2012 Draft Report Cards: Colorado Rockies

By Jim Callis
October 24, 2012

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See also: Draft Report Card Index

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POSITION PLAYERS

QUICK TAKE

The Rockies benefited from the Pirates' decision to scrap a  deal with Dahl and take Mark Appel instead at No. 8. Colorado pounced on Dahl at No. 10, and he set the tone for a draft class that had several strong debuts.

Bonus Spending: $7.0 million

Best Pure Hitter: OF David Dahl (1) showed a natural feel for hitting against older college competition by leading the Rookie-level Pioneer League in batting at .379. Best Power Hitter: C Tom Murphy (3) set a Buffalo record with 13 homers in the spring and went deep six times at short-season Tri-City. Dahl may catch up to Murphy once he matures physically, and 1B Ben Waldrip (10) also is packed with raw power. Fastest Runner: OF Max White (2) runs the 60-yard dash in 6.5 seconds and has Steve Finley upside. Dahl is nearly as fast. Best Defensive Player: INF Matt Wessinger (5) has the range and arm strength to be a solid defender anywhere in the infield. Dahl has good range and uncommon arm strength for a center fielder.

PITCHERS

Best Fastball: RHP Eddie Butler (1s) threw 94-95 and topped out at 97 all summer, with sinking life that was just as impressive as his velocity. RHPs Seth Willoughby (4) and Matt Carasiti (6) hit the mid-90s during the college season but were worn down a bit in their pro debuts. Best Secondary Pitch: Coming into the year, Willoughby wasn't on many follow lists and was slated to double as a shortstop and reliever at Xavier. Once he broke the hamate bone in his left hand in the third game of the season, he focused on pitching and his stuff took off, with his 88-90 mph cutter becoming unhittable.

Best Pro Debut: Dahl was the MVP and top prospect in the Pioneer League, which he also led in hits (106), extra-base hits (41), total bases (175) and slugging (.625). Butler led the circuit in ERA (2.13), WHIP (1.06) and opponent average (.230). RHP Scott Oberg (15) joined them on the Pioneer all-star team and paced the league with 13 saves. Best Athlete: White, who drew interest as a pitcher who threw in the low 90s before he hurt his shoulder. Dahl is nearly as athletic and more polished. RHP Ryan Warner (3s) has exceptional body control for a 6-foot-7 teenager and quarterbacked Pine Creek High to the Colorado 4-A championship game last fall. Most Intriguing Background: OF Ryan Garvey's (33) father Steve won a National League MVP award and made 10 all-star teams. SS Kevin Bradley's (36) dad Scott played in the majors and is now Princeton's head coach. Bradley headed to Clemson rather than signing. C Aaron Jones (18) gave up baseball to become a fireman. Closest To The Majors: As a reliever, Willoughby has a quicker path to Colorado than Butler, who will be developed as a starter. Best Late-Round Pick: Oberg missed all of 2011 following Tommy John surgery but bounced back with a solid fastball and curveball. 1B Correlle Prime (12) is raw but is a 6-foot-5, 200-pounder with intriguing offensive upside. The One Who Got Away: SS A.J. Simcox (32, Tennessee) and Dansby Swanson (38, Vanderbilt) are projectable middle infielders who could be early-round picks in 2015.