The latest MLB Mock Draft has the Rockies adding another potential future ace

We have talked all offseason about the Rockies and what they need to do to be better, what to expect this season and the state of the Rockies heading into 2024. With Opening Day upon us, we change gears here as we look to the amateur and college ranks with a recent mock draft from Joey Doyle with Future Stars Series.

The Rockies hold the number three overall pick, which should allow them to select one of the premier players in this upcoming draft. That pick held a slot value of $8.341M in 2023, and will increase in 2024, giving the Rockies quite a bit of money to work with.

With the third pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Joe Doyle, has the Rockies selected the star Wake Forest product, Chase Burns. The Gallatin, TN native is a former team of top Rockies prospect, Chase Dollander, as both of them dominated hitters during the 2022 and 2023 seasons together, before Burns transferred to Wake Forest.

Burns was a pretty hyped prospect heading into the 2024 season and the college pitching looked to be pretty scary (in a bad way). After a 2023 class that saw four first round college pitchers (three of them in the top nine picks), this class didn't seem to possess the same fire power that the previous year did with guys like Paul Skenes, Rhett Lowder, Chase Dollander and Hurston Waldrep.

Burns is certainly making his case to be this year's Paul Skenes and Joe Doyle has constantly raved about just how good Burns has been stating that they are on the same level. Burns features a fastball that sits in the upper 90's, regularly touching 100+ miles per hour, with an above average slider and two more solid to above average offerings in a changeup and a hammer of a curveball.

Burns has no-doubt top-of-the-rotation upside if he can continue to polish up his command out of the stretch and show he can work long innings. A fastball up to 100 mph and a slider that routinely sits 90 mph is top shelf stuff.

The Rockies have really placed an emphasis on acquiring high upside arms in recent trades and drafts. In 2022, they took Gonzaga product, Gabe Hughes, 10th overall, followed up with Chase Dollander going ninth overall in 2023. The Rockies should continue that trend in 2024 and look to reunite the former teammates in an effort to build a potentially elite starting rotation.

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