Three names to watch for the Colorado Rockies bullpen of the future

Alexander Guillen, Hartford Yard Goats

Carrying six full years of professional baseball under his belt already, it is a wonder how Alexander Guillen is only 23 years old. Guillen signed with the Rockies way back in 2013, at the young age of 17 years old. He immediately transitioned into the Dominican Summer League where, in his first substantial season, finished with a very good 2.72 ERA across 36.1 innings.

Guillen spent his first three professional seasons in the DSL, posting a 2.46 ERA in 46 games, including eight starts. At 19 years old, Guillen moved to the Pioneer League, joining the Grand Junction Rockies, where he struggled mightily across a minute sample size of playing time.

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In 2016, the Rockies bumped Guillen to Class-A Asheville, where he rebounded admirably. As a 20-year-old, Guillen finished with a 3.40 ERA in 35 games across 39.2 innings. He posted a 26.9% strikeout rate, and lowered his walk rate in the process.

Over the past three seasons, Guillen has posted over an 11.0 K/9 rate, while subsequently decreasing the walks as well as ERA, FIP, and xFIP. This year, Guillen is at Double-A Hartford and is absolutely tearing it up. In 13 games, 27.0 innings, Guillen has a 0.67 ERA, 2.26 FIP, and 2.56 xFIP. He has also significantly decreased his home run rate and his BABIP has decreased quite a bit as well.

Thankfully because Guillen is still only 23, there is plenty of time for him to continue to find his footing as he improves. If Guillen can continue to push the envelope with this level of production, Rockies fans could see him in the Show sooner rather than later. It remains to be seen what his ETA looks like. However that, right now, is irrelevant. Guillen is someone for fans to keep a watchful eye on. Get in on the ground level with Guillen now, before you have to join the bandwagon later.

Moises Ceja, Lancaster JetHawks

As a late-round selection in the MLB Amateur player draft, Moises Ceja set out with a chip on his shoulder, ready to prove to the Rockies why he was a great selection. So far, he has done more than enough to bring faith to that selection.

Ceja is only 23 years old and is currently in the midst of his third season in professional baseball. Having spent four successful seasons at UCLA, Colorado selected Ceja in the 32nd round of the 2017 June Amateur Draft. Since then, Ceja has pitched very well.

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Beginning his professional career at Low-A Boise, Ceja finished with a 3.26 ERA over 30.1 innings, recording an impressive 29% strikeout rate while walking a mere 5.7% of batters faced. Last season, Ceja spent time between Grand Junction and Asheville, compiling an outstanding 2.96 ERA in 30 games, spanning 48.2 innings.

If that was not good enough for both Colorado and Ceja himself, he has followed that performance up with one this year that will turn heads. Now at Class-A Advanced Lancaster, Ceja has improved immensely. In the 15 games in which he has seen action, Ceja is 3-0 as a reliever with a 2.92 ERA, and a 3.23 FIP. The strikeout rate is up to 25.5%, and Ceja has somehow magically managed to pull off only a 2.9% walk rate.

Of his past six appearances for the JetHawks, five of them are scoreless, including back-to-back scoreless two-inning appearances with seven strikeouts and zero walks. The control is there and is also much improved. If Ceja can continue to climb the ranks, we could be looking at Colorado’s next closer by 2022.

Alexander Martinez, Asheville Tourists

With the Rockies since 2015, Alexander Martinez has worked his way to Asheville in hopes of continuing on his collision course with the Show. Thus far, Martinez has been quite a mixed bag of production. However, that could not be all bad.

Martinez spent his first four seasons, from 2015-2018, with Grand Junction. His first true season came in 2016 when Martinez finished with a 2.02 ERA in 35.2 innings. Most impressively, Martinez did not give up a home run in his time at Grand Junction. However, Martinez is slowly continuing to grow into himself and his production.

Colorado Rockies

This season, Martinez is off to quite a torrid start. Through his first 21.1 innings at Asheville, Martinez has compiled a 2.95 ERA with an insane strikeout to walk ratio. Martinez is striking batters out at a 37% clip while walking those same batters at just 9.8% of the time. Something tells me that’s good. Martinez has kept a K-rate higher than 30% while keeping that walk rate below 10% in the previous two seasons.

Currently, there is not much more of which can be spoken about Martinez. However, he does possess closer-esque strength. Martinez currently has 11 saves, a substantial number considering the team is struggling at 22-29, 5.5 games out of first in their respective division. Nonetheless, there is hope Martinez can continue to put it all together and find himself leading the charge of the Rockies’ bullpen for years to come.

NOTE: All statistics were heading into play on Wednesday, May 29.