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Colorado Rockies: The 10 biggest draft busts in franchise history

By Noah Yingling

DENVER, CO - JULY 2: Greg Reynolds #37 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Coors Field on July 2, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JULY 2: Greg Reynolds #37 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Coors Field on July 2, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – APRIL 19: Third baseman Chris Nelson #4 of the Colorado Rockies fields a ground ball before throwing to first for the second out of the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field on April 19, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – APRIL 19: Third baseman Chris Nelson #4 of the Colorado Rockies fields a ground ball before throwing to first for the second out of the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field on April 19, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

Number 5: Chris Nelson

I considered putting Chris Nelson higher on this list considering how he was drafted but he had the longest MLB career of everyone on the list (and in the honorable mentions).

Nelson was drafted by the Rockies with the 9th overall pick in the 2004 draft out of high school. Before the 2005 season, Baseball America ranked him as the 25th best prospect in baseball but that didn’t pan out, obviously.

He played well in 2004 but he struggled a bit at the Single-A level in 2005 and 2006. He played much better in 2007 in Advanced-A Modesto but in 2008, he struggled in Double-A Tulsa. In 2009, he was better in Tulsa and after playing most of the 2010 season in Colorado Springs and playing well, the Rockies called him up.

He played a few games at the major league level in June but he was mainly a September callup.

He spent parts of the next four seasons in the majors with the Rockies and his best season came in 2012 when he played in 111 games and had an OPS+ of 105 but his poor defensive numbers put him below water in WAR.

The Rockies sent Nelson to the Yankees during the 2013 season and he last played in the majors for the Padres in 2014. He did bounce around with some other teams and in independent ball but he last played in 2017.

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