Colorado Rockies: How the 2016 Draftees Fared Last Season

Jon Gray set the formula for the Colorado Rockies organization drafting process. Jeff Bridich and his team are betting on the notion that power fastballs are effective, no matter how many feet you play above sea level. Bridich is betting his legacy on this notion and even if it fails, nobody can blame him for trying.

The Rockies drafted 24 pitchers in the 2016 draft. Many of them are right-handed, including the number one draft pick Riley Pint. Of those 24 pitchers, 21 are out of college. Even if not one pitcher in this draft works out, the strategy shows the Rockies are emphasizing pitching. That is a much welcomed shift.

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While Pint didn’t have a strong pro debut, that is the point of Rookie ball. A big part of the future of this franchise is just 18 years old. He just graduated high school. He’s going to need time to develop. There are many promising features of Pint’s game and many promising players in the 2016 draft. Get to know them in this article. Trust me, there is a lot to look forward to.

Keep reading to see how every draftee to sign with the Rockies fared in 2016.

Riley Pint – P – Round 1 – Pick 4 

The prize of the draft and the future of the organization came in the form of high schooler who’s right arm was dipped in magic gold. Scratch that. A high schooler who can throw over 100 mph is better than gold. Pint turned out to foreshadow what was to come for the Rockies in the 2016 draft.

Looking at the numbers for Pint for the Grand Junction Rockies  you won’t be impressed at first glance. He went 1-5 with a 5.38 ERA in 37 innings. He walked 23 batters and struck out 36 with a 1.78 WHIP. But Rockies fans have to be patient with Pint. He’s 18. Good news is he is 6′ 4″ 215 lbs. and he consistently hit 99 mph in several starts. His fastball is dominate and he has a above average curveball that was moving in Grand Junction. In his first win of the season he threw five scoreless innings and got eight ground balls mixing his stuff effectively. Grand Junction pitching coach Ryan Kibler compared Pint favorably to Eddie Butler and Jon Gray who both pitched in Grand Junction. If Pint sticks to the formula he used to get his first pro win, he can find success like those aforementioned righties have.

Robert Tyler – P – CBA – Pick 38 

Robert Tyler had a phenomenal freshman season with the Georgia Bulldogs holding opponents under .200 and earned a 2.68 ERA. Then his sophomore year he missed nearly 40 games. He didn’t have a remarkable comeback his final year but he did strike out 89 batters. His fastball can reach nearly triple digits and this is exactly why management drafted Tyler. Power pitching is the path as long as Jeff Bridich is in control of this team.

The potential is certainly there for Tyler but he struggled displaying it in 2016 with the Boise Hawks. To be fair the sample size isn’t large for the power righty only pitching seven innings. He went 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA walking 16 batters compared to 5 strikeouts. The only way Tyler’s fastball can be effective and live up to his potential is if he can command it. More playing time will help Tyler realize his true potential.

Ben Bowden – P – Round 2 – Pick 45 

Bowden is the last of the trio the Rockies picked on the first day of the 2016 draft. He fits the Bridich model well as his fastball is his primary asset. His secondary pitches are what will differentiate himself between the starting rotation or the bullpen. Right now those pitches are average but with Bowden the Rockies get an intriguing lefty out of Vanderbilt to counterbalance the two righties picked at the top of the draft.

Bowden debuted with the Class A Ashville Tourists. Before that Bowden’s Vanderbilt teammate freshman pitcher Donny Everett drown. The loss of a teammate put baseball in perspective. He is ready for the long grind of rookie ball. He started well with a 3.04 ERA in 23.2 innings. The strikeouts were impressive tallying 29 but also counter balanced by 15 walks. Bowden knows first hand how precious his opportunities pursuing professional ball are. Don’t expect him to take them for granted.

Garrett Hampson – SS – Round 3 – Pick 81

The first position player to be drafted in 2016 is shortstop Garrett Hampson. By the time Hampson could be ready for the big leagues, Story will be up for a contract extension. He is a Long Beach State Dirtbag like Troy Tulowitzki. Hampson got off to a torrid start with the Bosie Hawks as he was leading the Northwest League in July with .400 batting average. He was part of the Northwest League All-Star team who won over the Pioneer League in August. But unlike Story and Tulowitzki, he isn’t a power hitter but more of a traditional top of the order shortstop. He admitted as much  after he hit two home runs at the end of the 2016 season. They were his only homers but he slashed .293/.398/.427 with 39 RBIs and 40 runs scored in 65 games. Hampson said he was looking forward to next season relishing at the opportunity to train with Story and Brendan Rodgers. With great teammates, Hampson has a great opportunity to extend the exceptional short stop talent in this organization. Even without a power bat.

Colton Welker – 3B – Round 4 – Pick 110 

Another rookie ball All-Star is third baseman Colton Welker. He made the second annual Pioneer Baseball League’s All-Star team with the Grand Junction Rockies. There were some concerns about Welker showing consistency at the plate after being drafted out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida. He did everything to buck those concerns batting .329/.266/.490 and maybe even better just committing just nine errors in 51 games. He started his pro career with an 11 game hitting streak. He was able to battle adversity seeing a funk towards the end of his season by coming out of it in a big way plating six runs and falling just a triple shy of the cycle in a game towards the end of the season against Billings. The left side of the field should be situated for a long time to come for the Colorado Rockies.

Brian Serven – C – Round 5 – Pick 140 

The first catcher drafted by the Rockies did not make much noise for the Grand Junction Rockies. That was the same with Will Haynie. Serven, out of Arizona State, is a smaller catcher than Haynie at 6’0”, 195 and projected well defensively with a .981 fielding percentage. The power and average were not there though going .203 with home run in 34 games in rookie ball. More games will service Serven in showing his worth for the Rockies if he is going to prove he is the Rockies best catcher in the 2016 class. With the precedent Tony Wolters and Tom Murph made moving up the ranks quickly, Serven will have a lot to prove in 2017.

Willie Abreu – OF – Round 6 – Pick 170

Willie Abreu, drafted in the sixth round out of the University of Miami, has been compared with another Miami star in Giancarlo Stanton by his former teammate Chantz Mack an outfielder in the Seattle Mariners organization. Purple Row contributor Bobby DeMuro wrote a great piece on the relationship between Mack and Abreu. Scouts projected immense raw power from Abreu but he would need a lot of development to consistently make contact. He was well on his way to showing that power hitting six bombs in 56 games with the Bosie Hawks. He had 50 hits to match. With development, Abreu could be a lot of fun to watch bop homers at 20^th and Blake. Even if he turns out to have half the talent of Stanton, Abreu will be a nice addition to the plethora of outfield talent in this organization.

Reid Humphreys – P – Round 7 – Pick 200 

Now back to pitching. Humphreys hit .310 with five homers and 44 RBIs in his junior season with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. But the Rockies are using him strictly as a pitcher. His sample size wasn’t large in Rookie ball with Grand Junction but in the 10.1 innings pitched this year he did everything that was expected of him getting a win against no losses with a 3.48 ERA and nine strikeouts. He had 17 relief appearances in his final year at MSU and he would seemingly project well in that role for the Rockies.

Ty Culbreth – P – Round 8 – Pick 230 

This University of Texas alum was selected with the 230^th overall pick. He struck out 78 batters while only walking 17 in 86.2 innings in his senior year. At high altitude in Grand Junction he went 3-4 with a 5.33 ERA in 49 innings. He gave up for homeruns in that stint. This lefty’s specialty is his control. He might not project as a starter but if he can keep the command he had in college, the Rockies will have someone to bolster their bullpen. Something they so desperately need to build.

Justin Calomeni – P – Round 9 – Pick 260

Calomeni arguably pitched better than the two pitchers drafted in the rounds immediately before him. While playing for the Boise Hawks, he posted a 2.33 ERA and 2-1 record in 19.1 innings. The Rockies’ strategy of drafting a lot of pitchers no matter what paw they use is a much-welcomed strategy. Welcome aboard Calomeni. The more the merrier.

Vince Fernandez – OF – Round 10 – Pick 290

Fenandez was projected to possess a better bat than glove when he slashed .350/.431/.509 out of UC-Riverside. Those great numbers continued into pro ball batting .310 with 63 hits in 51 games. He mostly played at corner outfield positions with the most coming in right field where he had .915 fielding percentage there and .930 overall. Fernandez will be brought through the ranks with his bat alone, but his overall success will be determined by how well rounded in every facet he becomes.

Call to the Pen

Bryan Baker – P – Round 11 – Pick 320 

There are not many stories compiled on Baker. He is a righty out of North Florida but possibly the most compelling thing about him is that he is 6’ 6” 220 lbs. That imposing presence is more promising than the numbers he showed in Grand Junction. He went 3-4 with a 6.00 ERA with batters hitting .320 against him. The good news is that he got plenty of opportunities with 48 innings pitched with 41 strikeouts compared to 12 walks. He will need to figure out how to get batters out without relying on the strikeout as his 1.1 GO/AO ratio is on the lower end of the spectrum. He is giving up too many fly balls to be successful as a Rockies pitcher. Giving up 10 homers in 11 games doesn’t help matters.

Brandon Gold – 3B – Round 12 – Pick 350 

Gold has one of the most interesting stories of any of the 2016 Rockies draft picks. Most of Gold’s career at Georgia Tech he played third base. A series of Yellow Jacket injuries gave Gold a chance to make relief appearances. He made enough of an impression and became a starter. All he did with that is become the Jackets number one starter posting a 9-3 record with a 2.48 ERA. While the wear and tear is not there, the most intriguing thing about Gold is his command. In 24.2 innings with the Boise Hawks he only had two walks. He gets the ball on the ground. More experience is the key for Gold. The good news is that without much experience the Rockies can mold him the way they want.

Taylor Snyder – SS – Round 13 – Pick 380

The rare Colorado player drafted by the Rockies organization, Snyder had a smooth transition into Grand Junction out of Colorado State-Pueblo. He hit .287 with an .893 OPS in 47 games. Snyder went on a tear in August and earned praise from his manager Frank Gonzales. He said his second-hole hitter for his versatility being able to play any infield position including first base.  Snyder’s versatility will help him stand out in a crowded field of shortstops in this organization.

Matt Dennis – P – Round 14 – Pick 410 

Dennis served primarily in a reliever position at Bradley University but started 14 games going 9-3 with a 3.89 ERA. The success transitioned well to Grand Junction as Dennis went 5-2 with 3.27 ERA four walks in in 33 innings. The Rockies need the relievers; Dennis gives confidence that he can do the job.

Justin Valdespina – P – Round 15 – Pick 440 

Valdespina didn’t make much of an impression in his debut for the Gran Junction Rockies. Not that he played poorly he just rarely pitched. In Rookie ball Valdespina went 3 innings and gave up three hits. That’s it. He is another right handed pitcher though. The Rockies certainly can’t have enough of those. He was a sophomore from Southern New Hampshire University who went 10-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 13 starts in 2016 with 91 strikeouts. Let’s hope those numbers continue when Valdespina gets more opportunities.

Will Haynie – C – Round 16 – Pick 470

Haynie is only one of two catchers drafted that signed with the Rockies in 2016. He is a force behind the plate at 6’ 5” 225 lbs. He batted .224 for the Crimson Tide but he did lead the team with 10 home runs. In Boise he did not hit a home run and hit well below average at .210 and a .596 OPS. Haynie was seemingly drafted for his size and pop. The next step will be improving upon his appearances beside, and not behind, the plate.

Mike Bunal – P – Round 17 – Pick 500 

Bunal ranked in the Top 50 prospects of Seniors by Baseball America as he was the America East Conference Pitcher of the Year setting the strikeout record at 87 batters at Binghamton University. In his first year in pro ball with the Boise Hawks that translated to 30 innings pitched with a 4.80 ERA with a record of 0-2. Not good but not bad either though. The sample size is small. The Rockies are stacked with right handers but look for Bunal’s ability to get the K to help him stand apart from his peers.

Hunter Melton – 1B – Round 18 – Pick 530 

The Rockies happen to be in desperate need of a true first baseman. This former Aggie was picked before Bosiokovic but only hit for a .238 average with the Grand Junction Rockies. Five home runs in 51 games shows promise of more power to come. What is most impressive about his game so far is his .993 fielding percentage compared to Bosiokovic’s .979 in fewer games. To be fair the difference isn’t tremendous but above average defense at the major league at first hasn’t been around since 2013.

Jacob Bosiokovic – 1B – Round 19 – Pick 560 

Two first basemen were picked back to back with the 18^th and 19^th picks of the draft. Bosiokovic had a good sample size playing 68 games. His OPS of .799 shows promise. Although he’s not a pitcher he sat out of for two seasons after receiving Tommy John surgery. He was able to bounce back his final season in college hitting eleven home runs tied for fourth in the Big Ten. Sitting out in college has fueled the fire to get back and he has some pop even just hitting four homers in Short A ball. Here’s to hoping he resembles more of Todd Helton than just the exceptional goatee in the future. The potential is enticing.

George Thanopoulos – P – Round 27 – Pick 800 

The Columbia grad didn’t have the best senior year going 3-5 with a 6.69 ERA. He was drafted in the 35th round by the Mets in 2015 so he did increase draft stock getting picked in the 27th round this year. He improved in his rookie ball debut with Boise. His major issue is the 15 walks in 23 innings.

Ryan Luna – P – Round 28 – Pick 830

Ryan Luna will most likely want to forget his first season in Grand Junction. The righty out of Fresno City College went 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in 30 innings giving up an average to opposing batters of .375. The silver lining is that he does get the ball on the ground.

Josh Shelley – P – Round 29 – Pick 860

Shelley was drafted and according to the Rockies website signed 6/16/2016. As of publication, he has no available stats.

Rico Garcia – P – Round 30 – Pick 890 

Bridich and company seemingly couldn’t get enough of righty pitching. Garcia struggled in his first season pro ball going 0-4 for the Boise Hawks with 6.37 ERA. The command seems to be the biggest issue with Garcia as he walked 17 in 35 innings.
Kenny Oakley – P – Round 31 – Pick 920

Oakley is the last pitcher to be selected in the pitcher dominated draft by the Rockies. He played in 22 games going 4-5 with a 4.13 ERA. The strikeout to walk ratio was impressive for the righty with 43 to 9 respectively. His performance translated from his college career at the university of Nevada, Las Vegas when as a senior he went 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA with 58 strikeouts and 35 walks.

Next: The Top 5 Right Fielders in Colorado History

Tyler Orris – SS – Round 33 – Pick 980

Orrvis is a four year starter at shortstop out of Millersville University in central Pennsylvania. He helped the Marauders reach the Division II championship. At 5′ 9″ 175 lbs, Orvis has a lot to prove especially because he is the last draft pick for the Rockies to sign. His first shot at rookie ball in Boise he had 122 at-bats but only connecting 24 times for an average of .197.