Colorado Rockies: Reviewing the Last 10 Top Draft Picks

2017 will mark only the second time in franchise history that the Colorado Rockies will not have a first round draft pick. Nonetheless, the Rockies will make two picks in tonight’s draft, the 48th and 70th overall selections. Before they do, let’s take a look at the previous ten top draft picks and see where they are now.

2007: CASEY WEATHERS

Ten years ago, the Rockies used the 8th overall pick in the 2007 draft to select Casey Weathers out of the University of Vanderbilt. Weathers was rated as the number 91 overall prospect in all of baseball entering into the 2008 season.

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Weathers was never able to get far with the Rockies system partially due to his high ERA and astronomical hits per nine innings. He bounced between the lower levels of the system, never getting higher than AA before joining the Cubs prior to the 2012 season.

The Cubs released Weathers after a year and he joined the Rays for the 2013 season. His stint with the Rays also lasted just a single year. Between 2014-2016, Weathers struggled to advance through the Indians system, once again never reaching AAA.
Prior to the 2017 season, Weathers joined the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, an independent league baseball team based in North Dakota. Thus far, he has pitched in nine games and holds a 1-2 record with a 6.52 ERA.

2008: CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH

In 2008, the Rockies selected a young pitcher out of Eastern Kentucky University named Christian Friedrich. Friedrich struggled through the minor leagues, but made his major league debut in 2012 with Colorado.

Friedrich posted an ugly 5-16 record in three seasons with the Rockies with an ERA north of five. As a result, the Rockies released Friedrich prior to the start of the 2016 season.

He eventually signed with the San Diego Padres last season, putting up a 5-12 record with a 4.80 ERA. This season, he has only played in one game at the AA level due to injury. Currently, he is on the DL with tenderness in his left elbow.

2009: TIM WHEELER

In 2009, the Rockies used their first-round pick to select Tim Wheeler, an outfielder from Sacramento State. Wheeler was a highly-touted prospect, ranked as high as #97 by Baseball Prospectus at one point.

Regardless, he never really panned out as a baseball player, despite some decent years, including a .303 year with AAA in 2012. Wheeler spent four years at AAA and elected for free agency after the 2015 season. He has never seen action in a major league game and is still officially a free agent.

2010: KYLE PARKER

The Rockies used their 2010 pick to select Kyle Parker, a first baseman out of Clemson. Parker excelled through the Rockies minor league system, making his major league debut just four years after being drafted.

Unfortunately, Parker did not excel at the major league level. In two seasons in the big leagues, Parker hit .192 and .179 in just 138 plate appearances. He was released by the club around Opening Day last season.

A month into the year, Parker was signed by the Reds and assigned to the AA level. He struggled there, hitting .191 in just 44 games before being released in the middle of the season. Parker has yet to sign with another team.

2011: TYLER ANDERSON

The Rockies used their 2011 selection to pick Tyler Anderson, a left-handed pitcher out of Oregon and a current member of the Rockies 40-man roster. Anderson had a phenomenal first professional season, going 12-3 and putting his name on the map.

While Anderson inevitably fell off pace from his first season, he continued to impress and progress through the ranks, getting the call to the big league club last season. This year, he is off to a 3-5 record with a so-so 5.85 ERA. Recently, Anderson was placed on the 10-day DL with knee inflammation.

2012: DAVID DAHL

2012 saw the Rockies draft a promising outfielder out of high school with the 10th overall pick in the draft. David Dahl received high praise on his way up the Rockies system, being ranked as high as number 31 in all of baseball prior to the 2016 season.

Dahl played impressively in his time in the minor leagues and earned a promotion to the majors last July. In the big leagues, Dahl hit a solid .315 in 63 games last season. Unfortunately, a rib injury has had him sidelined for all of 2017 so far, but Rockies fan should be looking forward to his return.

2013: JONATHON GRAY

The 2013 draft was one of two times in the previous ten years the Rockies had a top three draft pick. They did not disappoint, picking a very talented pitcher from Oklahoma, Jonathon Gray. Gray breezed through the system, reaching the majors three years after being drafted.

Gray has looked good at times with the Rockies, posting a 10-12 record over parts of three seasons with the big league club. Unfortunately, Gray has struggled with injuries and has only been able to play in three games this year so far. Currently, Gray is on the 10-day DL.

2014: KYLE FREELAND

Three years ago, the Rockies drafted another pitcher, Kyle Freeland from Evansville. Freeland impressed many on his way through the minor leagues and received the opportunity to join the big league club this year. As Rockies fans know, Freeland has been incredible in his rookie season, posting a 7-3 record with a 3.34 ERA.

2015: BRENDAN RODGERS

With the third overall pick in the 2015 draft, the Rockies selected Brendan Rodgers, a young shortstop out of high school. Rodgers had a solid first year in Single-A ball with Asheville, posting a .281 batting average with 19 home runs. What Rodgers has done this year, however, has been nothing short of amazing. Rodgers has hit .402 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs in just 42 games. He could earn a call-up to AA soon and potentially a major league call-up in the foreseeable future.

2016: RILEY PINT

Last season, the Rockies used their top pick to select a high school pitcher from Kansas, Riley Pint. While Pint has had less than a year of professional ball experience, he has looked concerning at the least thus far. In short-season ball last year, Pint posted a 1-5 record with a five+ ERA, while this year in full-season ball, Pint is 1-7 with a near-four ERA.

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Despite the poor record, Pint’s combined ERA is a respectable 4.64 and he has surrendered only three homeruns in his professional career. Pint still has tremendous potential, but it would be nice to see him get back on track in the second half of 2017.

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