Colorado Rockies 2010 Draft: A bad draft early gets better later

The Colorado Rockies drafted Chad Bettis in the 2010 MLB Draft

The Colorado Rockies also had a supplemental draft pick in first round of the 2010 Draft since they lost starting pitcher Jason Marquis to free agency.

The Rockies selected right-handed pitcher Pete Tago with the 47th overall pick. Tago, 29, last played for the Rockies in the minors in 2014, getting up to Advanced-A ball. He is still playing in the minor leagues for the Chicago White Sox and he just got to Triple-A for the first time in 2021. Nonetheless, it was another draft pick that didn’t go well for the Rockies.

Here are a few players that the Rockies could have drafted instead:

• RHP Aaron Sanchez, 34th overall pick, Blue Jays (1x All-Star, 2016 AL ERA Title, one top ten Cy Young Award finish, 9.5 rWAR)
• RHP Noah Syndergaard, 38th overall pick, Mets (1x All-Star, one top 10 Cy Young Award finish, 15.9 rWAR)
• RHP Taijuan Walker, 43rd overall pick, Mariners (1x All-Star, 7.5 rWAR)
• 3B Nick Castellanos, 44th overall pick, Tigers (1x All-Star, 1x Silver Slugger Award winner, 12.3 rWAR)
• SS Andrelton Simmons, 2nd round (70th overall pick), Braves (4x Gold Glove winner, Platinum Glove winner, 37.3 rWAR)

With their second round draft pick, the Colorado Rockies drafted right-handed pitcher Chad Bettis.

Bettis spent parts of seven seasons in the majors (all with the Rockies). He had a career 5.12 ERA (93 ERA+) in 164 games (92 starts). He had a career 2.9 rWAR before calling it a career in 2020. He is best known for his battle with testicular cancer in 2017 and how he was able to still pitch in the season, despite being diagnosed earlier in the year.