This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding¡¯s Rockies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

DENVER -- Rockies No. 8 prospect Drew Romo¡¯s 16-game Major League debut last August came at the end of a couple of years of an accelerated learning program.

As the second-youngest catcher to appear in the Majors last season, Romo, 23, saw little playing time. But the meetings, bullpen sessions and on-field fundamental work kept him just as busy as if he¡¯d been on the field more often. When the season ended, he had a new assignment. Take a break.

¡°I played in the Arizona Fall League last offseason, so instead of my season being done mid-September, I was done mid-November,¡± Romo said at season¡¯s end. ¡°It added another two months and I really didn¡¯t get to rest.¡±

It was appropriate for Romo to catch his breath, because he is going to be pushed in 2025.

The Rockies selected the switch-hitting Romo out of The Woodlands High School in Texas 35th overall in 2020 as their catcher of the future. They let him taste Major League Spring Training games in 2021, playing him steadily through streaks and slumps, a revision of his catching setup, and even a noticeable hitch in throws back to the mound that appeared early in his professional career -- and still is a work in progress.

But while the Rockies let Romo taste the Majors last season (.176 batting average with six RBIs in 53 plate appearances), they aren¡¯t guaranteeing him time. The club re-signed veteran Jacob Stallings for one year and a mutual option, with the idea that he will split the catching. But with whom?

In addition to Romo, there is 2024 rookie Hunter Goodman, whom the Rockies are inclined to keep at catcher rather than continue the utility role he held early in his pro career. And the club is high on the defense and throwing of Braxton Fulford, 26, a sixth-round pick in 2021 out of Texas Tech who reached Double-A Hartford last year.

Romo earned his shot last year with a .297/.339/.499 slash line with 14 homers and 60 RBIs in 97 games at Triple-A Albuquerque, but his brief struggles this past season leave the jury still out on the young catcher.

¡°He¡¯s trying to establish himself at the Major League level,¡± general manager Bill Schmidt said at the Winter Meetings. ¡°There¡¯s work to be done at both ends. He swung at a lot of pitches, and he needs to tighten up the zone. And to be honest, the throwing needs to tighten up. He knows that.¡±

As the season ended, Romo was clear-eyed about what needs to happen for him to compete for a job this spring and, eventually, meet expectations that come with being such an early Draft pick. His intention was to work on simplifying his offensive plan, noting that ¡°some guys treat it as two different swings. But the way I look at it is like, if something works for me on one side, why not try and do it on the other side?¡±

Defensively, Romo settled on a stance and threw out 29 percent of runners attempting to steal in Triple-A, but needs to clean up his return throws to the mound if only to discourage stealing. But rather than zero in on one aspect, Romo believes his best route is to improve everything -- especially game management with pitchers.

All the improvements could help Romo advance from being a student, like he was at the end of last summer, to a contributor.

¡°I¡¯m a competitor,¡± Romo said. ¡°I want to be in the fire, competing with my team. I got here so quickly, so it was a matter of soaking it up, having humility, trusting in the plan and trying to get better.¡±