Colorado Rockies Prospect Countdown – #10: Antonio Senzatela

Baseball America has released their list of the top 10 prospects in the Colorado Rockies farm system and we’ll be counting them down over the coming days. Let’s kick off the countdown with a guy looking to overcome an injury-marred 2016.

#10: Antonio Senzatela

Position: Pitcher

Bats/Throws: R/R

Age: 21 (January 21st, 1995)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 180 lbs

Highest Level Reached: Double-A Hartford

Estimated Big League Arrival: 2018

One Sentence Summary: Terrific results in the low minors, but skepticism about his secondary pitches and durability have some picturing a future in the bullpen.

A native of Valencia, Venezuela, the same city that produced Felix Hernandez, Salvador Perez and other big league ballplayers, Senzatela made his debut with the Rockies in 2012. After two reasonably successful years in the lower levels, Senzatela started getting more attention in A-Ball. In 2014, he posted a sparkling 15-2 record in Asheville, then followed that up with arguably an even better season in 2015 despite playing in hitter-friendly California League.

Following his fantastic 2015 season with Modesto, Senzatela was shooting up the prospect ranks. Baseball America ranked the top 20 prospects to play in the league that season, and Senzatela was 6th, one spot behind Astros super-prospect Alex Bregman, and 11 spots ahead of Raimel Tapia, who will be featured later in this countdown.

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But sometimes, the path to MLB stardom can be long and full of obstacles. Senzatela left his second start of the 2016 season with shoulder inflammation. He would return over a month later, only to land on the DL again in June. Senzatela hasn’t pitched in a game since.

Even before the shoulder issues started for Senzatela, there was some concern about his ability to stick as a starter against big league hitters. Senzatela throws his fastball in the mid-90s with strong command for a pitcher his age, but none of his other pitches currently project to be better than average offerings.

Because of this, some scouts have said that Senzatela’s future most likely lies in the bullpen. As a middle reliever, Senzatela could throw primarily fastballs, and only occasionally mix in his slider or curve. Senzatela utilizes a strange delivery where he throws the ball almost completely straight over the top, and it might be more deceptive if used for only an inning or two at a time.

The path to the majors is also much simpler for Senzatela if he goes the relief route. The Rockies rotation is one of the youngest in MLB, and with the possible exception of Tyler Chatwood, it doesn’t look like any of the starters are going away any time soon. The bullpen, on the other hand, is mostly up for grabs, and a guy who attacks the strike zone like Senzatela could quickly find favor with new manager Bud Black.

Even if Senzatela could eventually develop the kind of repertoire it takes to be a MLB starting pitcher, the Rockies may not have the patience to wait around for him. Taking someone from amateur signing to MLB ballplayer is a long, difficult process, and if Colorado believes it might be shorter or easier for Senzatela out of the bullpen, then that’s likely where he’ll end up.

Next: The Best and Worst Stories of 2016 for the Rockies

2017 will be a crucial year for Senzatela. The buzz surrounding his performance in Single-A hasn’t completely evaporated (which is why he’s on this list), but he has to prove that he’s healthy and that his secondary pitches are improving. If things go right for him, however, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Senzatela pitching in relief for the Rockies later this season.