Colorado Rockies: The top 25 players under 25 years old

3 Brendan Rodgers

It’s not a stretch to say that the 21-year-old shortstop is the best prospect the Rockies have ever had. The $ 5.5 million earning bonus baby, was the third overall pick in the 2015 draft and he’s already showed why at the minor league level. Last year he absolutely laid shreds to the California League slashing 387/.407/.671 with 36 extra base hits, including 12 homers and an unreal 184 wRC+ for Lancaster. In fact, not since Jose Altuve has somebody put up numbers that high in California League. One more thing, he OPS’d 1.297 at home for the JetHawks. He earned a mid season promotion to Double-A—obviously—but struggled to adjust initially to pitchers who were more than four years older than him. Then he got hurt just as he got going, still he ended up with a 104 wRC+ in 38 games for the Yard Goats. He went back down to High-A for the playoffs and also appeared in the MLB Futures game as a second baseman. He played mostly at shortstop last season, despite hand in quad injuries which in total cost him six weeks of time.

Rodgers’ numbers are to write home about but the reports are even better. He’s been named the best american-born prospect by almost every single major outlet. He had a solid debut in big league camp the back it all up.

His birthday is in August and there is a 50/50 chance that he’s in the big leagues before he turns 22. But forget the accelerated minor league career for the youngster. His potential is All-Star or higher. This is the type of prospect that can be the best at his position in the big leagues. Trevor Story has gotten very good with the glove and that could push Rodgers to shortstop which in turn diminishes his value slightly. That’s because very few shortstops can hit the way Rodgers can.

He could be an everyday starter as soon as opening day in 2019 and there just really isn’t too many good things you can say about the kid.