Wilin Rosario

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #4 prospect in 2012
  Rosario had the best year of his career in 2010, but his season ended in August when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a rundown play in August. The Rockies brought him back slowly in 2011, sending him back to Double-A, where he didn't hit as well but nevertheless played in his second straight Futures Game and reached the majors for the first time in September. He started 14 of Colorado's final 21 games. Rosario's two carrying tools are his exceptional arm and plus power. He also has good hands and a quick release, enabling him to throw out 41 percent of basestealers in his minor league career and five of the eight who tested him in the big leagues. He still needs work blocking balls, moving laterally and calling a game. Rosario has a short stroke and showed he could hit major league fastballs in September. But too often he sits on fastballs and looks to pull, leaving him vulnerable to breaking pitches. He's also impatient at the plate, so he probably won't hit for a high average. He's a well below-average runner but athletic for a catcher. Rosario never has played in Triple-A and could open 2012 there. Even if he does, he's the Rockies' catcher of the future and should get considerable big league playing time this season.
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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #2 prospect in 2011
  Rosario was in the midst of a breakout year when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a rundown in early August. He had just played in the Futures Game and won the Double-A Texas League's player-of-the-month award for July when knee surgery ended his season. Colorado added him to its 40-man roster in November. Rosario is a rare catcher with an impact bat. He has a compact swing and can turn on any fastball, and he showed improvement handling breaking balls last year. He has power to all fields and could hit 20-30 homers a year if he taps into his strength, though he'll need to improve his strike-zone discipline. While he's a well below-average runner, Rosario has the athleticism to be a quality defensive catcher. He moves well behind the plate and blocks and receives balls well. He has a strong arm and threw out 44 percent of basestealers in 2010. He's refining his game-calling and working on keeping up his energy behind the plate even when he has a bad game at bat. The Rockies hoped Rosario could reach the major leagues sometime in 2011, but the knee injury probably pushes that timetable back a year. His rehabilitation was progressing well, and he could be able to participate in spring training. When he's ready for action, he'll head to Triple-A Colorado Springs.
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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #3 prospect in 2010
  Rosario and Hector Gomez are the first potential impact position players to come out of the Rockies' Latin American program, which initially emphasized finding pitching. After Rosario rated as the top prospect in the Rookie-level Pioneer League in 2008, Colorado jumped him to high Class A Modesto last season, where he worked with catching guru Jerry Weinstein. He missed all of August after hurting his left wrist on a tag at the plate, but returned to impress scouts in the Arizona Fall League. Rosario has the physical abilities to be the complete package behind the plate. He has a quick, compact swing and can drive the ball. He has a strong arm and threw out 47 percent of basestealers who tested him in 2009. He's agile behind the plate. In order to get the most out of his offensive potential, Rosario needs more discipline at the plate. He's too anxious to hit and tends to chase hard breaking balls out of the zone. He loses his concentration at times, affecting his receiving. He's a below-average runner, though he's not a baseclogger. With Chris Iannetta in the majors, the Rockies don't need to push Rosario more aggressively. He's scheduled for a full season in Double-A at age 21 and should battle Iannetta for the big league starting job in 2012.
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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #4 prospect in 2009
  Rosario seeks to join in the growing number of impact Latin American players the Rockies have produced under the guidance of Rolando Fernandez. He impressed the organization with his maturity level, considering he was one of the youngest players in the Pioneer League, and he was the league's No. 1 prospect. Rosario showed the bat speed to handle good fastballs, promising run production ability at a position where offense is a luxury. He is athletic and moves well behind the plate. The fact he threw out 46 percent of basestealers in a league where pitchers are more focused on throwing strikes than holding runners underscores his arm strength. The physical skills are there, but Rosario is still young and honing those skills. Catching requires a mental maturity, learning to isolate personal struggles or successes so that it doesn't affect the handling of a pitcher. It takes time to learn the nuances of pitch selection. Rosario will make the move to a full-season team this year, and the low Class A South Atlantic League should prove a good test of his endurance. With Chris Iannetta in the big leagues there is no reason to rush Rosario, so he will be given a chance to prove himself at each step in the minor leagues.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Texas League #6 prospect in 2011
  Rosario broke out in 2010 before he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in August. Nevertheless, he was in Tulsa's lineup when this season opened and went on to earn postseason all-star recognition in the TL and a September callup. Rosario's defense stands out, as he has a strong body with good athleticism. He has sure hands and moves well behind the plate, where he used his above-average arm strength and quick release to throw out 38 percent of TL basestealers. He's mastering the fine points of catching but has a great desire to learn and likes working with pitchers. At the plate, Rosario is aggressive and often tries to do too much. He has bat speed and a good stroke, but he doesn't have a great approach and probably won't ever hit for a high average. He's capable of batting .250 with 20 homers per season, more than enough to make him a longtime big league starter.
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  Ranked Texas League #4 prospect in 2010
  Rosario was coming off a Futures Game appearance and the TL's player of the month award for July when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a rundown at the beginning of August. His recovery from surgery may give him a late start on the 2011 season, though the Rockies say his injury shouldn't hold him back in the long term. Rosario fits the physical prototype of a catcher, and his bat looks nearly big league-ready. He can turn around any fastball and showed a better feel for offspeed stuff this season, learning what good breaking balls look like and what to do with them. He has power to all fields and could hit 20-30 homers a season if he taps fully into his strength. He also has all the tools on defense. Rosario blocks and receives well, and he used his plus-plus arm to throw out 44 percent of basestealers at Tulsa. Though he's a well below-average runner, he springs well from behind the plate to go after bunts. His youth often shows, however, as he's still learning how to call games and work with pitchers. He has a lack of focus and energy behind the plate at times, particularly if he has a series of bad at-bats.
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  Ranked Pioneer League #1 prospect in 2008
  Rosario made monumental improvement from a year ago, when he was overmatched as an 18-year-old making his U.S. debut. In his return to Casper, he learned to harness his aggression and play more under control. He has above-average bat speed and raw power. Predominantly a pull hitter last year, he began using the whole field more, though he still gears up to turn on pitches. "With the power he has," Casper manager Tony Diaz said, "he doesn't even have to barrel balls up all the time for the balls to just travel." Rosario's athleticism, plus arm and quick release and helped him throw out a league-best 46 percent of basestealers. His receiving skills have improved but still need work, as does his game-calling.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #87 prospect in 2012
• Ranked Baseball America's #49 prospect in 2011

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Rosario had the best year of his career in 2010, but his season ended in August when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a rundown play in August. The Rockies brought him back slowly in 2011, sending him back to Double-A, where he didn't hit as well but nevertheless played in his second straight Futures Game and reached the majors in September. Scouting Report: Rosario's two carrying tools are his exceptional arm and plus power. He also has good hands and a quick release, enabling him to throw out 41 percent of basestealers in his minor league career and five of the eight who tested him in the big leagues. He still needs work blocking balls, moving laterally and calling a game. Rosario has a short stroke and showed he could hit major league fastballs. But too often he sits on fastballs and looks to pull, leaving him vulnerable to breaking pitches. He's also impatient at the plate,. He's a well below-average runner but athletic for a catcher. The Future: Rosario never has played in Triple-A and could open 2012 there. Even if he does, he's the Rockies' catcher of the future and should get considerable big league playing time next season.