Colorado Rockies 1999 Draft: The Rockies passed on Albert Pujols more than a dozen times

In 1999, the Colorado Rockies were in the middle of what was, arguably, their oddest year in franchise history and, perhaps, in baseball history.

Baseball was in the middle of the “steroid era.” At the time, due to a spike in attendance and TV ratings (and therefore, money), MLB turned a blind eye to it. With PEDs and a lack of good pitching because of two rounds of expansion in a five-year span, offense was at an all-time high and pitching was at an all-time low.

The average MLB team was hitting .271 with an OPS of .778 with an average of 5.08 runs per game. It was even more apparent in the American League with the DH where AL teams hit .275 with a .786 OPS and an average of 5.18 runs per game.

For the first time (and only time) since 1936, an MLB team scored more than 1000 runs in a season as Cleveland scored 1009 runs (or 6.23 per game).

But with park-adjusted stats, the Colorado Rockies had the worst offense in the NL.

1999 was odd for the Colorado Rockies in that both their pitching and offense struggled. The team was led by first-year manager Jim Leyland, who ended up resigning after the season due to the stressful season and, largely, due to the stresses of pitching at altitude.

That’s part of the reason why the Rockies drafted 26 pitchers among their 49 draft picks in 1999.

But 22 of the 26 never made it to the majors and only one made more than 16 appearances for the Rockies.

So let’s look at the Colorado Rockies 1999 Draft class and who could have been in that draft class.

The Colorado Rockies drafted Jason Jennings in the first round of the 1999 MLB Draft

In the first round of the 1999 MLB Draft, the Colorado Rockies drafted right-handed pitcher Jason Jennings out of Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Jennings made it to the majors within two seasons and in 2002, he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award. He went 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA in 32 starts. He had an ERA+ of 106 with a 4.68 FIP and a 1.462 WHIP.

His best season was in 2006 when he went 9-13 with a 3.78 ERA in 32 starts. He had a 130 ERA+, a 4.10 FIP, a 1.373 WHIP, and a 5.0 rWAR.

He played in the majors for parts of nine seasons and he had a career rWAR of 11.2.

The Rockies drafted him with the 16th overall pick but there were a few better MLB players drafted below him in the first round or a high draft pick in the second round. They include:

• 19th overall pick 3B Alex Rios, Toronto, 27.3 rWAR (eventually became an outfielder and a two-time All-Star. He also signed for nearly half of the signing bonus of Jennings despite only pick three picks lower)
• 50th pick (still first round) 2B Brian Roberts, Baltimore, 29.5 rWAR (two-time All-Star)
• 52nd pick (2nd round, first pick) OF Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay, 39.1 rWAR (four-time All-Star and on the 2022 MLB HOF ballot)
• 57th pick 2B Brandon Phillips, Montreal, 28.4 rWAR (three-time All-Star)

The Colorado Rockies and other MLB teams missed out on future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols more than a dozen times.

In the 13th round of the draft, the Colorado Rockies drafted a pitcher by the name of Rick Cercy. Heard of him? Probably not … and for good reason. He never got to the majors and never got above Double-A.

But his draft pick is more significant when you look at the player that was drafted just two picks later: a third baseman by the name of Albert Pujols.

Pujols was the 402nd pick in the draft. Within two years, he ended up winning the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year Award, three NL MVP awards, 10 All-Star selections, six Silver Slugger Awards, and two Gold Gloves with a career rWAR of 99.6. Through 2016, his rWAR was 101.4.

He was a third baseman, first baseman, left fielder, and right fielder for the Cardinals for the first few seasons before he became a full-time first baseman in 2004.

In the 15th round with the 472nd pick of the draft, the San Diego Padres drafted pitcher Jake Peavy. He was a three-time All-Star, won the 2007 NL Cy Young Award, and he is on the 2022 MLB HOF ballot.

12 picks before him, the Rockies drafted third baseman Dan Phillips. Phillips never made it above Double-A either.

Two missed picks for the Colorado Rockies and 27 other teams missed out on Pujols and Peavy but Pujols was obviously a huge miss for the Rockies.

He wouldn’t have been the Rockies everyday first baseman with Todd Helton occupying the position but just imagine the Rockies having Helton, Pujols, and Larry Walker in 2001 through 2004, Helton, Pujols, and Matt Holliday from 2005 through 2006, and those three along with Troy Tulowitzki and Brad Hawpe in 2007 and 2008.

Those were already good lineups without Pujols but with him? Those lineups would have been phenomenal.

Our series will continue next with the 2000 Draft when the Rockies and their 1st round draft pick regretted their choice.