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Colorado Rockies 2009 Draft: They pass up Mike Trout

By Noah Yingling

ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 13: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim waits at third base during a pitching change in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 13, 2015 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 13: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim waits at third base during a pitching change in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 13, 2015 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) /
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Tyler Matzek, Colorado Rockies, 2009 MLB Draft
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 10: Tyler Matzek #46 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in thge second inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 10, 2014 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

The Colorado Rockies drafted LHP Tyler Matzek with their first draft pick in the 2009 MLB Draft

With the 11th overall pick of the 2009 MLB Draft, the Colorado Rockies drafted left-handed pitcher Tyler Matzek.

Matzek was drafted out of high school so he made it to the majors a little bit later than the collegiate players in the draft. However, he made his debut in 2014 and he pitched well in 20 games (19 starts), as he had a 4.05 ERA (105 ERA+).

But Matzek started to have the “yips” in 2015 as he had massive control issues. He then had some injuries so he was out of the Rockies system by 2017.

He didn’t return to the majors until 2020 as a reliever with the Braves. He has been great for them since but for the Rockies, it was a draft pick that didn’t pan out.

Even if he did pan out, nobody in that draft has been even close to as good as Mike Trout. The Angels drafted Trout with the 25th overall pick in the draft and he was their second draft pick of the first round.

Trout was drafted out of high school but made his debut in 2011. He won the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year Award, is a nine-time All-Star, an eight-time Silver Slugger Award winner, a three-time AL MVP (2014, 2016, 2019), six more top five AL MVP finishes, and 76.1 rWAR.

You can’t have a better draft pick than that, especially when he’s still only 30 years old.

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