2020 MLB Draft: Colorado Rockies and their history with the ninth pick

The Colorado Rockies have the ninth pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. Let’s look at the team’s history with players taken ninth overall.

There has only been two other times in Colorado Rockies history where the team has chosen ninth in the MLB draft. The first came in 2002 when the Rockies selected Jeff Francis, a left-handed pitcher out of the University of British Columbia. The second came in 2004 when Colorado picked high school infielder Chris Nelson.

Nelson would have an unspectacular career for the Rockies, seeing action in 212 games over four seasons. Francis, however, would fare much better.

Francis would go on to be named one of the top 25 players in Colorado Rockies history during the team’s 25th anniversary season. Francis would start 185 of the 197 games in which he appeared for the Rockies, going 64-62 with a 4.96 ERA. He would also allow three runs in a combined 12.2 innings to earn wins in the 2007 NLDS against Philadelphia and the 2007 NLCS against Arizona, helping the Rockies achieve their only World Series appearance to date.

In all, Francis would play 11 MLB seasons, suiting up for the Rockies and five other teams. He would also finish sixth in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2005.

So Francis is the most successful player Colorado has ever drafted with the ninth pick. But there have been four other players drafted ninth who have made substantial impacts for the Rockies as well through the years. We will begin with a player drafted ninth by the Kansas City Royals in 1975.