Colorado Rockies Minors

2012 Top Prospects:

1) Nolan Arenado, 3B, Grade A-: I love the combination of power production and a very low strikeout rate, just 53 whiffs in 517 at-bats. I also like his defense at third base, where he combines steadily-improving reliability with a strong arm and decent range. Scouts love his bat as much as the numbers do. Only negative is lack of speed, but he has All-Star potential.

2) Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Grade A-: Lost velocity late in the year, but had extenuating circumstances (two-week layoff because of the trade with Cleveland, followed by appendectomy) and was still effective even with less zip on the fastball. Projects as a number two starter but could use some Triple-A action to polish up his changeup.

3) Chad Bettis, RHP, Grade B: Borderline B+. 95 MPH sinker and a nasty slider were too much for California League hitters. Still working on curveball and changeup, preventing B+ at this time, but I like him a lot. Could be a number three starter or possibly a closer

4) Trevor Story, SS, Grade B: More power than most shortstops, and he can stick at the position. Great arm, error rate should improve with experience. Also takes walks and steals bases. Main concern is tendency to uppercut, which could reduce batting average at higher levels. With proper development he can be a B+/A- prospect a year from now. . .perhaps more.

5) Tim Wheeler, OF, Grade B: Broad range of skills: tapped into his power last year with 33 homers (plus three more in Arizona Fall League), could also steal 20 bases a year, draws some walks. Problems with left-handed pitching and a high strikeout rate preclude higher grade right now.

6) Tyler Anderson, LHP, Grade B: Borderline B-. Polished strike-thrower from University of Oregon, stuff is a tick better than the typical college finesse pitcher. Should be a fine number three starter assuming he doesn't catch whatever contagion messed up Christian Friedrich.

7) Wilin Rosario, C, Grade B-: Terrific throwing arm and plenty of power, but strike zone judgment has deteriorated. Looks like he may end up something like Miguel Olivo.

8) C.J. Cron, 1B, Grade B-: (LAA) I want to see his bat outside the easy-offense Pioneer League. It didn't impact his production, but his plate discipline wasn't as good as it was in college, and he's not much of a fielder. He should still mash his way to the majors fairly quickly.

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10) Joe Gardner, RHP, Grade B-: I like him more than the numbers say I should, but I love the movement on his fastball. Could end up in relief if secondary pitches remain inconsistent.

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12) Kent Matthes, OF, Grade C+: Borderline B-: California League MVP hit .334 with 23 homers in just 371 at-bats, season cut short by broken hand. Turns 25 next month, has strike zone issues, need to see at higher levels.

13) Charlie Blackmon, OF, Grade C+: Perfect fourth outfielder profile: some power, some speed, makes contact, solid glove.

14) Edwar Cabrera, LHP, Grade C+: Overmatched A-ball hitters with decent fastball and incredible changeup, still working on breaking ball. Scouts remain lukewarm despite superior numbers and we need to see him in Double-A.

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17) Rosell Herrera, SS, Grade C+: Will wind up at third base or outfield. Scouts like his switch-hitting offensive potential despite so-so numbers in the Pioneer League. Young at 18, still raw, high upside.

18) Rafael Ortega, OF, Grade C+: Didn't wow with his stats in the Sally League, but has tools, some speed and power potential, good glove, still just 20.

19) Rob Scahill, RHP, Grade C+: Inning-eater with a nice sinker, good slider, chance to surprise in 2012 if he can improve his command.

20) Hector Gomez, SS, Grade C: Strong glove, has some power and speed, injuries and plate discipline problems have held him back, could be a solid utility guy.

Cristhian Adames, SS
Jayson Aquino, LHP
Andrew Brown, OF
Albert Campos, RHP
Corey Dickerson, OF
Tommy Field, INF
Parker Frazier, RHP
Dan Houston, RHP
Ben Paulsen, 1B
Josh Slaats, RHP
Will Swanner, C
Peter Tago, RHP
Dillon Thomas, OF
Carl Thomore, OF
Dan Winkler, RHP

Baseball America:

1. Drew Pomeranz, rhp
2. Nolan Arenado, 3b
3. Chad Bettis, rhp
4. Wilin Rosario, c
5. Tim Wheeler, of
6. Trevor Story, ss/3b
7. Tyler Anderson, lhp
8. Kent Matthes, of
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1) Brandon Finnegan, LHP, Grade A- (KC): Borderline B+. Perhaps I’m just in love with what we saw in the fall, but Finnegan looks like the real thing to me and ready to thrive in the majors. I’d use him as a starter personally. Age 21, looks like one of the early steals in the 2014 draft.

2) D.J. Peterson, 1B-3B, Grade B+ (SEA): Age 23, 2013 first-rounder, hit .297/.360/.552 with 31 doubles, 31 homers, 45 walks, 116 strikeouts in 495 at-bats between High-A and Double-A. Draws praise for huge power, but mixed opinions on pure hitting skills. Not very good defensively at third base and likely ends up at first in the long run. Could get a big league trial sometime in 2015 and certainly in 2016.

3) Raimel Tapia, OF, Grade B/Borderline B+: Age 21, hit .326/.382/.453 in Low-A. All power came at Asheville (.350/.391/.534), hit for average on the road (.304/.374/.377) but with much less power. Tools draw praise, 33 steals, fast bat, main issue is power development outside of the friendly environment.

4) Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Grade B (ATL): Age 23, acquired from Astros in Evan Gattis traded, posted 5.08 ERA with 102/52 K/BB in 103 innings in Triple-A last year, 5.30 ERA with 14/7 K/BB in 19 major league innings. Throws very hard, mid-to-upper-90s, shows a good curveball and change-up but command and control remain inconsistent.

5) Rosell Herrera, INF, Grade B-/Borderline C+: Age 22, did not have great year in High-A (.,244/.302/.335 in 275 at-bats) but was hampered by wrist injuries all year. The issue here: was his 2013 breakout season just an Asheville illusion, or was 2014 weaker because of the injuries? Probably some combination of both.

6) Tyler Anderson, LHP, Grade B-/Borderline C+: Age 25, posted 1.98 ERA with 106/40 K/BB in 118 innings in Double-A, just 91 hits. Typical finesse lefty with upper-80s/low-90s fastball, good changeup, slider, throws strikes and keeps hitters off-balance. Main concern is durability, has history of both elbow and shoulder trouble. If healthy, a fine fourth starter.

7) Ryan Castellani, RHP, Grade B-/Borderline C+: Age 19, second round pick from high school in Phoenix, posted 3.65 ERA with 25/9 K/BB in 37 innings in the Northwest League against older competition. Good size and strength at 6-3, 200, fastball in upper-80s/low-90s with more possible, already has curve, slider, and change-up at his disposal. Received less hype than some of the other advanced high school pitchers in 2014 draft but looks very good so far.

8) Barrett Barnes, OF, Grade C+ (PIT): Age 23, hit .240/.406/.440 in 17 games split between three levels due to injury. Still has intriguing power/speed combination but has lost most of the last two years to physical problems.

9) Tony Renda, 2B, Grade C+ (WAS): Age 23, hit .307/.381/.377 with 19 steals but zero homers in High-A. Stereotyped scrappy second base type, contact hitter, very reliable at second base but lacks the tools to play shortstop. Double-A will tell us a lot.

10) Bobby Wahl, RHP, Grade C+ (OAK): Age 22, posted 4.89 ERA with 62/25 K/BB in 53 innings in A-ball, fastball/slider type hasn’t lived up to expectations since being a projected first-rounder in 2013. He ended up going in the fifth round after junior year blister trouble. Picks up strikeouts but command needs work and long-term role unclear.

11) Mike Papi, 1B-OF, Grade C+ (CLE): Age 22, supplemental first round pick from University of Virginia, very successful in college but hit just .178/.305/.274 in 135 at-bats in Low-A. Nobody seems to be really worried about it at this point given his track record and reputation with scouts but I think the younger and more successful guys have to rank ahead at this point.

12) Antonio Senzatela, RHP, Grade C+: Age 20, posted 3.11 ERA with 89/36 K/BB in 145 innings in Low-A. Can hit 95 and doesn’t walk many, but reports say he needs a better breaking ball to thrive at higher levels. That dovetails with the low strikeout rate. Less physical projection than Castellani but could be mid-rotation guy if secondaries sharpen.

13) Dom Nunez, C, Grade C+: Age 20, sixth round pick in 2013, hit .313/.385/.517 in Pioneer League showing good plate discipline as well as promising defense, converting from shortstop to catcher, threw out 36% of base thieves. Needs more polish but looks like he can stay there, bat looks good so far. Candidate to leap up the list once we see him in full-season ball. Good fantasy sleeper in long-term leagues.

14) Kevin Padlo, 3B, Grade C+: Age 18, fifth round pick from California high school in 2014, hit .300/.421/.594 with 31 walks, 38 strikeouts in 160 at-bats in Pioneer League. High-hustle player gets most out of average tools, showed sound plate discipline and good power in debut. Like Nunez, a good start in full-season ball will move him up the list quickly.

15) Ryan Casteel, C, Grade C+: Age 23, hit .280/.341/.445 with 16 homers, 39 walks, 94 strikeouts in 436 at-bats in Double-A, splitting season between catcher (covering for injured Tom Murphy) and first base. Not a great defender but versatility is useful, solid power.

16) Pedro Gonzalez, SS, Grade C+: Age 17, July 2nd signee out of Dominican Republic for $1,300,000. Intriguing size at 6-4, 160, could develop in any number of ways. Could generate massive power if he fills out the frame, ultimate position might be third base or the outfield. All speculation until we see him play but upside could be highest in entire system.

17) Cristhian Adames, INF, Grade C: Age 23, hit .288/.345/.368 between Double-A and Triple-A. Not much of a hitter due to lack of power but has a very solid glove, utility projection.

2018 Top Prospects

Sickels:

1) Walker Buehler, RHP, Grade A- (LAD): Age 23, first round pick in 2015 from Vanderbilt, recovered from Tommy John surgery without glitches posting 3.35 ERA with 125/31 K/BB in 89 innings between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, had some command issues during major league trial (7.71, 12/8 K/BB in 9 innings) but I doubt that will be a long-term problem; has retained pre-injury plus curveball while boosting fastball velocity, up to 99-100 MPH; still need to see what happens when he gets past 100 innings but his stuff looks special and he knows how to use it; possible number two starter. ETA 2018.

2) Corbin Burnes, RHP, Grade B+ (MIL): Age 23, fourth round pick in 2016 from St. Mary’s; outstanding 2017 campaign with 1.67 ERA in 146 innings between High-A and Double-A, 140/36 K/BB, only 103 hits and three homers allowed; fastball 90-95 and he locates it well, mixing in slider, curveball, change-up; secondary pitches could use a bit more polish but all flash plus and he throws strikes with everything; strong feel for pitching, positive makeup reports, only criticism I’ve seen is that his delivery has a touch of effort to it but his athleticism and pitch-efficiency compensate; ETA late 2018.

3) Carter Kieboom, SS, Grade B+ (WAS): Age 20, first round pick in 2016 from high school in Georgia, hit .297/.396/.493 with 32 walks, 42 strikeouts in 219 at-bats between Low-A and rookie ball injury rehab, missing much of season with hamstring trouble; bat looks excellent with power, solid approach, perhaps not as explosive overall as Soto but certainly impressive; fairly reliable at shortstop but probably lacks the range to stay there long-term, tools might fit best at second; ETA 2020.

4) Alex Verdugo, OF, Grade B+/B (LAD): Age 21, second round pick in 2014; hit .314/.389/.436 against older competition in Triple-A with 52 walks, 50 strikeouts in 433 at-bats; six homers, 27 doubles; hit .172/.240/.304 in 23 major league at-bats; strengths are obvious: feel for hitting, eye at the plate, laser throwing arm; main question continues to revolve around home run/power projection; certainly strong enough to hit more homers but people who understand hitting mechanics better than I do seem skeptical that he’ll ever show more than average pop; given his age I would not give up on the “will show more power” idea just yet; ETA 2018.

5) Colton Welker, 3B, Grade B: Age 20, fourth round pick in 2016 from high school in Florida; hit .350/.401/.500 with six homers, 18 walks, 42 strikeouts in 254 at-bats in Low-A despite missing eight weeks with strained abdominal muscles; projected to hit for both power and average by scouts; hit .400/.449/.584 in Asheville but .302/.355/.414 on the road, still very solid for the South Atlantic League; decent glove at third base, good enough to stay there if he hits as expected; will probably continue to make noise in High-A with Double-A being the genuine test; ETA 2020.

6) Bubba Thompson, OF, Grade B- (TEX): Age 19, first round pick in 2017 from high school in Mobile, Alabama; hit .257/.317/.434 in rookie ball debut, three homers, five steals, six walks, 28 strikeouts in 113 at-bats; best tools are 70-grade speed and 60/65 arm but also has potential for above-average power if he can lock down his swing; also needs to improve pitch selectivity; high-ceiling, high-risk type; ETA 2022.

7) Garrett Hampson, INF, Grade B-: Age 23, third round pick in 2016 out of Long Beach State University; hit .326/.387/.462 with 24 doubles, 12 triples, eight homers, 56 walks, 77 strikeouts, and 51 stolen bases in High-A; most of his power came at Lancaster (.350/.406/.532) but he was still pretty good on the road (.300/.366/.383), maintaining his strike zone judgment very well; 70-runner combined with walks looks good at the top of the order; excellent at second base, can also handle shortstop without hurting you though tools are a bit marginal there; quite reliable at both positions; ETA late 2019.

8) Matt Sauer, RHP, Grade B-/C+ (NYY): Age 18, second round pick in 2017 from high school in Santa Maria, California; had first round buzz so good value in this round; 5.40 ERA with 12/8 K/BB in 12 innings in rookie ball; clocked as high as 96-97 but more commonly around 92-93; solid breaking ball; like most young power pitchers he need work with change-up and command but has a high ceiling; ETA 2022.

9) Sam Howard, LHP, Grade C+/B-: Age 24, third round pick in 2014 from Georgia Southern University; posted 3.32 ERA with 104/43 K/BB in 127 innings in Double-A/Triple-A, including a good bit of pitching in the PCL without overt collapse of his stats; survived Albuquerque intact in other words, which is fine training for Coors Field; looks like a finesse lefty on paper but fastball can get up to 95, also has a good changeup; slider is generally average and can get flat; potential fourth starter who might be more dominant on per-inning basis if used in bullpen; ETA late 2018.

10) Brian Mundell, 1B, Grade C+: Age 23, seventh round pick in 2015 from Cal Poly, hit .300/.385/.472 between High-A and Double-A with 60 walks, 70 strikeouts, 15 homers in 436 at-bats; plus raw power in 6-3, 230 pound body but game power plays lower due to line drive swing; very good eye for the strike zone helps and more homers may come in time; lacks the athleticism and mobility to play anywhere but first base and even there he’s below-average overall; I like his bat and he could put up big numbers especially in thin air, but where do you play him? ETA 2019.

11) Yonathan Daza, OF, Grade C+: Age 23, from Venezuela, hit .341/.376/.466 with 34 doubles, 11 triples, three homers, 31 steals, 30 walks, 88 strikeouts in 519 at-bats in High-A; hit almost as well on the road (.331/.377/.434) as at home (.350/.375/.495) so this isn’t just a mere Lancaster illusion, we do need to see him in Double-A of course but he caught the eye of Cal League observers with speed, gap power, and throwing arm; he caught the attention of other teams, too, so the Rockies protected him on the 40-man roster as otherwise someone would probably have taken him in the Rule 5 draft; ETA 2020.

12) Sam Hilliard, OF, Grade C+: Age 23, 15th round pick in 2015 from Wichita State University, hit .300/.360/.487 with 21 homers, 37 steals, 50 walks, 154 strikeout in 536 at-bats in High-A; originally a pitcher, became full-time outfielder last year in college; legit power/speed combination and a strong throwing arm, too, all physical tools at least average or a notch above; sometimes patient but strikes out a lot; has to prove he can hit outside of Lancaster, batted .336/.399/.572 at home but just .261/.315/.391 on the road; the splits mean we must be grade-cautious, but there are real tools here; watch him closely in Double-A; ETA 2020.

13) Daniel Montano, OF, Grade C+: Age 18, signed out of Venezuela in 2015 for $2,000,000; hit .270/.355/.423 in Dominican Summer League with three homers, nine steals, 24 walks, 39 strikeouts in 189 at-bats; DSL performance was quite solid although numbers at that level must be dealt with judiciously; that said, scouting reports show above-average speed with a chance for average power; already has good plate discipline; long way off of course but some observers expect a serious breakout once he gets to the United States; ETA 2023.

14) Breiling Eusebio, LHP, Grade C+: Age 21, from the Dominican Republic, posted 3.61 ERA with 53/20 K/BB in 57 innings between Northwest and South Atlantic Leagues; throws heavy fastball in low-90s along with a curve that flashes plus and an erratic but improvable change-up; further polish on secondaries could result in a breakout soon; watch for any spike in K/IP ratio as early indicator; ETA 2021.

15) Riley Ferrell, RHP, Grade C+ (HOU)

16) Harold Arauz, RHP, Grade C+ (PHI)

17) Mike Papi, OF, Grade C (CLE)

18) Chris Okey, C, Grade C (CIN)

19) Daury Torrez, RHP, Grade C (CHC)

**HAVE NOT REVIEWED OWNERSHIP OF OTHERS**

OTHER GRADE C+: Willie Abreu, OF; Shane Broyles, RHP; Ramon Marcelino, OF; Chad Spangberger, 1B;

OTHERS OF NOTE: Bryan Baker, RHP; Anthony Bemboom, C; Bret Boswell, 2B; Sam Bouchard, 1B; Noel Cuevas, OF; Jairo Diaz, RHP; Tommy Doyle, RHP; Vince Fernandez, OF; Josh Fuentes, 3B; Will Gaddis, RHP; Casey Golden, OF; Rayan Gonzalez, RHP; David Hill, RHP; Austin House, RHP; Reid Humphries, RHP; Zach Jemiola, RHP; Nick Kennedy, LHP; Justin Lawrence, RHP; Matt McLaughlin, SS; Pearson McMahan, RHP; Javier Medina, RHP; Shael Mendoza, 2B; Harrison Musgrave, LHP; Yolki Pena, OF; Chris Rabago, C; Roberto Ramos, 1B; Mike Tauchman, OF; Jesus Tinoco, RHP; Jerry Vasto, LHP; Jan Vazquez, C; Hunter Williams, LHP

Baseball America:
1. Walker Buehler, RHP (LAD)
2. Alex Verdugo, OF (LAD)
3. Corbin Burnes, RHP (MIL)
4. Carter Kieboom, SS (WAS)
4. Colton Welker, 3B
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8. Garrett Hampson, 2B/SS
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Baseball America Top 100
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MLB.com Top 100
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RazzBall Top 100
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FanGraphs
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2020 Top Prospects: (WORK IN PROGRESS)

FG/MLB
70/70 = A+
65/65 = A/A-
60/60 = A-
55 = B+
50/55 = B
45+ = B-/B
45/50 = B-
40+ = C+/B-
40/45 = C+
35+/40 = C

3B/SS Carter Kieboom (WAS) [ETA 2020] 60 ((ML Debuted 2019))

RHP Brennan Malone (PIT) [ETA 2024] 45+

RHP Mason Denaburg (WAS) [ETA 2023] 45
3B Colton Welker (COL) [ETA 2021] 45

2B Chase Strumpf (CHC) [ETA 2021] 40+
LHP Nick Margevicius (SEA) [ETA 2019] 40+
OF Brenton Doyle (COL) [ETA 2024] 40+
SS Adael Amador (COL) [ETA 2025] 40+
LHP Helcris Olivarez (COL) [ETA 2023] 40+
SS Julio Carreras (COL) [ETA 2023] 40+

RHP Isiah Campbell (SEA) [ETA 2023] 40
LHP Tommy Henry (ARI) [ETA 2023] 40
1B Luken Baker (STL) [ETA 2021] 40
OF Bubba Thompson (TEX) [ETA 2022] 40
RHP Ronald Bolanos (SD) [ETA 2020] 40
OF Grant Little (SD) [ETA 2020] 40
RHP Tommy Doyle (COL) [ETA 2020] 40
2B Eddy Diaz (COL) [ETA 2023] 40
RHP Karl Kauffmann (COL) [ETA 2023] 40
RHP Jacob Wallace (COL) [ETA 2023] 40
RHP Antonio Santos (COL) [ETA 2020] 40
SS Ezequiel Tovar (COL) [ETA 2024] 40
RHP Will Ethridge (COL) [ETA 2022] 40
RHP Ryan Feltner (COL) [ETA 2021] 40
1B/C KJ Harrison (WAS) [ETA 2020] 40

RHP Matt Sauer (NYY) [ETA 2022] 35+
RHP Danis Correa (CHC) [ETA 2022] 35+
OF Agustin Ruiz (SD) [ETA TBD] 35+
RHP Efrain Contreras (SD) [ETA TBD] 35+
SS Christian Koss (COL) [ETA 2022] 35+
LHP Breiling Eusebio (COL) [ETA 2021] 35+
C Ronaiker Palma (COL) [ETA 2023] 35+
1B Roberto Ramos (COL) [ETA 2020] 35+