Colorado Rockies Top 20 Prospects
1. Trevor Story, SS, B+
Story is a potential five tool shortstop, a extremely valuable commodity in itself. He may have to move off of short and over to third, but his bat should play well there with a good power/speed/average combo.
2. Nolan Arenado, 3B, B+
Arenado is a very good pure hitter, who rarely swings and misses. He does not have much home run power at this stage, but should hit for his fair share of doubles and play solid defense at third.
3. David Dahl, OF, B/B+
Dahl has a picture perfect swing and was one of our favorites from the 2012 draft, with five tools potential in centerfield. He advanced as a hitter beyond his years and he could move quickly as a high schooler recently added to the Rockies system.
4. Chad Bettis, RHP, B
Bettis is a promising arm with good stuff and command, but he has missed all of this year with tricep and shoulder injuries. He may wind up in the bullpen as shoulder injuries are never good, but he definitely has the potential to come back strong. Wait and see.
5. Tim Wheeler, OF, Grade B-
A hamate bone injury caused him to miss a bit of time last season, and it may be hampering his performance this season after a remarkable year last year. Strikeout concerns are in play here, but he's an intriguing follow.
6. Kyle Parker, OF, B-
Parker appears to have improved his approach this year at the plate and if not for a hand injury, he could have really broken out this year. He has a high ceiling due to his power bat and athleticism, but it will be of note to see if his strikeout rate remains low against higher level pitching. My guess is that it won't, but the power is legit.
7. Tyler Matzek, LHP, B-
Matzek is certainly a head scratcher. On his best days he looks like a future ace and on his worst days he has you wondering why he is still pitching. I still have hope for Matzek’s future, but he will certainly have to figure it out soon.
8. Will Swanner, C, B-
Swanner is having a breakout season at the plate in his first year in full season ball. After showing good power in the hitter friendly Pioneer League two years straight, Swanner has been absolutely raking this year in the Sally League and is continuing to show some power. The problem is his defense, which is well below average, and he will most likely have to move off of catcher, where his bat will not be as valuable.
9. Rafael Ortega, OF, B-/C+
Ortega is on the slow track to the majors, but has a very intriguing set of tools and skills, showing good contact skills, some power, solid defense and good raw speed. If he continues to refine his all around game, he could move up the list quickly.
10. Joe Gardner, RHP, C+
11. Tyler Anderson, LHP, C+
12. Tom Murphy, C, C+
13. Kent Matthes, OF, C+
14. Rosell Herrera, SS, C+ (struggles)
15. Rob Scahill, RHP, C+ (interesting)
16. Cristhian Adames, SS C+ (interesting)
17. Jayson Aquino, LHP, C+ (I only know what everyone else knows, but I’m intrigued)
18. Ryan Garvey, OF, C/C+
19. Anthony Seise, LHP, C/C+
20. Corey Dickerson, OF, C/C+ (interesting)
21. Juan Ciriaco, 2B, C/C+
22. Nick Schmidt, LHP, C/C+
23. Peter Tago, RHP, C/C+
Story is a potential five tool shortstop, a extremely valuable commodity in itself. He may have to move off of short and over to third, but his bat should play well there with a good power/speed/average combo.
2. Nolan Arenado, 3B, B+
Arenado is a very good pure hitter, who rarely swings and misses. He does not have much home run power at this stage, but should hit for his fair share of doubles and play solid defense at third.
3. David Dahl, OF, B/B+
Dahl has a picture perfect swing and was one of our favorites from the 2012 draft, with five tools potential in centerfield. He advanced as a hitter beyond his years and he could move quickly as a high schooler recently added to the Rockies system.
4. Chad Bettis, RHP, B
Bettis is a promising arm with good stuff and command, but he has missed all of this year with tricep and shoulder injuries. He may wind up in the bullpen as shoulder injuries are never good, but he definitely has the potential to come back strong. Wait and see.
5. Tim Wheeler, OF, Grade B-
A hamate bone injury caused him to miss a bit of time last season, and it may be hampering his performance this season after a remarkable year last year. Strikeout concerns are in play here, but he's an intriguing follow.
6. Kyle Parker, OF, B-
Parker appears to have improved his approach this year at the plate and if not for a hand injury, he could have really broken out this year. He has a high ceiling due to his power bat and athleticism, but it will be of note to see if his strikeout rate remains low against higher level pitching. My guess is that it won't, but the power is legit.
7. Tyler Matzek, LHP, B-
Matzek is certainly a head scratcher. On his best days he looks like a future ace and on his worst days he has you wondering why he is still pitching. I still have hope for Matzek’s future, but he will certainly have to figure it out soon.
8. Will Swanner, C, B-
Swanner is having a breakout season at the plate in his first year in full season ball. After showing good power in the hitter friendly Pioneer League two years straight, Swanner has been absolutely raking this year in the Sally League and is continuing to show some power. The problem is his defense, which is well below average, and he will most likely have to move off of catcher, where his bat will not be as valuable.
9. Rafael Ortega, OF, B-/C+
Ortega is on the slow track to the majors, but has a very intriguing set of tools and skills, showing good contact skills, some power, solid defense and good raw speed. If he continues to refine his all around game, he could move up the list quickly.
10. Joe Gardner, RHP, C+
11. Tyler Anderson, LHP, C+
12. Tom Murphy, C, C+
13. Kent Matthes, OF, C+
14. Rosell Herrera, SS, C+ (struggles)
15. Rob Scahill, RHP, C+ (interesting)
16. Cristhian Adames, SS C+ (interesting)
17. Jayson Aquino, LHP, C+ (I only know what everyone else knows, but I’m intrigued)
18. Ryan Garvey, OF, C/C+
19. Anthony Seise, LHP, C/C+
20. Corey Dickerson, OF, C/C+ (interesting)
21. Juan Ciriaco, 2B, C/C+
22. Nick Schmidt, LHP, C/C+
23. Peter Tago, RHP, C/C+
2012 Draft Review: Colorado Rockies
Overall Draft Grade: C+
The Rockies did well at the top with David Dahl, but the rest of their draft has quite a few question marks. Eddie Butler and Max White both seem like slight overdrafts after Dahl, but they both show some high upside potential. Murphy is good value at 105 and is an intriguing power follow with the chance to stick behind the dish. After Murphy there's not too much to be excited about, but Matt Wessinger is an interesting follow after a very good season at the plate and on the bases for St. John's. Dahl is a potential impact talent at the top and there's some good balance to this class, but it's lacking in depth and top level arms.
1st Round (10): David Dahl, OF, Oak Mountain HS (GA), 6'2", 185
We really like Dahl and he definitely has the skills worthy of a Top 10 selection. His swing is picture perfect from the left side and projects to have at least average power thanks to some good bat speed. He consistently squares the ball up and shows a good approach at the plate. He has plenty of speed and uses it well both in the outfield and on the bases. Dahl could profile in center at the next level, but would be better served in a corner spot, especially if the power develops as we anticipate it will.
The Rockies did well at the top with David Dahl, but the rest of their draft has quite a few question marks. Eddie Butler and Max White both seem like slight overdrafts after Dahl, but they both show some high upside potential. Murphy is good value at 105 and is an intriguing power follow with the chance to stick behind the dish. After Murphy there's not too much to be excited about, but Matt Wessinger is an interesting follow after a very good season at the plate and on the bases for St. John's. Dahl is a potential impact talent at the top and there's some good balance to this class, but it's lacking in depth and top level arms.
1st Round (10): David Dahl, OF, Oak Mountain HS (GA), 6'2", 185
We really like Dahl and he definitely has the skills worthy of a Top 10 selection. His swing is picture perfect from the left side and projects to have at least average power thanks to some good bat speed. He consistently squares the ball up and shows a good approach at the plate. He has plenty of speed and uses it well both in the outfield and on the bases. Dahl could profile in center at the next level, but would be better served in a corner spot, especially if the power develops as we anticipate it will.
Supplemental Round (46): Eddie Butler, RHP, Radford University (JR), 6'2", 180
Butler is a power arm with inconsistent command and guys with that profile and his size are often on the fence between the bullpen and a starting role. He will most likely be tried out as a starter with a power fastball that touches the mid-90s and a change-up with the chance to be above-average at the next level.
2nd Round (73): Max White, OF, Williston HS (FL), 6'2", L/L
White wasn't on our radar before the draft and looks to be a bit of a reach this early. That being said, he's a projectable, toolsy outfielder with some good bat speed at the plate and plus speed.
3rd Round (105): Tom Murphy, C, Buffalo University (JR), 6'1", 220, R/R
Murphy is a solid value here as a power-hitting backstop. He put up great numbers at Buffalo with strong power production that should carry over to the next level. He's shown a good approach at the plate, but his contact ability lags behind the power. He should stick behind the plate moving forward with solid average tools across the board.
Butler is a power arm with inconsistent command and guys with that profile and his size are often on the fence between the bullpen and a starting role. He will most likely be tried out as a starter with a power fastball that touches the mid-90s and a change-up with the chance to be above-average at the next level.
2nd Round (73): Max White, OF, Williston HS (FL), 6'2", L/L
White wasn't on our radar before the draft and looks to be a bit of a reach this early. That being said, he's a projectable, toolsy outfielder with some good bat speed at the plate and plus speed.
3rd Round (105): Tom Murphy, C, Buffalo University (JR), 6'1", 220, R/R
Murphy is a solid value here as a power-hitting backstop. He put up great numbers at Buffalo with strong power production that should carry over to the next level. He's shown a good approach at the plate, but his contact ability lags behind the power. He should stick behind the plate moving forward with solid average tools across the board.
Supplemental Round (128): Ryan Warner, RHP, Pine Creek HS (CO), 6'7"
A local product, Warner put up excellent numbers in high school. He has plenty of room to add strength onto his 6'7" frame and looks to be a very projectable arm here.
4th Round (138): Seth Willoughby, RHP, Xavier (JR), 6'2"
Willoughby closed for Xavier this year and was ruthlessly effective out of the pen. He had a 1.01 ERA in 35 innings this year and showed good command and an impressive BB:K ratio.
5th Round (168): Matthew Wessinger, SS, St. John's (SR), 5'11", 180
The Rockies are buying the bat here as Wessinger may not have the defensive tools to stick at short at the next level. He has shown that he can hit, however, and he paced fellow draft prospect Jeremy Baltz at the plate in 2012. Speed is a major part of his game, and he was 34-36 on stolen bases this season.
6th Round (198): Matt Carasiti, RHP, St. John's (JR), 6'3", 205
7th Round (228): Wilfredo Rodriguez, C, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, 5'10", 200
8th Round (258): Derek Jones, OF, Washington State University (SR), 6'0". 210
9th Round (288): Zach Jemiola, RHP, Great Oaks HS (CA), 6'3", 200
10th Round (318): Ben Waldrip, 1B, Jacksonville State University (SR), 6'6", 245
Notable Later Round Selections
Anthony Seise, LHP, West Orange (FL) HS
Round 33: Ryan Garvey, OF, Riverside CC (CA)
Round 38: Dansby Swanson, SS, Marietta (GA) HS
A local product, Warner put up excellent numbers in high school. He has plenty of room to add strength onto his 6'7" frame and looks to be a very projectable arm here.
4th Round (138): Seth Willoughby, RHP, Xavier (JR), 6'2"
Willoughby closed for Xavier this year and was ruthlessly effective out of the pen. He had a 1.01 ERA in 35 innings this year and showed good command and an impressive BB:K ratio.
5th Round (168): Matthew Wessinger, SS, St. John's (SR), 5'11", 180
The Rockies are buying the bat here as Wessinger may not have the defensive tools to stick at short at the next level. He has shown that he can hit, however, and he paced fellow draft prospect Jeremy Baltz at the plate in 2012. Speed is a major part of his game, and he was 34-36 on stolen bases this season.
6th Round (198): Matt Carasiti, RHP, St. John's (JR), 6'3", 205
7th Round (228): Wilfredo Rodriguez, C, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, 5'10", 200
8th Round (258): Derek Jones, OF, Washington State University (SR), 6'0". 210
9th Round (288): Zach Jemiola, RHP, Great Oaks HS (CA), 6'3", 200
10th Round (318): Ben Waldrip, 1B, Jacksonville State University (SR), 6'6", 245
Notable Later Round Selections
Anthony Seise, LHP, West Orange (FL) HS
Round 33: Ryan Garvey, OF, Riverside CC (CA)
Round 38: Dansby Swanson, SS, Marietta (GA) HS
Rockies Draft Strategy: An Overview
The Rockies are very balanced between high school and college players in the first and supplemental rounds, but from the second round to the 23rd round the most high school players they have taken in a draft in the last 3 years is a modest 3, with only 7 in total. This year with 12 picks and $6.628 million to spend in the top ten rounds, we expect the Rockies to go with a high school player with their top pick and then probably a college player with their second selection, unless there is a high school prospect they really love at pick 46.
Afterwards, expect quite a few college players. If they go for a high upside college player at 1:10, they could wind up taking a few risks from the high school crop in the next rounds, though their past tendencies indicate that there won’t be too many high school products in their class.
Mock Draft Selections: Lance McCullers, RHP, Jesuit HS (FL), Skye Bolt, OF, Holy Innocents HS (GA)
Afterwards, expect quite a few college players. If they go for a high upside college player at 1:10, they could wind up taking a few risks from the high school crop in the next rounds, though their past tendencies indicate that there won’t be too many high school products in their class.
Mock Draft Selections: Lance McCullers, RHP, Jesuit HS (FL), Skye Bolt, OF, Holy Innocents HS (GA)
Coming soon to the Rockies Team Page: Top 20 Prospects List.
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