Colorado Rockies: 3 interesting non-roster invitees to watch this spring

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 25: Archie Bradley #25 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a pitch during the fourth inning of the spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 25, 2017 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

Recently, the Colorado Rockies announced their non-roster invitees to Spring Training. This year’s class includes 17 individuals, 15 of which spent time in the Rockies farm system in 2017. While all non-roster invitees deserve to be watched, three in particular should stand out to those watching at home or in Arizona: Brendan Rodgers, Sam Hilliard, and Ryan Castellani.

Let’s take a look at each of them, beginning with Rodgers.

Rodgers has been highly touted since he was drafted third overall in the 2015 draft. Since being drafted, he has consistently been ranked one of the top shortstop prospects in all of baseball.

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After an average year with the Asheville Tourists, Rodgers was moved up to Lancaster to start last year’s campaign. What Rodgers did at the A+ level was nothing short of incredible.

During the 51 games he played for Lancaster last year, Rodgers posted a .387 average with 12 home runs and 47 RBI. His stellar play earned him a promotion to Double-A Hartford for the rest of the season.

A muscle strain injury plagued Rodgers during his time in Hartford, but he still played in 38 games for the club, posting a .260 average while belting six home runs and driving in 17.

Many fans are already looking forward to their chance to see Rodgers play for the big league team this spring. While he will likely start the season at the AA or AAA level, it certainly will not be long before Rodgers will be playing for the Rockies for real.

Hilliard tells a similar tale to Rodgers, minus the top draft pick status. He was drafted in the 15th round of the 2015 draft, the same year as Rodgers. Hilliard was also the only outfielder to be a non-roster invitee.

After a year in Asheville in 2016 in which he hit .267 with 17 home runs and 83 RBI across 127 games, Hilliard was promoted to Lancaster for the 2017 season. Last year, Hilliard drove in 92 and launched 21 home runs, fairly similar numbers to those from a year earlier.

The major difference came in his batting average and his approach at the plate. Hilliard’s batting average jumped more than 30 points to .300 and overall he looked more comfortable and confident at the plate.

Defensively, Hilliard has the speed to be a center fielder despite his 6-foot-5 stature, but often fits best in right field, where he saw the majority of his time last year.

A+ pitching is definitely a world different from AA pitching and beyond. While Hilliard looked solid last season against A+ pitching, fans should be interested to see if he can translate last year’s success into success in Spring Training and at the Double-A level this year.

Castellani is one of the most intriguing young pitching prospects in the Rockies system. The 6-foot-4 right hander was drafted after high school in 2014 and has been in the Rockies system ever since.

This year, he worked his way up to Double-A Hartford and pitched much stronger than his 9-12 record would indicate. A few poor outings lifted Castellani’s ERA to 4.81, but overall he had a very solid season.

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