SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Rockies are sifting through the ashes of three straight 100-loss seasons for any glimmer of hope.

Kyle Karros is the rising star of spring training, flashing a spicy glove at the hot corner while swinging a fire stick at the plate.

But are we witnesses to the blossoming of Colorado’s next great third baseman in the Arizona desert? Or is Karros a flash in the pan?

“I want to be one of the best third basemen ever,” Karros told me Thursday, when the Rockies put a 13-2 thumping on Arizona at Salt River Fields.

“There’s no pressure when you think about it like that. I think it takes the pressure away. You show up every day, and you’re not looking around; you’re not looking to see how other people are performing. I’m just trying to be the best third baseman I can be. And I genuinely believe if I do that, there aren’t too many people in the league that are better than me at third.” 

At the age of 23, Karros certainly does not lack confidence. He fully embraces the golden legacy of Nolan Arenado at third base and believes there’s home run pop in his bat.

But when loading up his SUV for the trip to Arizona to earn the Rockies’ trust, Karros could do absolutely nothing right, with every box and duffel bag he packed the subject of intense second-guessing by his father.

“He asked if I wanted help packing my car. In my mind, I thought: ‘This is going to go horribly.’ And it did,” said Karros, able to chuckle now about the father-son tiff. “I’d put stuff in the trunk. Go back in the house to grab more, come back to the car and my father would have everything rearranged. I knew it would happen because that’s always going to be our relationship.” 

He is the son of Eric Karros, the National League Rookie of the Year in 1992, who went on to swat 284 home runs in a 14-season career with the Dodgers, Cubs and Athletics.

“We’ve definitely had our ups and downs while I was growing up, on and off the field,” Karros said. “We’re basically the same person. I think I know everything.  My way is the right way. And my father is the same way.”

Karros had made only nine starts this spring at third base, so we’re dealing with an unreliably small sample size to draw any big conclusions.

But a month ago, Karros was no lock to be on the opening day roster.

He has bent that narrative to his will.

Karros not only produces web gems that would earn the Arenado seal of approval, but he has also hit .417 with two home runs and seven RBIs against Cactus League competition.

“He looks like a great baseball player,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.

Sliding toward the bitter end of a 119-loss season in 2025, Karros made his major league debut after the vast majority of Colorado sports fans had turned their attention to the Broncos.

In 137 at-bats with the Rockies, Karros didn’t make much of a dent, hitting one home run while compiling an unremarkable .226 batting average.

After the lengthiest baseball season of his young pro career, Karros was out of gas. “He showed up 20 pounds underweight, worn down by the time he got to the big leagues,” Schaeffer said. “It was a huge learning process for him.”

The big leagues can break a man’s confidence.

After getting beaten up by his first stint in the majors, however, Karros returned with a fearless attitude. Maybe his father’s school of hard knocks was an education that took time to fully appreciate.

As an 8-year-old, Karros began tagging along during Dad’s spring stints as an instructor at Dodgers training camp.

“No. 1, being around professional players showed me what it would take to be a big leaguer. And No. 2, it made me realize there was nothing else I wanted to do with my life, seeing how much fun they were having,” Karros said. “Later, you find out how much they get paid. And that’s a good thing, too.”

Schaeffer talks with the utmost confidence about the uncommon Gold Glove potential that Karros flashes at third base, cites how he has added 20 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-5 frame and gives a thumbs-up to the improved approach at the plate.

This guy has made the team.

What’s more, I don’t see how Schaeffer leaves Karros out of the starting lineup when the Rockies open the regular season at Miami in two weeks.

“When Nolan Arenado came up, you could always count on his defense, so you could give him more shots as a hitter,” Schaeffer said.

“You know if you put (Karros) at third base, he’s a big league caliber defender every night. That makes a big difference to a young player. You have something you know can help the team, and that can mentally push you forward.” 

The vibe around Karros reminds me of the optimistic buzz that slowly built about another Colorado player at spring training in 2025.

At this time last year, what were the odds that Hunter Goodman would not only start 141 games, either as the team’s primary catcher or a designated hitter, and also be the Rockies’ representative at the All-Star Game?

Even a bad baseball team can have a feel-good story.

Keep your eye on Karros, because all I’m saying is: There’s a chance.

And can you keep a secret?

Karros doesn’t want anyone to know, but winning a starting job in the Colorado infield will be a huge tribute to his father.

“I’ll never give him credit to his face,” Karros admitted, “but he’s a pretty good dad.”