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Colorado draft Greg Reynolds No.2 overall

Ask any Rockies fan about Greg Reynolds, and they will talk about the draft which still haunts the hallowed walls of Coors. In 2006, the Rockies held the number two overall pick. It turned out to be a draft which would change the course of the franchise forever.

Reynolds exhibited everything a starting pitcher should display, standing at 6’7″, 225 pounds. He possessed the size to excel and was coming off a strong junior year at Stanford in which he finished with a 3.31 ERA. The Rockies liked what they saw in Reynolds, carrying high hopes he could transform the franchise. Sadly, it never came to fruition.

After working his way through the system, Reynolds made his debut on May 11 against the San Diego Padres. He pitched relatively well, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing four runs. His next start, Reynolds showed out hurling six scoreless innings versus the Minnesota Twins.

Things would soon spiral out of control. Reynolds finished the 2008 campaign 2-8 with a horrendous 8.13 ERA across 13 starts. It would not be until 2011 when Reynolds worked his way back up to the major league club, this time posting a 6.19 ERA over 13 games, including three starts.

While the porous production from Reynolds isn’t the reason why he closes off the list, it was the failure to capitalize on the likes of Evan Longoria, Andrew Miller, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum, and Max Scherzer that makes this moment in team history such a hard thing to swallow. The 2006 Amateur player draft will always remain the time of ‘what could have been?’.