1. Brendan Rodgers
Minors (AAA): 160 plate appearances, .350/.413/.622, ten doubles, nine homers, 14 walks, 27 strikeouts
Majors: 81 plate appearances, .224/.272/.250, two doubles, four walks, 27 strikeouts
If it feels like Brendan Rodgers has been around as a top prospect forever, that is because he has.
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Selected by the Colorado Rockies with the third overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Rodgers was an immediate entrant on the top 100 prospect lists. He was a consensus top 50 prospect prior to the 2016 campaign, and has been a top 25 prospect for each of the past three years.
Rodgers certainly has the tools to succeed. He has a lightning quick bat, consistently putting the barrel on the ball. He drives the ball to all fields, showing plenty of power in his swing. There are times that he can get pull happy, and his strike zone discipline suffers, but Rodgers is still just 23 years old.
It is fair to wonder what his future in the organization is, however. In theory, Rodgers would be the heir apparent at short, but Trevor Story is not going anywhere. He could slide over the second, but the Rockies have another former top prospect, Garrett Hampson, as a possibility to take over the position. As Rodgers can play second, short, and third, it is possible that he becomes a super utility player, allowing the Rockies to keep his bat in the lineup. Add in the fact that he is recovering from a torn labrum, and it makes sense for the Rockies to ease him into action.
The Colorado Rockies have plenty of prospects in their system. They just need to remember that players like Brendan Rodgers exist.