Colorado Rockies 2022 Draft: Overview/rankings of their picks

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The Colorado Rockies had four draft picks among the first 50 overall picks in the 2022 Draft last night. Overall, some questioned their picks at first, most evaluators have determined that they did pretty well, especially when you dig into the players and their backgrounds.

2022 Colorado Rockies Draft overview

RHP Gabriel Hughes (#10 overall)

With their first pick (#10 overall), the Colorado Rockies surprised a lot of people by drafting college right-handed pitcher Gabriel Hughes. Most people thought he’d be a late first-rounder. However, he might be a perfect fit for the Rockies.

Hughes grew up in Idaho (graduated from high school just outside of Meridian, Idaho) and he went to college at Gonzaga, in Spokane, Wash. The altitude is roughly 2,600 feet in Meridian and 1,850 in Spokane so while it’s not 5,280 of Denver, Hughes does have some experience pitching at altitude and succeeding.

Hughes is listed at 6-4 and 220 pounds and his fastball has been clocked in the 94-97 mph area currently but that could go even higher. He also has a high-80s to low-90s slider and he has a good changeup too.

“The size, the athleticism, his age, the four-pitch mix — he’s just a well-rounded young man on and off the field,” Rockies senior director of scouting operations Marc Gustafson to the media, including Rox Pile, late Sunday night. “But most importantly, on the field, he is a strike-thrower with a mindset to attack hitters. And he took the ball every weekend, every Friday night. We know that the durability is there, and that pitch mix is certainly very exciting.”

They scouted him at USA Baseball, where he was managed by longtime Rockies coach/advisor Jerry Weinstein. Rockies GM Bill Schmidt said that they started scouting him there last summer so he’s “someone we’ve known for a while.”

Schmidt also said he thinks that the Rockies took the best player on the board when they were up. “We took the best guy on the board when it was our turn to pick,” Schmidt said.

Hughes also said that he is looking forward to pitching in the Rockies system, particularly in Spokane, whether that is this year or next.

“That would mean the world to me,” Hughes told the media, including Rox Pile. “That was one of the first couple of thoughts that I had was that I could be going back to Spokane this summer or next year.”

Jul 17, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Rob Manfred, commissioner of Major League Baseball speaks at the MLB draft stage at Xbox Plaza at LA Live. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Rockies Compensation Pick: OF Sterlin Thompson (#31 overall)

The Rockies drafted outfielder Sterlin Thompson with the 31st overall pick of the 2022 Draft. He was the compensatory draft pick for the Rockies not signing Trevor Story this past offseason.

While at Florida collegiately, Thompson played second base and right field but he also played third and center field. In high school, he played shortstop. The Rockies envision him as a “corner player.”

Bill Schmidt said that Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said that Thompson is the best hitter he has coached. In 66 games this season, Thompson hit .354/.443/.563 with 11 homers and 51 RBI in 66 games.

OF Jordan Beck (#38 overall)

The Rockies drafted Jordan Beck out of Tennessee with the 38th overall pick. His hit tool is the weakest of his assets (45 grade on MLB Pipeline on a 20-80 scouting scale) but he has drawn comparisons to Hunter Renfroe and Rob Deer for his power, throwing arm, and fielding.

The other four tools are above average (55 for power, running, and fielding and a 60 for his arm). He hit .298/.391/.595 with 18 home runs and 61 RBI in 66 games at Tennessee this season.

You may remember that future Baseball Hall of Famer and Mr. Rockie himself Todd Helton was drafted out of Tennessee as well.

Jul 17, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; The MLB draft stage at XBox Plaza at LA Live. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Rockies 2nd round pick: RHP Jackson Cox (#50 overall)

Jackson Cox was the first high school player that the Rockies drafted this year as he is out of high school in Toutle Lake, Wash. He sits around 92 MPH with his fastball but gets up to 96 “with ease” and with some run, according to MLB Pipeline. His best pitches are is his curveball and a plus hard slurve that has “deep and late bite that routinely registers spin rates over 3,000 RPM.”

Rockies GM Bill Schmidt said that Cox has indicated that he would like to start his pro career and forego his commitment to the University of Oregon so if he signs, it will be interesting to see how those breaking pitches develop, especially at altitude.

Overall thoughts

The Rockies farm system has, arguably, strengthened the most of any team this season. With these four picks, the Rockies system has gotten a lot better.

As Joe Doyle of Prospects Live said about the Rockies and their four picks, “[t]his is how you turn around an organization.” He also said that the first three in the top 40 were “a haul.”

Gabriel Hughes, Sterlin Thompson, Jordan Beck and now Jackson Cox. This is how you turn around an organization. I saw Cox twice this year. Can spin it. 3000+ RPM. Up to 97 this spring. Moves well. Needs to fill up the zone with more authority. Stuff is huge. #Rockies
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) July 18, 2022

Others have praised the Rockies for their selections as well, especially with Thompson and Beck in the compensation and competitive balance portions of the first round.

MLB.com ranked the four prospects (in order that they were drafted) as the 26th, 29th, 23rd, and 58th prospects in the draft.

Overall rating: B+

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 16: Zac Veen #9 of the National League hits a base hit in the third inning during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Dodger Stadium on July 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Colorado Rockies: Prospect Zac Veen shines in All-Star Futures Game

Colorado Rockies top prospect outfielder Zac Veen was one of the best players in the All-Star Futures Game on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

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Colorado Rockies 2022 Draft overview: 4 picks in the first 50 overall picks