Rockies 2016 Draft Retrospective: Having a Pint

The 2018 First-Year Player Draft is just today, which means we here at BSN Denver are just two pieces away from completing our series of previous draft classes.

In this iteration, we run down 2016, and as we noted in yesterday’s edition, we’ve passed the threshold of classes with players ascending to MLB at this point. While that doesn’t give the class any vindication—at least not yet—it doesn’t make the discussion less valuable.

After yet another rock-bottom season in 2015, the Colorado Rockies “earned” the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft. To cap off the first round, they also held pick No. 38, the fourth pick in the Competitive Balance Round A.

First Round

After getting their shortstop of the future out of high school in Brendan Rodgers in the 2015 draft, the Rockies stuck to that age group to start replenishing their farm system of arms as some began graduating to Coors Field. They took the 6-foot-4 lanky right-hander out of Kansas with a 102 MPH fastball with the fourth pick, persuading him away from his commitment to LSU with a $4.8 million dollar signing bonus.

Pint’s upside in his frame, changeup and slider, has had him on the national map his entire career. But, it hasn’t quite panned out as he had hoped in the early going in his career. In both 2015 and ’16, his innings were monitored as he pitched to players several years older than him, not finding an ERA under 5.30 in either rookie-ball Grand Junction or Single-A Asheville.

While minor league statistics often hide what’s actually going on, the more alarming development is the injury he sustained in the first inning of 2018 on April 8 that has kept him off the field since. The vague description of “forearm tightness” that has sidelined him for nearly two months now is a cause for concern, and certainly something to keep an eye on. But, until more is known about the severity, Pint is still the highest upside pitcher in the system, even if he is still many years away from Denver.

Robert Tyler, on the other hand, ran into shoulder fatigue in 2017 and didn’t throw a pitch that season. This was a troubling development for a high-velocity pitcher that seemed to be on a fast track to the majors, skipping rookie-ball altogether. He’s currently working in Low-A Asheville out of the bullpen, but projects as a possible starter as well.

His fastball can reach triple digits with good break and is complemented with a plus knuckle-curve. Should he get healthy and stay that way, he can be a high power bullpen arm in the like of Carlos Estevez, Scott Oberg or Jairo Diaz.

Top 10 Selections

No Top-10 pick from 2016 has reached the majors yet, with five players—Moniak, Anderson, Pint, Garrett and Manning—yet to reach Double-A. This isn’t an indication of a poor draft class, just how many came out of high school (those five were selected before collegiate experience and their 19th birthday) and how long the development process is. Senzel is the closest at Triple-A with very little blocking him at the major league level in Cincinnati.

In fact, the class was so flush with talent that the consensus top pick, Jason Groome, fell to No. 12 because of maturity concerns (he was 17 the day of the draft). Only three players have broken through in the draft to date: No. 25 Eric Lauer (San Diego),  No. 91 pick Austin Hays (Baltimore) and  No. 114 Joey Lucchesi (also San Diego).

22nd Pick

When the Rockies make their 1st round selection, 21 of the best players will have already been taken off the board. However, lots of top talent will remain. Though slightly arbitrary, let’s look at who was taken at this spot in 2011.

Will Craig has since moved to first base in the Pirates’ system, but the team’s No. 17 prospect hasn’t been hindered by it at all. Now at Double-A, he’s already tied his career high in home runs with six in just 46 games, and is getting his slugging over .400 for the first time in his career as the power the Pirates were promised appears to finally be developing. It will be hard for him to find a spot at either of his positions at the big league level in the near future, with Colin Moran at third and Josh Bell at first, but he’s an exciting young power bat for the rebuilding team.

The Rest of the Rockies Picks

The Rockies got a sixth of their current top-30 prospects from the 2016 draft, including two in the Top 10.

Colton Welker has emerged to No. 2 in the team’s system after being taken in the fourth round in 2016. The 20-year-old third baseman crushed South Atlantic League pitching to a .350/.401/.500 slash in 2017 and has picked up right where he left off at High-A this year. Scouts have lauded his ability to get the barrel to the ball and praise him as the next good three-bagger to come out of the system.

Garrett Hampson was selected in the third round out of Long Beach State University, the same school that produced Troy Tulowitzki. Hampson has flown through the minors and was promoted to Triple-A on May 17. With the struggles the team has had behind DJ LeMahieu at second base this year, Hampson’s positional versatility, speed and ability to make solid contact make him an ideal backup option. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see him break into MLB this season.

Second-rounder Ben Bowden has tamed low-level hitters for the past three seasons out of the bullpen. The left-hander helped lead Vanderbilt to the 2014 College World Series title and is currently using his slider and changeup to complement a fastball that sits 92-95. Scouts thought that mix could translate to being a starter, but the Rockies have used him exclusively in later innings, which has landed him at No. 23 on the team’s prospect list.

Willie Abreu (sixth round) and Vince Fernandez (10th round) are wreaking havoc on High-A pitchers from the corner outfield positions, and both show strong raw power going forward. Both will have to be more selective at the plate but are just two more big bats in the system.

The Rest of the 2011 MLB Draft

Notable players taken in 2nd round:  #49 Alec Hansen (CHW), #66 Bo Bichette (TOR)

Notable players taken in the 3rd round or later: #89 Jon Duplantier (ARI), # 125 Matt Krook (SF),