Colorado Rockies GM Bill Schmidt on farm system rankings, development

MILWAUKEE – Entering the 2022 season, the Colorado Rockies were viewed as having one of the worst minor league farm systems. MLB.com ranked them as the #24 system in the sport and only 2020 first-round pick Zac Veen was in their top 100 (#36). Baseball America also only had Veen in their top 100 (#22).

But since, things have changed for the Rockies farm system, at least when looking at those two publications.

Now, MLB.com says that the Rockies have four players in their top 100. Baseball America has five Rockies prospects in their top 100. For MLB, Veen has gone up to #22 but Double-A shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (#57), Spokane catcher Drew Romo (#76), and Fresno shortstop Adael Amador (#96). In their mid-season update, Baseball America had Tovar at #18 in the entire sport. Veen is at #32, Romo at #33, Amador (#58), and infielder Elehuris Montero (#98).

Rox Pile spoke to Rockies GM Bill Schmidt in Milwaukee on Monday about those rankings and what he thinks about it.

Colorado Rockies GM Bill Schmidt on farm system rankings

Colorado Rockies GM Bill Schmidt was the team’s scouting director before being named the club’s interim GM in May 2021 so he knows the team’s farm system better than anybody.

He’s glad that others are starting to see the strengths of the system but he doesn’t pay much attention to them.

"“The fact that some other people are starting to recognize that our players is great,” Schmidt told Rox Pile in an exclusive conversation. “It’s amazing because I keep reading how bad our farm system is but we have five guys in Baseball America’s Top 100 so if you’re a bad farm system, I don’t know if you have five in the top 100.“We’ve had good (farm systems in the past) and our guys haven’t been ranked so I’m not worried about them. Our guys will show up here (in the majors) and will help us win.”"

For example, Trevor Story was only on one list for Baseball America (#96 before the 2013 season). Charlie Blackmon was never on any Top 100 list for MLB or Baseball America so the prospect lists aren’t an exact science.

Regardless, the Rockies farm system has definitely strengthened in the last few months but now, those prospects have to develop into the players that the Rockies need to win in the future.

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