Colorado Rockies: Catching up with the 2015 draft class

You’ll be forgiven if you don’t remember every detail of the Colorado Rockies’ 2015 draft.

The reason that there’s no hoopla surrounding the MLB draft the way that there is with its NFL and NBA counterparts is that it can take years to get even the smallest sense of how it went, and the better part of a decade before you can say for sure.

Players drafted in 2015 have been starting to crack rosters across the MLB over the last couple seasons, and last year the draft produced its first All-Star in Houston’s Alex Bregman.

The 2015 draft has the distinction of being Jeff Bridich’s first as GM of the Rockies, and we’re just now getting to the point where we can take stock of how it went.

The Rockies have yet to graduate any of the class of 2015 to the game’s top level, but with any luck 2019 is the year that all that changes. With that in mind, let’s take a look back at the Rockies 2015 picks and see where they are now.

1. (1st round, #3 overall) Brendan Rodgers, SS/2B/3B, Lake Mary High School, Florida

If you’re even a casual Rockies fan, you’ve probably heard Rodgers’ name thrown about at least a little. If you’re hardcore, you’ve been reading it for years – and 2019 may be the year that Rockies fans of all stripes actually get to put a face to the rumors.

There was some speculation that the departure of DJ LeMahieu would clear the second base spot for Rodgers, and while that may still come true, Ryan McMahon seems to have claimed that spot for the time being. Rodgers is currently at AAA Albuquerque working out at three different infield positions and my debut as a utility player later this Summer.

Rodgers’ bat has always been his calling card and he’s currently crushing his AAA competition, batting .339/.406/.610 in his first 133 plate appearances of 2019. His production has landed him on all kinds of prospects lists, including #10 on MLB.com, #14 on Baseball America, #22 on Baseball Prospectus, and #28 on ESPN.

2. (1st, #27) Mike Nikorak, RHP, Stroudsberg High School, Pennsylvania

The second of Colorado’s first round picks, Nikorak has not had as smooth an ascent as Rodgers. Health is one of the major factors for this, as Nikorak had to have Tommy John surgery before the 2017 season, costing him all of that year and a good chunk of the next.

Nikorak started 2019 healthy, however he’s struggled so far this season in a relief role for Asheville in the A league. Nikorak isn’t on any top 100 lists, though MLB.com ranked him as the Rockies’ #28 prospect during the preseason.

3. (Collective Bargaining Pick A, #38) Tyler Nevin, 1B/3B, Poway High School, California

Nevin, the son of former #1 overall pick Phil, has been climbing the minor league ladder slowly but steadily. He is currently in his first season at Double-A Hartford where he’s hitting a middling .240/.361/.320 through 119 plate appearances.

While we’re still waiting for his father’s home run power to show itself, the younger Nevin did hit a blistering .426/.535/.593 in 71 PA during the Arizona Fall League. He also hit .328/.386/.503 in 417 plate appearances in Advanced-A ball Lancaster last season. He’s currently considered the Rockies’ #6 overall prospect according to MLB.com.

4. (2nd, #44) Peter Lambert, San Dimas High School, California

Lambert’s had an incredible year at Double-A last season, however he’s struggled so far at the Triple-A level, compiling a 5.04 ERA in 11 starts in 2018 and a 6.59 ERA through 6 starts in 2019. He’s rated as the #3 Rockies prospect on MLB.com and #92 on the ESPN Top 100, but this is a drop after being ranked #63 in 2018. There’s a chance we could see Lambert late in 2019, though a 2020 arrival seems more likely at this point.

5. (3rd, #77) Javier Medina, RHP, Sahuaro High School, Arizona

Medina is the first casualty of the 2015 draft on this list. He struggled with both injuries and performance, missing all of 2017 and then struggling mightily in 2018 after his return. Medina was released prior to the 2019 season and has yet to catch on with another team.

6. (4th, #107) David Hill, RHP, University of San Diego

After missing all of 2017, Hill pitched serviceably at A+ Lancaster, compiling a 4.58 ERA in 35.1 innings. Now nearly 25, he has yet to pitch in 2019. Hill is still under contract to the Rockies, however he is officially unassigned to any level.

7. (5th, #137) Parker French, RHP, University of Texas at Austin

French was released by the Rockies after the 2018 season and remains unsigned. Though he pitched well through three levels of the lower minors, the right-hander topped out at AA Hartford after getting shelled two years in a row (6.37 ERA in 2017, 7.95 ERA in 2018).

12. (10th, #287) Cole Anderson, OF, Rocky Mountain High School, Colorado

Anderson voluntarily retired after the 2018 season following four straight years of declining numbers. He went from slashing .248/.313/.430 mark as an 18-year-old in Rookie ball to a .193/.244/.345 mark as a 21-year-old at A- Boise before calling it a career.

13. (11th, #317) Michael Zimmerman, LHP, Gulf Coast High School, Florida

After a rough 2016 at A- Boise, Zimmerman was demoted to Rookie league Grand Junction for 2017. After pitching only 2.1 innings Zimmerman was officially unassigned, where he technically remains, though he hasn’t pitched in a game since.

14. (12th, #347) Justin Lawrence, RHP, Daytona Beach Community College

Lawrence has battled his way through the minor leagues through both ups (1.65 ERA at level A Asheville in 2017) and downs (7.18 ERA at Asheville in 2016). The righty reliever had a stellar 2018 at A+ Lancaster, striking out 62 batters in 54.1 innings with a 2.98 ERA which, coupled with a solid Arizona Fall League showing, pushed him all the way up to AAA Albuquerque for 2019. Though he’s struggled at that level so far in 2019, he is still ranked as the Rox #12 prospect on MLB.com.

15. (13th, #377) Mylz Jones, OF/IF, California State University Bakersfield

Drafted out of college as a shortstop/third baseman, Jones has mostly transitioned to the outfield these days. Jones has worked his way up through the minor league ladder where he’s spent 2019 bouncing between AA and AAA, where he was playing as of the publication of this article. Jones slashed .250/.275/.386 in AA Hartford last year, however he’s regressed to start 2019, compiling a .188/.212/.281 across the two levels.

16. (14th, #407) Sam Thoele, RHP, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Thoele was released during the 2017 season after struggling to an 8.53 ERA in 16 innings of relief and is currently out of affiliated baseball.

17. (15th, #437) Sam Hilliard, OF, Mansfield High School, Texas

Now 25, Hilliard has climbed exactly one level per year to the point where he now finds himself one step away from the majors. The lefthanded-hitting outfielder has shown solid power in the minors and has hit nine homers so far in 2019 on his way to a .232/.329/.512 batting line at AAA Albuquerque. He entered this season as the Rockies’ #9 prospect according to MLB.com and (spoiler alert) is the last player of the class of 2015 to be included on that list.

18. (16th, #467) Ryan McCormick, RHP, St. John’s University

McCormick was released after a brutal 2016 season where he got banged around to the tune of a 12.46 ERA across A, A-, and Rookie ball.

19. (17th, #497) Collin Ferguson, 1B/OF, Santa Cruz High School, California

Ferguson was released after the 2017 season, despite putting up fairly solid numbers. He hit .314/.390/.429 in AAA Albuquerque that year and was last seen playing independent ball in 2018 with the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League.

20. (18th, #527) Chris Keck, 1B/3B, UCLA

The corner infielder was released after the 2016 season where he put up a .201/.315/.382 batting line for Class A Asheville, despite being considerably older than most of his competition.

21. (19th, #557) Daniel Koger, LHP, University of Alabama Huntsville

Koger was released after putting up a 7.62 ERA for Class A Asheville in 2016 and hasn’t played professional ball since.

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22. (20th, #587) Bobby Stahel, OF, USC

Released after the 2016 season where he hit .214/.304/.368 for Class A- Boise.

23. (21st, #617) Logan Cozart, RHP, Ohio University

Now 26 years old, Cozart has pitched relatively well through the low minors and now finds himself playing for AA Hartford. He’s off to a good start to the 2019 season, compiling a 2.70 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 13.1 innings of relief work.

24. (22nd, #647) Eric Toole, CF, University of Iowa

Toole was released in 2017 after hitting .224/.297/.345 at Class A Asheville, despite being 2.5 years older than average for the league.

25. (23rd, #677) Steven Leonard, C, Campbell University (North Carolina)

Leonard started his pro career at A- Boise but was demoted to Rookie ball for the 2016 season. There he hit a solid .270/.386/.405, however he was released due in part to the fact that he was 2.4 years older than his average competition.

26. (24th, #707) James McMahon, RHP, University of Southern Mississippi

McMahon only played one year in the Rockies system, where he was thoroughly worked over (6.44 ERA, 1.954 WHIP) in Rookie ball despite being 1.8 years older than his competitors.

27. (25th, #737) Scotty Burcham, IF, California State University Sacramento

Burcham has the distinction of being the last person drafted by the Rockies in 2015 that is still playing professional baseball. Now 26 years old, Burcham is a shortstop and utility infielder for AA Hartford, where he’s hitting .189/.268/.351 to start the 2019 season.

All other players from the 2015 draft have either been released or voluntarily retired from professional baseball.

All of this just goes to show: drafting professional baseball players is hard.