Top Rockies Prospects of 2024: No. 1 Adael Amador

As we went through our top 15 prospects, there were many battles that could have gone either way. The system is filled with talented outfielders with immense upside. The system is also void of much pitching depth, and a lot of people might only put one pitcher in the top 15, whereas I had four. At the top, however, there was little doubt that Adael Amador was the top prospect.

The Rockies 2019 International Free Agency class may go down as the best class the Rockies have had thus far. They signed nine players to contracts over a quarter-million dollars and it includes names like Yanquiel Fernandez, and overlooked youngsters, Alberto Pacheco (check him out) and Angel Jimenez. The main attraction of this class, however, is a shortstop from the Dominican Republic.

Adael Amador's advanced bat and growing impact earn him the No. 1 spot in our 2024 Rockies Prospect rankings

Amador was an overlooked shortstop prospect in the 2019 class, coming in at number 16 according to MLB Pipeline. The Rockies nabbed him for $1.5M, which was the highest in the class, and he wasted no time showcasing his elite talent. After a COVID shortened 2020, Amador debuted in the Arizona Complex League in 2021, slashing .299/.394/.445 with four home runs and 10 stolen bases over 47 games. He really took some strides forward in 2022, playing at Single-A Fresno, he flexed his advanced approach yet again, slashing .292/.415/.445 with 15 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 115 games. 2023 was a big year as Amador was expected to get challenged at some of the higher minor league levels. He spent most of the year at Single-A Spokane as a 20 year old, but spent 10 games at Double-A Hartford. Its a broken record, but he had yet another solid season over 69 games. He slashed .287/.380/.495 with 12 home runs and 15 stolen bases. It might concern you that he hit less home runs, but it was only three less and it was in 46 less games. He also did this while dealing with injuries as he underwent surgery to repair his right hamate bone in July.

Check out some highlights from the solid 2023 season, courtesy of The Hub for Baseball Highlights

Amador is one of the top prospects in baseball, and the number eight shortstop prospect according to Pipeline. 2024 should see Amador start out at Double-A Hartford and he will see what his true ceiling could be. Fans should be fairly confident that Amador is going to be a high average hitter that will get on base 37% of the time and steal 20+ bases. Where there is a lot to be determined is in the overall impact; does Amador settle in around a 10-15 home run hitter, or does he take some big strides forward and become a legit 20-25 home run hitter? This will determine what type of offensive profile we are looking at.

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