Rockies Prospect Profile: Speedy Outfielder Zac Veen

My personal favorite Rockies prospect, Zac Veen is a left-handed batting, right-handed throwing outfielder with blazing speed and tons of pop. The 6'3, 22-year-old was the ninth overall pick in 2020 out of Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida, and is currently in Double-A Hartford where he is lighting the world on fire to start the 2024 season.

After spending the 2021 season in A-ball, where he hit .301 with 15 home runs and 36 stolen bases in 106 games, where he posted 126 strikeouts as well. The strikeouts are an area of concern in his game, but when he is able to get on base he is an immediate threat to run, stealing 50 bases in the 90 games spent in High-A Spokane, including a steal of home, in a game where he also had three hits including a homerun, and an amazing diving catch, with an awestruck me in attendance, who proceeded to tell anyone who would listen, "keep an eye out for Zac Veen, he is an absolute freak".

I'm here now to tell you that very same thing. While in Spokane, Veen hit 11 homeruns and walked 50 times, ending his tenure with a .269 average, and an OPS of .807, earning him a promotion to Double-A Hartford for the end of 2022, and the entirety of 2023. Veen struggled in 2023, hitting a measly .209, with only two homeruns, and 43 strikeouts in 46 games before a wrist injury put him on the shelf for the remainder of the season; oh, and he did still manage to steal 22 bases last year.

Starting 2024 once again in Double-A, through the first 16 games, Veen is back to his old self, batting .327 with an OPS of 1.013, with two homeruns and seven stolen bases while playing solid defense. The Rockies' number six prospect (according to MLBPipeline.com) likely projects as a corner outfielder, however his speed and arm do make him a candidate to play some centerfield in the big leagues if need be.

The timetable for his arrival in the MLB is uncertain after missing most of 2023 with his injury, and it is not likely going to be this year, especially with fellow prospect Jordan Beck getting his first crack at the Major League level with the injury to Nolan Jones. That being said, Veen has the skillset to be a must-watch player at the big-league level; he hits the ball like it owes him lunch money and runs like someone who is trying to avoid having their lunch money taken. With another year of development, it is very possible Veen plays his way onto the 2025 Rockies roster.

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