romo was considered the top-ranked high school catcher and signed a $2.1 million deal as the third overall player taken at his position. He has slowly moved up through the system, facing some injuries and rough starts along the way, but after a solid year in Triple-A during the 2024 season, he made his big league debut late in the season, just shy of his 23rd birthday.

Romo’s time with the Rockies last season dwindled in September as the team decided to give Goodman more of a look behind the dish, limiting Romo to just 53 plate appearances over 16 games. Offensively, Romo struggled with strikeouts, punching out 18 times against just two walks and mustering just nine hits, including three doubles. His 34% strikeout rate was a result of big league pitchers taking advantage of his aggressive approach at the plate. Between Triple-A and the big leagues last season, Romo had a 41% chase rate to go along with just a 22% miss rate. He made plenty of contact in the minors, meaning that he won’t walk much, something that was evident in Spring Training.

As a switch-hitter, Romo has long shown a notable ability for making a ton of contact from both sides of the plate. While he won’t walk much, his minor league career has shown he can limit the strikeouts, having done so just 268 times over four seasons. He has slowed down a bit on the bases, but he also possesses some speed, including 21 stolen bases in his first professional season back in 2021 as a 19-year-old. Over the last two seasons, he has been tapping into his power a little more consistently, adding a useful tool to his contact-heavy bat.

The Rockies are certainly hoping the trip back to Albuquerque with veteran catcher Austin Nola, who is a non-roster invite and presumed to start the year with the Isotopes, will help Romo continue improving on his offensive output to make it more consistent and effective against experienced big league pitchers. There is a lot to like about his bat, and it just needs some more time to develop and fully translate to the big leagues.

On the other side of the coin is Romo’s ability to develop as a receiver. Defensively, Romo is a work in progress, but he has shown a steady pattern of growth behind the plate. He worked to implement the one-knee stance behind the plate in 2022 and 2023 while working on throwing accuracy issues. In the minors, he owns a 25% caught-stealing rate thanks to quick hands and accurate, strong throws to bases. He checks a lot of boxes with his work behind the plate, blocking, receiving, and controlling the running games, especially in 2024.

Being so young, Romo was often working with pitchers who had plenty of years of experience, often at the big league level. Spending most of the year in Triple-A in 2024 was a learning experience for Romo as he continued to build the confidence to work with pitchers. Learning to become a leader behind the plate is a tough task for a kid drafted out of high school. The difference between a high school pitcher and a seven-year professional is monumental, and Romo made plenty of headway last season. Having a veteran like Nola with him could go a long way in helping him refine that part of his game and reach new heights. A diligent connoisseur of the game, Romo is a willing student.

Much ado about nothing has been made about one glaring perceived flaw with Romo. When he arrived with the Rockies, fans were quickly taken aback by the way Romo tossed the ball back to the pitcher. It was a type of shotput lob that concerned fans quite a bit. The argument was that he throws weirdly, and opposing teams would take advantage of it to take an extra base on the throwback. This only happened once or twice in the 16 games he played, and it was never really an issue in the minors. Still, the lob was a result of a type of “yips” that developed in the minors for him. As a result, he was more deliberate in his throws back to the pitcher. In camp, there has been a noticeable change. While the lob is still kind of there, it doesn’t have as much arch to it, being more direct. It doesn’t appear to be much of a concern for the Rockies as there are other more pressing matters mentioned prior.

For now, it appears the Rockies are going to see what they have in Goodman while giving Romo more development time in the minors. There has been no indication that Romo isn’t still part of the team’s plans. 2024 was a small sample size that wasn’t indicative of the type of player Romo can be. There are other intriguing options in the system, but at this point there is no need to worry about Romo’s future. A strong start in Triple-A can easily have him back up on the roster in 2025 and live up to the hope that he can be the franchise catcher the team has always looked for. The hype isn’t gone. The front office just has to showcase a sense of confidence in the player and let him develop at the big league level at some point.