Colorado Rockies: Top 10 Rookie-Eligible Prospects for 2018
We have reached the point of the offseason where prospect lists abound. We continue our top 10 prospects for every team with the Colorado Rockies!
Our team top 10 prospect lists at Call to the Pen are spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten prospects for the Colorado Rockies.
This season, we will be going through teams by division, in order of 2017 record. The AL East will be first, followed by the AL Central and AL West. Then the focus will shift to the National League in the same order.
The format will be as it was last season for the same lists, with a system review, which will include last season’s list. The top 10 will follow in reverse order, two players per page in order to give adequate space to each player. Major trades or international signings will lead to an updated top 10!
Finally, don’t go away after #1 is revealed as each list will also contain a player either signed in the 2017 international free agent class or drafted in 2017 that isn’t part of the top 10 and should be tracked. Last season’s mentions in that area made over half of the top 10s this season, so this is a great way to get to know a player who could be making a big splash in the organization.
System overview
The Colorado Rockies have built a deep system, and they capitalized on that depth in 2017 when they used a number of young pitchers from their farm system to build their pitching staff that carried them to a National League Wild Card berth.
The Rockies still have a load of talented arms in their system along with some very impressive bats. While there’s only one top 50-ish prospect in the system, there are 2-3 more players that fit in the 50-100 of a number of lists.
While the Rockies are coming off of a playoff berth, they will need some significant contributions from their farm system in order to get back.
Let’s take a look at that system….
Next: #9 and #10
10. Sam Hilliard, OF
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 2/21/1994 (24)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Lancaster JetHawks
2017 Stats: .300/.360/.487, 597 PA, 21 HR, 37 SB, 50/154 BB/K
Info: Incredibly physical at 6’5″ and 225 pounds, Hilliard fell all the way to the 15th round of the 2015 draft to the Colorado Rockies out of Wichita State. Considered unpolished, though obviously talented, Hilliard was seen as a guy who could take multiple seasons in the lower levels to get his feet under him.
with an impressive right arm, above-average raw power, above-average speed, and a quick bat, Hilliard checks all the boxes
Hilliard has certainly outperformed that expectation. Blessed with an impressive right arm, above-average raw power, above-average speed, and a quick bat, Hilliard checks all the boxes. However, he’s definitely got work to do.
His lack of polish shows up most in his strikeout rate, expanding the zone at times and also seeing his swing get long when he gets overly pull-happy. Hilliard also struggles against same-side pitchers, with significant worse power specifically against lefties and almost a .125 difference in OPS.
After putting up two seasons of incredible numbers, Hilliard will get up to the upper minors in 2018. The Colorado Rockies will be watching to see if they have a future star on their hands or a guy who can dominate at the minor league levels only.
9. Yency Almonte, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 6/4/1994 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Hartford Yard Goats, AAA Albuquerque Isotopes
2017 Stats: 22 G, 21 GS, 111 1/3 IP, 2.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 11.1% BB, 19.8% K
Info: On his third organization already after initially being a 17th round draft pick by the Angels in 2012, Almonte has really taken big steps forward since being acquired by the Colorado Rockies from the White Sox.
Almonte has developed his arsenal to feature a fastball that sits around 95 and can touch 97-98 with heavy, sharp sink on his four seam, and he uses a two seam fastball with a hair less velocity but a lot more weight that generates a ton of ground balls. He utilizes an upper-80s slider as his primary secondary, and when it’s at its best, the slider snaps hard and late and looks just like a fastball right up to the break, leaving hitters either swinging weak or frozen in the box.
A third pitch has been a challenge, with his change being inconsistent at best, but Almonte experimented with some varying grips on the change over 2017 and also worked on a cutter that he brought out in spring and made a very positive impression. If he could get either or both pitches up to average, he’d have the package to be a mid-rotation starter with upside of a quality #2.
Almonte has long arms and legs at 6’3″, and he’s developed an extended arm path in his delivery that can throw off his timing in his delivery and lead to control issues. If the control and third pitch don’t come along, Almonte could work well in either a late-inning bullpen role or even a multi-inning reliever role.
There were few Colorado Rockies arms who did more in spring training to impress than did Almonte, and though he most likely is headed to AAA to open 2018, he could have established himself as an option as an injury fill-in for the big league club.
Next: #7 and #8
8. Ryan Vilade, SS
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 2/18/1999 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: advanced rookie Grand Junction Rockies
2017 Stats: .308/.438/.496, 146 PA, 5 HR, 5 SB, 27/31 BB/K
Info: The son of a college and minor league coach, Vilade has baseball in his blood. Many saw him as a baseball rat type who could outplay his raw tools in a shallow high school shortstop class in the 2017 draft. The Colorado Rockies were able to get Vilade in the 2nd round.
Vilade has impressive raw power, graded at above-average to fringe-plus by most evaluators, though some are willing to put a plus on his power tool. His ability to work counts and make pitchers adjust to him is impressive for a young hitter and is a great example of his baseball acumen.
Defensively, Vilade’s baseball instincts are really the one thing keeping him at shortstop. He does have excellent hands and an above-average arm, but he’s a fringe-average runner with limited quickness, but he reads off the bat well and seems to be positioned perfectly often. Most see Vilade moving to third or first as he fills into his 6’2″ frame.
The bat will certainly play for Vilade as long as he maintains the plate discipline, though his next few years could skew his true value as he heads to heavy hitters’ environments in Asheville and Lancaster. The Colorado Rockies will send Vilade to his first full-season assignment at low-A Asheville to open 2018.
7. Peter Lambert, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 4/18/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Lancaster JetHawks
2017 Stats: 26 GS, 142 1/3 IP, 4.17 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 5.1% BB, 22.4% K
Info: Another example of a guy with good stuff and a projectable frame that the Colorado Rockies have helped to add velocity and seen big returns, Lambert was a 2nd round pick out of California high school in 2015.
(Lambert) has strong competitiveness, and even a mean streak, that serve him well on the mound
The Rockies worked with him to fill out his frame, which is still fairly wiry, but now sits more stout at 6’2″ and 190ish with more leg strength that allows him to maintain balance in his delivery and keep his velocity deep into games. He also has strong competitiveness, and even a mean streak, that serve him well on the mound.
Lambert works with a low-90s fastball that can touch 95, and he has good feel for adding and subtracting velocity on the pitch as well as changing grips slightly to get changes in the movement on the pitch to give hitters different looks. His change is his most consistent secondary pitch, sitting in the mid-80s, but with excellent sink and arm deception.
If Lambert can consistently bring out the curve that shows double-plus in break and arm deception, he could be a potential #2 type of starter, but the curve is still inconsistent, locating well, but often taking a more sloping break rather than the hard, biting break that draws the double-plus grades from some scouts.
With a comfortable delivery and still more room to grow, Lambert certainly could project to more, but right now, he has a mid-rotation profile that the Colorado Rockies will push to the upper minors in 2018 at just 20 years old.
Next: #5 and #6
6. Garrett Hampson, SS
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 10/10/1994 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Lancaster JetHawks
2017 Stats: .326/.387/.462, 8 HR, 51 SB, 56/77 BB/K
Info: Long Beach State has a history of producing quality shortstops, and Hampson could be the most recent example of that after the Colorado Rockies grabbed him in the 3rd round in 2016. After a debut where he posted a .400+ on base and stole 36 bases in just 68 games, Hampson had an even better year in 2017.
Spending most of the season leading off for high-A Lancaster, Hampson led all of the minor leagues with 113 runs scored and stole 51 bases, but on top of that, he added in 44 extra base hits, including 8 home runs.
Hampson played quite a bit of second base in deference to the Rockies top prospect also being at the same level to open the season, but he certainly did nothing in his time at short on the season to show he couldn’t hold his own at the position. He has a fringe-average arm, which may fit better at second long-term, but he does get himself positioned well underneath his throw to maximize his arm and make accurate throws.
Hampson has shown plenty in his first two seasons now to hope on his skills carrying him into a future major league role. The Colorado Rockies will give him the test of the upper minors with assignment to AA to open 2018.
5. Colton Welker, 3B
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 10/9/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Asheville Tourists
2017 Stats: .350/.401/.500, 279 PA, 6 HR, 5 SB, 18/42 BB/K
Info: Welker had a solid high school career, getting selected in the 4th round of the 2016 draft by the Colorado Rockies, but few saw the type of season Welker had in 2017 coming.
Welker showed impressive zone and pitch recognition in his first full season
Welker showed impressive zone and pitch recognition in his first full season, as a teenager no less. He was able to work counts well and hunt for the pitch he wanted in each at bat. He does not walk a ton, but his strikeout rate of 15% was nothing to worry about for sure.
An injury cut short his 2017 season before we could really see how pitchers adjusted to Welker and how he handled those adjustments. With a swing that some are not a fan of, how that second time through the league goes will be very important to see in Welker’s development in 2018.
Defensively, Welker moved to third from shortstop, and he shows excellent first step and comes in well on balls along with a plus arm, but he has below-average speed that could force a move across the diamond to first base if he has to move off of third down the line.
The Colorado Rockies will continue to groom Welker at the hot corner at high-A in 2018.
Next: #3 and #4
4. Ryan Castellani, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 4/1/1996 (21)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Hartford Yard Goats
2017 Stats: 27 GS, 157 1/3 IP, 4.81 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 6.9% BB, 19.4% K
Info: Sometimes the raw numbers don’t tell the whole story, and that’s definitely the case with Castellani in 2017. A wiry 6’4″ kid out of Phoenix high school when the Colorado Rockies drafted him in the 2nd round in 2014, he’s now bulked up to a solid 220-225 pounds and become a workhorse.
Sometimes the raw numbers don’t tell the whole story, and that’s definitely the case with Castellani in 2017
Castellani works with a three-pitch mix that pounds the bottom of the zone, allowing him to work through innings quickly and pile up innings, leading his league the last two years in innings pitched.
He leads that mix with a two-seam sinking fastball that sits 92-95 with 97-98 top end when he reaches back. He did sort in a four-seamer that he was working from the belt up to give a good eye-level changer, but he struggled with command of the pitch, though he kept it in the zone, often seeing it hit harder than he’d like, but to his credit, he stayed with the pitch, and by the end of the season, he was spotting it well, showing a potential weapon for him going forward.
Castellani pairs his fastballs with a plus slider that can range into the upper-80s and bump 90 MPH with wicked break. He also has a change that doesn’t give a lot of wiggle, but that he can locate very well.
With his pitch mix and frame, Castellani has the build and stuff to be a mid-rotation inning-eater with a chance to bump up to a #2 with development of his change or his four-seamer playing up further. The Colorado Rockies will likely send Castellani to AAA in 2018, and he could certainly see some big league starts by the end of the season.
3. Riley Pint, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 11/6/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Asheville Tourists
2017 Stats: 22 GS, 93 IP, 5.42 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 13.6% BB, 18.2% K
Info: Those who have read Jeff Passan’s “The Arm” know well about Pint’s incredible velocity. That peak velocity made him the fourth overall selection in 2016 by the Colorado Rockies. It’s thus far been the only thing that has carried forward into his pro career.
Pint’s fastball still sits 95-98 typically and can touch 102, but his control has wavered on the pitch and his command of it has completely left him as a pro, which really has hurt his ability to take what should be an incredible weapon in a high-velocity fastball with good movement and get results with it.
As an amateur, Pint flashed plus grades with his slider and curve, but only his slider has even shown above-average as a pro, primarily due to control issues. His change was the pitch most varied in opinion as an amateur, and it’s definitely taken a step back as a pro.
All that said, Pint has an incredible fastball with an easy delivery, though he struggles to stay at a consistent pace through his delivery, leading to the majority of his control and command issues. It’s hard to move him down too much with the elite ability of his pitches if he could simply get that delivery ironed out.
The Colorado Rockies will hope to see Pint take at least a step forward in his control in 2018 at high-A Lancaster.
Next: #1 and #2
2. Ryan McMahon, 3B
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/14/1994 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Hartford Yard Goats, AAA Albuquerque Isotopes, MLB Colorado Rockies
2017 Stats: Minors: .355/.403/.583, 519 PA, 20 HR, 11 SB, 41/92 BB/K; Majors: .158/.333/.211, 24 PA, 5/5 B/K
Info: McMahon has been developing his skills with the Colorado Rockies since being a 2nd round pick out of high school in California in 2013. Primarily a third baseman until 2016, he’s now added first base and second base to his skill set.
Along the way, his bat has always shown well, taking a big step forward after the 2015 season when some adjustments allowed for more consistent bat path through the zone and allowed McMahon to hit for both average and power. As his 2017 season showed, his new adjusted swing allows him to tap into that power without major strikeouts, fanning just 17.9% of the time in 2017.
Typically a guy with McMahon’s size struggles in a move to a position up the middle, but McMahon has high-level athleticism, which made his second base performance more than palatable as a possible fit for more than just a fill-in if that’s needed.
Bringing back Carlos Gonzalez seems to make it difficult to find a sure starting spot for McMahon, which could lead to him heading back to AAA in 2018 so he can get consistent at bats while the Colorado Rockies open up a spot for his bat long-term.
1. Brendan Rodgers, SS
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/9/1996 (21)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Lancaster JetHawks, AA Hartford Yard Goats
2017 Stats: .336/.373/.567, 400 PA, 18 HR, 2 SB, 14/71 BB/K
Info: Considered among a number of players for the top overall pick in the 2015 draft, the Colorado Rockies picked the Florida prep shortstop as the 3rd overall pick.
(Rodgers’) bat will carry him regardless of position
Rodgers opened 2017 by hitting everything near the zone, with his batting average near or even above .400 deep into the season at Lancaster. A hand injury hampered his time with Hartford and really sapped his power in his first go-round at AA.
Many have wondered since he was drafted about Rodgers’ eventual defensive home as he is not the most rangy of shortstops, but he does have a plus arm, excellent instincts, and good baseball acumen to end up positioned well more often than not. He’s played some second base as well, and his arm could work at third base.
His bat will carry him regardless of position, however. Rodgers has elite bat speed with a balanced swing and good pitch recognition. He doesn’t take a ton of walks, but he does keep his strikeout rate low, which is impressive with Rodgers’ plus power. He is fringe-average in his speed, however, so he’s not going to be a guy to impact stealing bases.
After losing time to injury after getting up to AA, the Colorado Rockies could choose to have Rodgers open at the level again in 2018, but he should move quickly to AAA, and it would not surprise if he showed up in the majors at some point on the season.
Next: Newcomer to watch
2017 Acquisition: Will Gaddis, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/12/1996 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: advanced rookie Grand Junction Rockies
2017 Stats: 11 G, 9 GS, 44 1/3 IP, 5.68 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 3.5% BB, 13.1% K
Info: Gaddis had an elite season numbers-wise in his final season at Furman, pushing him to a 3rd round selection by the Colorado Rockies this past June.
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Gaddis is a guy who requires elite command/control in order to succeed. He works with a low-90s fastball, touching 94-95 that he can manipulate to sink, fade, and run based on his grip. He uses three secondary pitches – a hard curve, change, and a cutter – that are all fringe-average pitches.
Without elite stuff, he was very hittable in his pro debut, but many saw velocity drop and noted that Gaddis had spent plenty of innings already with his college season plus the additional 44 1/3 innings. Notably, in his first four pro outings, Gaddis tossed 14 innings with a 2.57 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and a 1/9 BB/K, but he then hit a wall, and from that point forward, he put up a 7.12 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, and allowed a .963 OPS.
When he’s on his best stuff, Gaddis has the chance to be an excellent back end starter, and the Colorado Rockies have seen a number of guys with Gaddis’ profile be able to add strength and velocity in their system and move up from a back end guy to a solid mid-rotation guy. He’ll get his first shot at full-season ball in 2018, likely in low-A Asheville.
Next: CTTP's Top 150 prospects
So that is the Colorado Rockies top 10 prospects for 2018. Who is too high? Too low? Missing entirely from the list? Comment below!!