Colorado Rockies: 2015 draft class has chance to be the franchise’s best

Thanks to a great deal of young talent already showing their Major League potential, the 2015 Colorado Rockies draft class has a chance to be the best in franchise history.

In a recent MLB.com article, Jonathan Mayo took a look at the best draft classes for each Major League Baseball franchise. For the Colorado Rockies, he chose the 1998 draft class. With that class being the highest in terms of combined WAR (71), it makes sense. Two players comprise the bulk of that WAR, with Matt Holliday (seventh round, 44.4 career WAR) and Juan Pierre (13th round, 17.3 career WAR) turning out to be very productive players.

So if the Rockies haven’t had a draft class to match that production since 1998, is there hope in the pipeline that another class could well take over the title of “best draft class in Rockies history?” On the surface, it seems the 2015 Rockies draft class has the potential to make a run at their 1998 counterparts.

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Considering that three members of the class have already had their Major League debut and are believed to be solid pieces for the franchise moving forward, the 2015 draft class is already making an impact. Top prospect Brendan Rodgers (the third overall pick) looks to make a bigger splash in 2020 and beyond after a torn labrum cut his debut season in 2019 short.

Second-round pick Peter Lambert (the 44th overall pick) started his career with back-to-back wins over the Chicago Cubs in June before struggling to finish with a 7.25 ERA in 19 starts. The 23-year-old right-hander will be in the mix to make starts in the 2020 campaign provided there is a season and a spring forearm/elbow injury continues to improve.

And let’s not forget about 15th-round draft pick Sam Hilliard, who burst onto the scene last season with seven home runs in just 77 at-bats. One of those blasts is one Rockies fans won’t forget for quite some time, hitting a pinch-hit, game-tying home run off Milwaukee closer Josh Hader in the ninth inning on September 28.

And those are just the players from the class who have already made it to the Majors, and all three have not had a full season at the MLB level. There are others who are on the doorstep, waiting to make an impact as well.

Tyler Nevin (38th overall pick) has been assigned to Triple-A after making Colorado’s 40-man roster this offseason. Listed as Colorado’s 12th-best prospect by MLB.com heading into the season, Nevin has a chance to impact the Rockies roster soon at first base.

Brian Mundell (seventh-round pick) slashed .333/.299/.521 at Triple-A last season in 110 games and could provide first base depth. Pitcher Logan Cozart (21st round) split time between Double-A and Triple-A last year, earning an All-Star bid for the Hartford Yard Goats before being promoted on June 29.

While there is much uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season (both at the Major League and Minor League levels), there is plenty of optimism surrounding the Class of 2015 and what they could bring to the Rockies, both in the near- and long-term future. It will take some big stats to pass the Class of 1998, but it’s certainly possible for Rodgers, Lambert, Hilliard, and the 2015 crew once baseball resumes.