Colorado Rockies

Players signed indicated in Bold

Round Overall Player Position School State Bonus
1 20 Tyler Anderson LHP Oregon Ore. $1,400,000
Anderson came to Oregon from Spring Valley High in Las Vegas in 2009, the Ducks' first season back after a 29-year hiatus, and stepped right into the rotation. He became Oregon's all-time leader in strikeouts this season. He's a good athlete who has gotten bigger and stronger and now stands 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. Anderson's biggest selling point is his feel for pitching. He takes a businesslike approach to carving up hitters and commands five pitches for strikes. He throws both a two- and four-seam fastball, and it sits in the 89-93 mph range with above-average movement. His slider is his best breaking pitch, and he'll mix in a curveball. His bread-and-butter secondary offering is an above-average changeup. Anderson has a funky leg kick in his delivery. It doesn't affect his ability to throw strikes and adds deception for the batter. After being drafted in the 50th round in 2008 by the Twins, Anderson should be a first-rounder this time around and has the polish and work ethic to move quickly.
1s 45 Trevor Story SS Irving (Texas) HS Texas $915,000
Story is one of the few quality, surefire shortstops in the 2011 draft, with a better chance to stick at the position than Javier Baez and Levi Michael. Scouts who believe in Story's bat see him as close to a five-tool shortstop, so he could sneak into the end of the first round. He has smooth actions along with plus range and arm strength. He has shown a 90-92 mph fastball while occasionally closing games for Irving. Story has good pop for a middle infielder, though the 6-foot, 175-pounder generates his power by collapsing on his backside and using an uppercut. His quick hands generate plenty of bat speed and allow him to barrel balls, though he may need to tone down his swing against professional pitchers. He has above-average speed and runs the bases well. Though he has committed to Louisiana State, he's expected to turn pro if he gets selected before the start of the second round.
2 77 Carl Thomore OF East Brunswick (N.J.) HS N.J. $480,000
Thomore has battled adversity to become a premium prospect in this year's draft. His mother died with breast cancer in 2005, and then he sustained a gruesome injury in a showcase in suburban Atlanta last summer. Thomore's cleat got caught in the dirt as he slid into third base, dislocating and breaking his ankle. An orthopedic surgeon who was in the stands came onto the field to help. He offered the choice of going to the hospital for treatment--risking complications because Thomore's circulation had been restricted--or popping the bone back into place on the field. Thomore gritted his teeth and chose the latter, and some say the decision and the doctor (who has never been identified) saved his baseball career. Scouts love Thomore's grinder mentality, and he grows on people the more they seem him. His only standout tool is his power, which is above-average. A plus runner before the injury, Thomore is now average, but he's aggressive with good instincts and is better under way. He profiles as a corner outfielder with an average arm. He's a physical 6-foot-1, 195 pounds and projects as an average hitter who can go to all fields.
3 107 Peter O'Brien C Bethune-Cookman Fla.
O'Brien emerged as a top college catching prospect last year, first when he hit 20 homers for Bethune-Cookman, then when he earned a spot on USA Baseball's college national team. On a team with many of the top hitters in the country, O'Brien hit four home runs and showed premium righthanded power, his best tool. His hitting has regressed as a junior, with more swings and misses and less feel for the barrel. While Bethune-Cookman doesn't have any arms near the quality of Team USA's, O'Brien nevertheless has struggled with his receiving this spring, as he did last summer. He's not a great athlete and struggles to receive breaking balls to his right. He has arm strength but lacks fluid footwork. Many scouts believe he has no chance to be a big league catcher, which would relegate him to first base. He has shown the work ethic and makeup needed to handle a staff, and there's some thought that improved core strength and more flexibility could make him passable as a catcher/first baseman in the Jake Fox mold.
4 138 Dillon Thomas OF Westbury Christian HS, Houston Texas $300,000
Dillon Thomas is an all-bat player, but there are a handful of clubs that believe enough in the bat to select him in the early rounds. He's a 6-foot-1, 200-pound lefthanded hitter whose proponents think he will hit for high average and grow into some power potential. Those who aren't as bullish on him think his swing is long. His speed and first-base defense are well below average. He has committed to Texas A&M.
5 168 Taylor Featherston SS Texas Christian Texas $144,900
Featherston was one of the heroes in Texas Christian's run to its first College World Series appearance last year, batting .389 with 16 RBIs in 11 NCAA tournament games. He led the Horned Frogs in hitting (.347), on-base percentage (.425) and runs (48) during the 2011 regular season and has a better bat than most middle infielders. A 6-foot-1, 185-pound righthanded hitter, he makes consistent contact and has enough pop to hit 10 homers in a big league season if he gets a little stronger and uses his legs better in his swing. He has average speed and good instincts on the bases. The question with Featherston is whether he can stay at shortstop. He has a strong arm and enough range but two different area scouts used the exact same phrase to describe his defense: "He plays shortstop like his hair is on fire." Featherston had 24 errors in 55 games, most coming when he rushed himself or tried to make an impossible play. He profiles well enough as an offensive second baseman but could sneak into the first three rounds to a team that believes he can settle down at short.
6 198 Chris Jensen RHP San Diego Calif. $135,000
Jensen has spent most of his college career as a reliever thanks to inconsistent command, but he made 11 starts in his 17 appearances this spring, going 3-6, 3.84 with 70 strikeouts and 34 walks in 75 innings. He has a strong arm, regularly sitting 92-93 mph and touching 94-95 now and then. He flashes a good power slurve, though it flattens out at times, and he mixes in an occasional split-finger. Scouts say his short, rigid arm action and high slot hamper his command.
7 228 Harold Riggins 1B North Carolina State N.C. $125,000
First baseman Harold Riggins has worked hard to improve his body and now stands a strong 6-foot-3, 230 pounds. He has well above-average raw power and is a good athlete, providing solid defense at first base. He has good bat speed, though he doesn't handle breaking stuff and his swing will need adjustments to work in pro ball. In 191 at-bats this year, Riggins was hitting .304/.433/.424 with 63 strikeouts.
8 258 Roberto Padilla LHP San Jose State Calif. $110,000
Heading into regionals, just two pitchers could say they had beaten UCLA righthander Trevor Bauer this year. One was San Jose State lefthander Roberto Padilla, who pitched a complete game against the Bruins on Feb. 26. That surely boosted Padilla's stock, but he was already well known among area scouts and college coaches after he was the California junior college pitcher of the year at Ohlone (Calif.) JC in 2010. He led the state with 15 wins and helped the team win a state championship. Padilla's stuff matches his accolades. His fastball sits in the 87-89 mph range and tops out at 91. He throws two variations of his breaking ball--a hard slurve and a softer curveball--but it's his changeup that is his best weapon. He has command of all of his pitches, and scouts love his competitiveness.
9 288 Ross Stripling RHP Texas A&M Texas
Righthander Ross Stripling was more of a football and basketball player at Carroll HS in Southlake until he broke his left leg as a senior. He got bored during his rehab and began fooling around on the mound with a cast on his leg. He went 14-0 in his first season as a pitcher, earned an academic scholarship to Texas A&M and joined the Aggies as a walk-on. He opened 2011 as their closer but since has become the best Sunday starter in college baseball, finishing the 2011 regular season tied with Texas' Taylor Jungmann for the NCAA Division I lead in wins at 12-2, 1.89. An athletic 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Stripling throws an 88-92 mph fastball from an over-the-top delivery. He spins his curveball for strikes and has a decent changeup. His stuff plays up when he comes out of the bullpen--he touches 94 mph and has a sharper curve--so that could be his destination in pro ball.
10 318 Ben Hughes RHP St. Olaf (Minn.) Minn. $100,000
Ben Hughes' combination of size, stuff and polish makes him the best prospect in the state. The 6-foot-5, 227-pound righthander has an assortment of pitches, starting with an 89-92 mph fastball that touches 94. He backs up his heater with a curveball, changeup and splitter, all of which have their moments. He uses his size to throw on a downhill plane, and his crossfire delivery to create more angle to the plate, making his pitches more difficult to hit. If he goes in the first 10 rounds, Hughes will surpass Andrew Schmiesing (Twins, 11th round, 2007) as the highest-drafted player in St. Olaf history.
11 348 Alex Gillingham RHP Loyola Marymount Calif.
12 378 David Schuknecht C Palm Desert (Calif.) HS Calif.
An Arizona signee, Shuknecht has a strong, athletic frame at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. A lefthanded hitter, he swings hard and often misses, but when he stays on the ball he can lace hard line drives from gap to gap, and he has power potential. He's an average runner and has good mobility behind the plate, to go along with promising receiving skills, though they are not yet polished. He also has good arm strength.
13 408 Kyle Roliard LHP Louisiana Tech La.
14 438 Brian Humphries OF Pepperdine Calif.
Scouts still like Humphries' 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame and decent lefthanded swing, but he lacks bat speed and does not hit the ball with any authority. He's a below-average hitter with a chance to be a tick or two better, but at this stage he seems unlikely to come into power as scouts once thought he would. He's an average runner and a fringy defender in center field, and he projects as an extra outfielder.
15 468 Tim Smalling SS Virginia Tech Va.
16 498 Preston Tucker 1B Florida Fla.
Tucker broke in to college ball with a splash, driving in 85 runs and earning first-team Freshman All-American honors in 2009. He was primarily a first baseman in his first two seasons but has shifted to the outfield as a junior to help Florida get more bats into the lineup and to showcase Tucker's versatility. Most scouts says it has done more to expose Tucker's flaws than highlight his strengths, though, and after he batted .113 in the Cape Cod League he has his detractors. He did rally in the Cape to hit two home runs in the postseason, and he rallied from a slow 2011 start to get back over .300 in Southeastern Conference play while hitting double digits in home runs again. Tucker has solid hitting ability and makes consistent contact, and he's not afraid to work counts. He has solid power, but it's hard for scouts to give him above-average grades for either of his best tools. Defensively, he fits better in left field, where his below-average speed and arm are less of a factor than in right, where he plays for the Gators. Some scouts see him as more of a first baseman. His track record of performance should get him off the board in the first six rounds.
17 528 Will Rankin RHP Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.) Ga.
18 558 Ben Alsup RHP Louisiana State La.
19 588 Jesse Meaux RHP UC Santa Barbara Calif.
UC Santa Barbara ace Jesse Meaux was a 44th-round pick by the Phillies a year ago, and he should go considerably higher as a senior sign this spring. He has a nice pitcher's frame at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and good arm strength but unrefined feel for pitching. Pitching with the Santa Barbara Foresters in the NBC World Series in Wichita last summer, Meaux flashed 93-94 mph heat and a good slider, but he worked mostly in the 88-92 range this spring, and his secondary stuff has been inconsistent. His slider flashes average when he gets on top of it, and his changeup has similar potential and similar inconsistency
20 618 Danny Winkler RHP Central Florida Fla.
Danny Winkler is a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder with a solid-average fastball and a slider that at times is a swing-and-miss pitch.
21 648 Jordan Ribera 1B Fresno State Calif.
22 678 Logan Mahon LHP Southeast Missouri State Mo.
23 708 Brook Hart LHP Yale Conn.
24 738 Connor McKay OF Regis Jesuit HS, Aurora, Colo. Colo.
Outfielder Connor McKay is a two-sport standout who tore his ACL while playing wide receiver for Regis Jesuit High in the Colorado 5-A championship game. The Raiders lost that one, but McKay returned to action in baseball in time to DH as Regis Jesuit won the state title in baseball. He has a lean, projectable 6-foot-6, 180-pound frame. He showed good tools on the showcase circuit, including above-average running times, a strong arm and lift in his swing. He could show power when he fills out. Because scouts didn't get to see much of him this spring, he'll likely head to Kansas next season.
25 768 Patrick Johnson RHP North Carolina N.C.
Johnson is an interesting case. He ranked No. 173 on BA's predraft Top 200 Prospects as a high schooler in 2007, and his scouting report reads almost exactly as it did four years ago. He battles in every start and has been masterful as the Heels' Friday starter this season, going 11-1, 2.56 heading into regionals, with 102 strikeouts and 28 walks in 91 innings. He is a savvy pitcher with a quick arm, but his stuff hasn't gotten any harder in college. His fastball sits 88-90 mph, touching 92, and he shows good feel for a curveball and changeup, but none of his pitches is overpowering.
26 798 Mike Wolford RHP UC Riverside Calif.
27 828 Matt Argyropoulos 3B Washington State Wash.
28 858 Joshua Correa OF Caguas Military Academy, Caguas, P.R. P.R.
29 888 Matt Dermody LHP Iowa Iowa
The state's top four-year college prospect is Matt Dermody, a draft-eligible sophomore. He's a 6-foot-5, 200-pound lefthander with an 88-90 mph fastball that peaks at 93, but he has a hitch in his funky delivery that reduces his projectability. His curveball, changeup and command are all decent.
30 918 John Curtiss RHP Carroll HS, Southlake, Texas Texas
Best known as a football power that has produced a half-dozen NFL players, Carroll High also has had four pitchers drafted in the previous four years. Curtiss will likely be the fifth in five drafts, though scouts think he's headed to college, as are most of the top high school pitchers in the Lone Star State this year. A top student who has committed to Texas, Curtiss is a projectable 6-foot-4, 190-pounder with a quick arm. He works from 89-93 mph and touches 95 with his fastball, which features good sink. He also flashes a plus slider and an effective changeup. Scouts praise his intelligence and competitiveness. The only real knock against Curtiss is that he throws across his body, but his motion adds deception without compromising his ability to throw strikes. If he becomes a Longhorn as expected, he could blossom into a first-rounder in 2014.
31 948 Sam Mende SS South Florida Fla.
The South Florida Bulls could have shortstop Sam Mende go out due to his dependable defensive skills up the middle. Mende had a brutal year with the bat, however, batting .194 in Big East games with 26 strikeouts in 103 at-bats.
32 978 Jarod Berggren OF Northern Colorado Colo.
Outfielder Jarod Berggren put his name on the map last summer in the Alaska League, where he ranked as the No. 2 prospect. The ranking may have been aggressive, but Berggren does have intriguing tools and a 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame. He put a lot of pressure on himself this season and got off to a slow start, batting just .242 in mid-April. His timing was off and he tried to pull everything, so coaches got Berggren to incorporate a small leg kick, which kept his weight back and allowed him to start driving the ball back up the middle better. When he's on, Berggren has above-average power, mostly to his pull side. A righthanded hitter, he typically hits doubles and triples when he goes the other way. He doesn't run well out of the box, but is an above-average runner under way and goes first to third well. He'll have to move to a corner outfield spot as a pro and has the arm strength for right field.
33 1008 Jaron Shepherd OF Mississippi State Miss.
34 1038 Chris Dennis RHP Portland Ore.
35 1068 Richard Pirkle C Georgia College & State Ga.
36 1098 Tyler Servais C Douglas County HS, Castle Rock, Colo. Colo.
37 1128 Brandon Bonilla LHP Pendleton School, Bradenton, Fla. Fla.
38 1158 Boo Vazquez OF Cardinal Mooney HS, Youngstown, Ohio Ohio
39 1188 Chase Williams RHP Broken Arrow (Okla.) HS Okla.
40 1218 Drew Stankiewicz 2B Gilbert (Ariz.) HS Ariz.
41 1248 Taylor Martin RHP Lexington (Ky.) Catholic HS Ky.
42 1278 Jordan Johnson RHP Franklin HS, Elk Grove, Calif. Calif.
43 1308 Garrett Brown OF Erwin HS, Asheville, N.C. N.C.
44 1338 Robert Kahana RHP Campbell HS, Ewa Beach, Hawaii Hawaii
45 1368 Will Price OF Greenbrier HS, Evans, Ga. Ga.
46 1398 Nathaniel Causey C Gilbert (Ariz.) HS Ariz.
Nathaniel Causey has intriguing tools. He's passable behind the plate and shows good power as a lefthanded hitter, though the swing is a little stiff and he's pull-conscious right now. Scouts backed off this year because of his strong commitment to Arizona State.
47 1428 Casey Scott 2B Notre Dame Prep, Scottsdale, Ariz. Ariz.
48 1458 Clay Bauer RHP JC of San Mateo (Calif.) Calif.
49 1488 Tyler Bernard SS Palomar (Calif.) JC Calif.
50 1518 Heath Holder OF Loganville (Ga.) HS Ga.

indicates Premium Content | Copyright © 1999-2013 Baseball America Inc. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. All rights reserved. | Site Map | FAQs | Careers | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Return/Refund Policy.

Baseball America, 4319 South Alston Avenue, Suite 103, Durham, NC 27713. | Follow us on: