Colorado Rockies 2009 Draft: They pass up Mike Trout

The Colorado Rockies drafted OF Tim Wheeler and LHP Rex Brothers in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft

The Colorado Rockies selected OF Tim Wheeler with their second first round pick (32nd overall pick). He never made it to the majors, making it to Triple-A and last playing professionally in 2015.

Two picks later, they drafted LHP Rex Brothers. Brothers made it to the majors in 2011 as a reliever and he pitched well (e.g. 1.74 ERA in 74 relief appearances in 2013) but, like Matzek, he had some injuries. He last played in the majors for the Rockies in 2015. He resurfaced in the majors with Atlanta in 2017 and 2018 and he resurfaced again with the Cubs in 2020 and 2021. Control has been a big issue throughout his career, though.

In the rest of the first round, none of the players that signed had/have a career rWAR over 8.5. One of those picks is former Colorado Rockies player Chris Owings.

However, the Colorado Rockies made a great pick in the second round. With their second overall pick, the Rockies drafted a high school third baseman by the name of Nolan Arenado.

Arenado made it to the majors in 2013 and played with the Rockies through the 2020 season. He is a six-time All-Star, a nine-time Gold Glove winner, five-time Platinum Glove winner, four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and he has finished in top 10 voting for NL MVP five times. He has a career 44.3 rWAR.

By rWAR, he is the second-best player to be drafted in the first two rounds, after Trout.

The second-best player in the second round of the 2009 Draft was future All-Star and future Colorado Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu.