Top Colorado 2019 MLB Draft Prospects

By BA Staff
on May 28, 2019

To see our BA 500 draft rankings, click here. To see other states, click here.

State List Talent Ranking: ⭐️
(Stars are listed on a 1 to 5 scale relative to what the state typically produces, with 1 being the weakest)

1. Riley Cornelio, RHP, Pine Creek HS, Colorado Springs (BA RANK: 69)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 193 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Texas Christian

The top Colorado prospect in the 2019 class, Cornelio is a 6-foot-3, 193-pound righthander with solid stuff who uses a lively arm and up-tempo delivery to frustrate hitters. Cornelio’s pitch mix starts with a low-90s fastball that features natural sink and arm-side run. Over the summer, Cornelio mainly threw only one breaking ball, but he recently added a distinct second breaking pitch. His 78-82 mph slider is his better offering currently, but both his slider and curveball have a chance to be average offerings if he can more consistently get on top of the ball. He also throws an 82-85 mph changeup that has solid tumble and is thrown with good arm speed. Cornelio’s delivery is unorthodox and has plenty of moving pieces, which could be a cause for concern, but it also adds to his deception. He throws from a three-quarter arm slot, but he has a stabbing action in the back of his arm stroke and a pronounced head whack as he delivers to the plate, as well as a sharp recoil in his finish as he falls off to the first-base side of the rubber. All of these moving parts lead Cornelio to get out of sync at times, and his release point is scattered as a result. This negatively impacts his control, but his strike-throwing ability is still solid because of his athleticism. There could be plenty more to unlock with Cornelio as he refines his delivery and continues to fill out. He is committed to Texas Christian.

2. Hunter Douglas, OF, Colorado Mesa
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

3. Justin Boyd, SS, Legend HS, Parker, Col.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Oregon State

4. Matt Malkin, C, Metro State (Colo.)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 220 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

5. Eric McKnight, RHP, Heritage HS, Littleton, HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Arkansas-Little Rock

6. Mikey Gangwish, C, Colorado School of Mines
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: - • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

7. Hank Bard, C, Legend HS, Parker, Col.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 190 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Kentucky