Down on the farm: Colorado Rockies prospect recap at August’s end

As we all know, the Colorado Rockies’ MLB roster doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence at the moment and the future deserves some attention. With that being said, we’ll be starting a bi-weekly farm update here at Rox Pile.

Each recap will feature some notable performances on both sides of the ball from every level starting with AAA, all the way down to the Dominican Summer League. Significant prospects at each level will be highlighted in every recap and a few less-heralded names will be included based on performance.

Considering the structure of the Rockies system, the upper levels of the minors (AAA & AA) won’t receive quite as much attention given their lower quantity of noteworthy prospects. Conversely, the lower levels are ripe with talent that the Rockies fanbase needs to stay updated on.

Note: All stats are from August 16-29.

Starting in Albuquerque, it’s a two-sided coin with the Colorado Rockies prospects bats on fire and the arms on ice.

AAA

Hitters:

Colton Welker: 46 PAs, .300/.370/.425, 98 wRC+, 3 2B, 1 3B, 5 BB, 10 K
Ryan Vilade: 52 PAs, .354/.365/.542, 112 wRC+, 6 2B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 10 K
Brian Serven: 31 PAs, .357/.419/.643, 158 wRC+, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 4 K 🔥
Taylor Snyder: 46 PAs, .182/.217/.386, 36 wRC+, 3 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 13 K ❄️

Of the four most important prospect bats with the Isotopes, three of them turned in a quality stretch, though the recently promoted Snyder scuffled a bit.

Colton Welker quickly readjusted to pro-ball following his first-half PED suspension. He’s continued to hit and get on base, even if it’s come at the expense of power. His current pace bodes well for a late-season cup of coffee in Colorado.

Ryan Vilade continued his resurgence following a sluggish start to the season in AAA. It’s surprising he hasn’t produced more in the power department playing in one of the most hitter-friendly environments in all of baseball, but he has displayed his development as a pure-hitter. Like Welker, Vilade’s trajectory has him set for a big-league debut in September.

Finally, keep an eye on Brian Serven. The 26-year-old glove-first catcher has produced consistently at the plate and appears to be peaking at just the right time.

Pitchers:

Antonio Santos: 4.2 IP, 9.64 ERA, 6.33 FIP, 2 BB, 4 K ❄️
Justin Lawrence: 4.1 IP, 10.38 ERA, 6.97 FIP, 2 BB, 3 K ❄️
Jake Bird: 2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 1.97 FIP, 2 K
Julian Fernandez: 5.2 IP, 1.59 ERA, 1.68 FIP, 1 BB, 8 K 🔥
Reagan Todd: 3.2 IP, 4.91 ERA, 6.98 FIP, 3 BB, 5 K

More from Colorado Rockies Prospects

• Colorado Rockies: Has Sean Bouchard earned a second look in 2023?
• Colorado Rockies: Ezequiel Tovar to make his debut today
• Colorado Rockies: Potential players for September call-ups
• Colorado Rockies call up no. 14 prospect Michael Toglia
• MLB Pipeline: The Colorado Rockies’ farm system has strengthened … a lot

The prominent pitchers in AAA all reside in the bullpen. As mentioned above, this wasn’t the best couple weeks for the Isotopes’ bullpen.

Antonio Santos and Justin Lawrence, both up and down from the big league roster, got hit hard. Meanwhile, Julian Fernandez, a flame-throwing September call-up hopeful, dominated AAA-West in his five appearances.

Jake Bird represents another potential big-league arm and will get his chance sometime in the next year.