Colorado Rockies: A season review of the top 16 prospects

A look at the season put together by Colorado Rockies prospect Ryan Rolison

3) Ryan Rolison, LHP, AA/AAA: 5.27 ERA, 4.47 FIP, 1.37 WHIP, 25.2 K%, 7.1 BB%

The 2021 season didn’t result in much progress for Rolison. For the most part, it wasn’t performance-related, despite middling season-long numbers.

Prior to a June appendectomy procedure, Rolison had been dicing up AA (3 starts) and AAA hitters (3 starts) to the tune of a 3.67 ERA, backed by a 2.85 FIP, a stellar figure given the rigors of pitching in AAA Albuquerque. Perhaps even more notably, the 2018 first-round pick struck out 35 over 27 innings while walking just five.

During this stretch, his slider seemed to be coming along, a key piece of his development, and his control was much improved. Rolison’s curveball remains a plus pitch and his ability to locate his fastball and sequence it with a quality changeup give him a high-floor arsenal.

Re-establishing core strength after an appendectomy can take time and, as he was nearing a return, Rolison fractured his throwing hand. He was far less effective after a mid-August return but that should be expected after such a long layoff.

Rolison will pitch in the Dominican Professional Baseball League this winter as he tries to regain his pre-appendectomy form.

The former Ole Miss standout might be in consideration for a spot in the Rockies rotation this spring if either Jon Gray doesn’t return or if Austin Gomber’s spondylosis injury turns out to be more serious.