Quartet of prospects make for interesting draft scenarios for Colorado

Several players of serious intrigue will available when the Colorado Rockies make the 10th overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft.

Much like the last two years when the team possessed the ninth overall pick to take outfielders Zac Veen (2020) and Benny Montgomery (2021), the upside that early is always going to be high.

The organization of draft and develop has a farm system with much upward mobility as most of their best players have yet to reach Double-A. And unlike the other major sports, teams do not draft based upon positions of need.

Especially for a franchise in search of its next big star, the Rockies simply need to select the best player available.

Here are four intriguing names – two of which could be quite familiar – that could still be available for Colorado in 2022 following the spring season:

RHP Kumar Rocker, amateur free agent

Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 245 | Bats-Throws: Right-Right

Commit/Drafted: Mets ’21 (1st Round)

Age: 22

Selected 10th overall in 2021 by New York (NL), Rocker did not sign following a review of medicals that led the Mets to rescind their signing bonus of $6 million. As such, Rocker is still eligible for the draft this season, and the Mets will get the 11th overall pick as compensation for not reaching an agreement with him.

Rocker has been a draft darling even before dominating in college for three seasons. His intentions were clearly set on Vanderbilt after high school, yet Colorado still selected Rocker in the 38th round in 2018 with hopes of starting a relationship.

Those concerns over the medicals are likely to still exist, so it will hard to determine how clubs will handle his situation. He didn’t return to Vandy and his next stop with an independent league team this season is still unknown.

He won the 2019 College World Series with the Commodores, earning Most Outstanding Player in the process. Rocker took them back to the precipice in his next opportunity before being pulled in the fifth inning of the CWS Finals after giving up four earned runs. (His team was also being no-hit by Mississippi State at the time.)

The scouting report is ultimately the same as it was last year. The velocity is in the high-90s and may even break 100mph consistently by the next time he takes a mound somewhere. His pitch mix of slider (amazing), changeup (quality) and cutter (good) still suggests he could be a frontline starting pitcher in the majors sooner rather than later.

With less leverage than last year, Rocker should be eager to sign on the dotted line this time around to get his professional career started.

SS Jordan Sprinkle, UC Santa Barbara

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 180 | Bats-Throws: Right-Right

Commit/Drafted: Undrafted out of high school

Age: 20

Sprinkle could be the latest Gaucho to join the Rockies following the acquisition of RHP Noah Davis last July in the RHP Mychal Givens trade. (AT&T SportsNet’s Ryan Spilborghs certainly wouldn’t mind another UC Santa Barbara alum.)

What he lacks in size, he makes up with quickness on both sides of the ball. Sprinkle recorded 26 stolen bases in 2021 and flashed enough premium leather at shortstop to be named the Co-Big West Freshman of the Year.

There’s some sneaky pop in his bat as showcased with his seven home runs last season with some room for additional growth, but he’ll have to address concerns over his ability to keep pace with upper level velocity.

Sprinkle hit .300/.353/.467 with Team USA last summer over 11 games and could quickly rise up the rankings with another step forward this spring. 

SS Jackson Holliday, Stillwater (OK) HS

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 176 | Bats-Throws: Left-Right

Commit/Drafted: Oklahoma State

Age: 18

If an alarm is going off in your brain right now, it’s because there’s no mistaking that surname. This member of the 2022 Preseason All-American Second Team is the son of Rockies’ great Matt Holliday.

A shortstop out of the same Stillwater High School that also produced OF Ryan Vilade, Holliday was rated as the third-best defensive infielder from the Class of ‘22. With great hands and an exceptional arm strength despite the smaller frame, some scouts project him to eventually move over to second or third base at some point due to questions about his range.

If he’s anything like his father, he’ll figure it out and become the next Bo Bichette.

Holliday bats left-handed and has seen his power numbers take a leap in the last year. His natural instincts should do wonders as he continues to develop. 

Though he’s committed to Oklahoma State where his uncle Josh is the head coach – not to mention his father serves as a volunteer assistant coach – hearing his name in the first or second round could change his trajectory. 

Holliday’s bloodlines may not have gotten the same attention as Druw and father Andruw Jones or Jace and brother Josh Jung (top hitting prospect with the Texas Rangers), but that all could work to Colorado’s advantage, especially if he ends up being drafted like Yorvis Torrealba, son of former catcher Yorvit, in 2019.

1B/LHP Reggie Crawford, UConn

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 235 | Bats-Throws: Left-Left

Commit/Drafted: Royals ’19 (37)

Age: 21

Crawford is one of more exciting draftees to dream on given he’s a two-way player capable of electricity anywhere on the diamond. 

His numbers at the plate have been solid (309/.362/.546 from 2020-21) and his defense at first base has been skilled, but it’s his potential on the mound that has scouts salivating. 

With a fastball touching 100mph and a slider with plus-potential, the arm is legit. The only issue is a major way: An elbow injury suffered last summer with the collegiate national team will keep him off the mound with the Huskies.

This is where it gets intriguing.

Crawford has only 8.0 innings in six outings with UConn, so he’s a questionable commodity when it comes to projecting a starting pitcher. 

Without 2022 to show more of his capabilities, it could be hard for Colorado to use another early selection on a concern like this as they did in 2021 with RHP Jaden Hill. However, Crawford has already undergone the Tommy John surgery and won’t have as much time on the shelf as Hill, who is expected to make his pro debut a full year since being drafted.