Colorado Rockies lose prospect Colton Welker to PED suspension

With the Colorado Rockies set to officially embark upon a rebuild, it is vital for their top prospects to get as much action as possible. This is especially the case given that the Rockies’ farm system is considered to be one of the worst in baseball. Aside from prospect Zac Veen, Colorado is not considered to have anything resembling an impact player in their system.

That need for playing time, and to prove their value, was particularly true for corner infielder Colton Welker. However, his 2021 campaign will be delayed as he was suspended 80 games for a failed PED test.

Colton Welker hits speedbump in quest to prove himself

Welker ended up testing positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a steroid from the days of East Germany. However, the amount in his system was not considered to be enough to actually enhance performance, something that had occurred with several other players who had tested positive for that PED. He plans on joining those players in trying to get answers as to how those positive tests happened in an effort to clear their names from the taint of PED usage.

There were questions about Welker moving forward that the Rockies were hoping to answer this year. He has a solid hit tool, but his power is limited, and he can get in trouble when he starts focusing on that aspect of his game. Likewise, he is decent at best defensively at third. While he should be a starting caliber corner infielder, there are concerns that he may not have the type of bat one looks for at either position.

Prior to his struggles in 2019, Welker had hit at every level he had been at. Over his four minor league seasons, he has posted a .313/.364/.469 batting line, hitting 34 homers and 88 doubles in 1409 plate appearances. He had displayed a solid batting eye and contact skills, drawing 105 walks with just 241 strikeouts. Even in his rough 2019 campaign, Welker drew 32 walks with just 68 strikeouts in 392 plate appearances.

It is certainly possible that he will develop more power as he matures and is more consistent with his swing. His ability to hit for doubles portends that his power numbers may increase going forward. While he may never be a top slugger at either first or third, it would not be a surprise if he hit between 20 and 25 homers a year during his peak while posting solid batting average and on base numbers. But he needs to get back on the diamond first.

The Colorado Rockies will be without one of their top prospects for the start of the 2021 minor league season as Colton Welker was suspended for PED usage.