Colorado Rockies: The top 25 players under 25 years old

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DENVER – SEPTEMBER 28: The baseball rests on the mound as it awaits relief pitcher Eric Stults of the Los Angeles Dodgers the final pitcher to enter the game against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning as 16 pitchers and 44 total players entered the game as the Dodgers defeated the Rockies 19-11 on September 28, 2006 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

16 Peter Lambert

Last year, the leash came off of Lambert at Lancaster and he did not take many Ls. Nearly throwing 150 innings, the 2015 second-round pick had a 9-8 record with a 4.17 ERA in the California League. The 20-year-old’s ERA actually went up last year but so too did his SO/9 sitting at 8.3 and his BB/9 dropped below 2. He did this all while being more than three years younger than the league average at one of the world’s worst pitcher’s parks.

Lambert begins 2018 at Double-A Hartford as he attempts to make the jump to the high minors at a very young age. In fact, it’s likely that Lambert spends all of this season at Hartford no matter what happens (unless he throws a no-hitter every time out, which I guess is technically possible.)

Keith Law of ESPN pushed Lambert to the third overall prospect in the Rockies system and No. 63 across baseball. I’m not quite as high as Law but I understand why Law is that high and I could be convinced.

Lambert is an extremely polished pitcher for his age. He has a clean delivery and great command. A mid-90s fastball and a great curveball will push Lambert to the show at some point. It’s matter of when and how good not if with Lambert.