Colorado Rockies: Ranking the 40-Man Roster: 37-40

Number 37

Pat Valaika: Shortstop/IF Points: 218 Highest Rank: 31 Lowest: 40

Valaika was the Rockies’ 9^th-round pick in 2013 out of UCLA. The 24-year-old has travelled through the minors quickly, starting 2016 in Hartford before a mid-season promotion to the Isotopes and a call to the show once rosters expanded in September. Combined results from the three levels in 2016 had Valaika slashing .257/.297/.425 over 589 plate appearances.

He only appeared in 13 games for the Rockies, most of which were pinch-hitting appearances. Over a ridiculously small sample size of 19 at-bats, Valaika hit .263 while striking out eight times. Among his five hits were a home run and a double, so his initial time in the big leagues wasn’t a total disaster.

Primarily a shortstop, Valaika has shown the ability to play all infield positions in the minor leagues except first base, increasing his value. His offensive ceiling is relatively limited with a career average of .261 and a slugging percentage of .414 in his minor league career.

I thought prior to the Alexi Amarista signing that Valaika would have a good shot in a spring training battle with Cristhian Adames to win the utility infielder spot on the roster. With double the competition, I would be surprised if Valaika broke out of spring training with the Rockies and is more likely to start the year with the Isotopes. I think, as the year wears on, he could see some time in the majors, especially if Adames loses his roster spot in spring training.

I don’t see Valaika factoring in as a starter in any scenario but could be a quality utility infielder if called upon. I expect him to get around 100 at bats in the majors this year with modest success.

Next: 5 Bold Predictions for Colorado's Spring Training

Our next installment will include players 36-31. Be sure to comment on if you agree with the rankings so far!