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Colorado Rockies 1995 Draft: Todd Helton or a Hall of Fame pitcher?

By Noah Yingling

DENVER, CO - APRIL 05: Todd Helton #17 of the Colorado Rockies looks on during warm up prior to facing the San Diego Padres during Opening Day at Coors Field on April 5, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - APRIL 05: Todd Helton #17 of the Colorado Rockies looks on during warm up prior to facing the San Diego Padres during Opening Day at Coors Field on April 5, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /
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Colorado Rockies, Bronson Arroyo, 1995 MLB Draft
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 27: Starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo #61 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch in the first inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

After the second round, the Colorado Rockies only had one pick with an rWAR above 0.0: reliever David Lee.

Lee was drafted in the 23rd round and appeared in 43 games with the Rockies in 1999 and 2000. 1999 (his rookie year) was a good year (3.67 ERA in 36 games) but the Rockies traded him to the Yankees in January 2001 and they traded him to San Diego in March 2001. He had 1.4 rWAR with the Rockies and only 0.6 after in parts of three seasons.

Some of the players the Rockies could have drafted were:

  • Pitcher Bronson Arroyo (23.4 rWAR in 16 seasons) or J.J. Putz (13.1 rWAR in 12 seasons) over Chris Macca (who never got above Double-A), 3rd round
  • Pitcher Russ Ortiz (13.2 rWAR in 12 seasons) over shortstop John Clark (never got above Short-Season A), fourth round
  • First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz (11.8 rWAR in 12 seasons), catcher Jason LaRue (8.9 rWAR in parts of 12 seasons), or catcher Brian Schneider (6.8 rWAR in 13 seasons) over pitcher Mike Vavrek (who never got above Triple-A), fifth round
  • Closer Joe Nathan (on the 2022 MLB Hall of Fame ballot) over pitcher Chandler Martin (who never got above Triple-A), sixth round
  • Pitcher A.J. Burnett (28.8 rWAR in 17 MLB seasons) over infielder Tal Light (who never got above Double-A), eighth round

Perhaps, the best sports figure to be drafted in the 1995 Draft, though, was a 15-time Pro Bowler, a seven-time Super Bowl Champion, and three-time MVP Tom Brady. He was drafted as a catcher by the Montreal Expos in the 18th round but didn’t sign.

Next up, we will have the 1996 MLB Draft and that draft was nowhere near as successful as the 1995 draft.

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