I usually like the Rockies system, and once again, I have many of them ranked in my Top 400 list of Top Prospects. However, history has not been kind to the success of Rockies prospects. They seem to underperform once they get to the big leagues. Obviously, Nolan Jones and Ezequiel Tovar had great seasons, so perhaps the trend is reversing.
Zac Veen is a soft #1 on my list. He needed handed surgery mid-season, and I hope that explains the power drought he has shown since his promotion to Double-A in 2022. If not, I have him ranked too high. Adael Amador can hit, and if he can add some loft to his swing, he could be an impact player. Few people in the minor leagues hit the ball as hard as Yanquiel Fernandez, but once he started facing better pitching, the strikeouts started to mount. Dyan Jorge and Jordan Beck also improved with a chance to be impact performers.
The pitching is the pitching. They have good arms, with Chase Dollander having the best chance to pitch at the top of the rotation. Will he? Probably not. But at some point, the law of averages would suggest that some Rockies pitcher will defy the odds and be someone that fantasy managers will covet. Yeah, who am I kidding?
Prospect Snapshot
- Top Prospect: Zac Veen
- Biggest Mover: Jordan Beck
- Biggest Disappointment: Warming Bernable
- Emerging Prospect: Derek Bernard
1. Zac Veen (OF)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2024-25 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 40 OF
- Tools Summary: He had hand surgery in June that hopefully addresses his power issues. If it does, he’s a 20-20 player, maybe more.
Zac Veen’s season ended early when he had hand surgery in early June. Hopefully, this explains his lack of power over the past two seasons in Double-A (.234 SLG in 2022 and .308 SLG in 2023). He was progressing nicely, even showing improved contact. He’s a double-plus runner and very aggressive on the bases, so we can expect to see 30+ stolen bases annually at the highest level. There might be some pressure on his batting average, but I assume the contact improvements will continue to translate. Let’s put his batting average at .260 with a .330 OBP. That leaves his power. You have to assume that he returns to the 20+ home run pop projection. He’s shown the bat speed, and there’s plenty of strength. If you add it all up, that’s an impact player with a chance to be a Top 30 outfielder, maybe more. But I did write the word assume more than once.
2. Adael Amador (SS/2B)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 15 2B or MI if he stays at shortstop
- Tools Summary: He could develop into one of the better hitters in the league with solid stolen base potential. He needs to add loft to his swing project power.
Adael Amador is rarely discussed in the context of the best hitters in the minor leagues. Yet, he hits everything thrown near the plate, walking more than he strikes out. He’s also a plus runner and should steal 15+ bases annually. His power is an open question. While he has above-average bat speed, his swing is flat with a ground ball rate of 56% (that likely equates to an approximately 5% launch angle). The Rockies are still playing him primarily at short, but I think the glove works better at second, which should ultimately help his fantasy upside.
He’s a classic high-floor player who should have a long MLB career. He’s a hitter first with 15-15 speed and power production. He might steal a few more bases early in his career.
3. Yanquiel Fernandez (OF)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 50 OF with contact risk
- Tools Summary: His carrying tool is his 70-grade raw power. He expands the strike zone, causing him to strike out too much. There is little to no speed.
Yanquiel Fernandez has the profile of a power-hitting right-fielder. He has 70-grade power that is already starting to show in games and a cannon for an arm. The approach is very aggressive, causing him to expand the strike zone. This showed once he faced better pitching in Double-A (33% K-Rate). The ceiling is a 30-home run with pressure on his batting average and OBP. He’s a 30-runner, so the likelihood of stolen bases is low.
The comparison for me is Christian Encarnacion-Strand at the same point in the development cycle. Something clicked for CES in Triple-A. He claims it was the automatic strike zone. Something needs to click for Fernandez, as I worry he will not make enough contact to get to his huge raw power. I’m on the fence with this one.
4. Dyan Jorge (SS)
- Highest Level: Low-A ETA: 2026-27 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 15 SS or Top 10 2B
- Tools Summary: A potential impact player with a feel to hit. He needs to get stronger and likely will.
Dyan Jorge was the Rockies’ significant international acquisition in 2020, spending $2.8 million to sign him. He spent two years in the DSL, hitting .300, and in 2023 hit .320 across the Complex League and Low-A.
There is also plus speed in the profile, but as with many young players, he needs to get stronger in order to let his bat speed translate into future plus power. He did post a .644 SLG in the Complex League. However, after his promotion to Low-A, he posted a .338 SLG with no home runs in 49 games.
There’s a lot to like here, and my ranking reflects that.
5. Jordan Beck (OF)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 OF. If he can cut down on his strikeouts, he has star potential.
- Tools Summary: There are exciting fantasy tools, but he struck out 32% of the time once he started facing better pitching.
Jordan Beck was the Rockies’ first-round supplemental pick in the 2022 Draft after an impressive college career at Tennessee. He has an intriguing blend of speed and power, but the strikeouts increased once he was promoted to Double-A. He struck out 32% of the time in a reasonable sample size of 50 games.
From a fantasy standpoint, the important part is he hit 25 home runs and stole 20 bases across High and Double-A in 2023. He also walked 13% of the time. If he can post a high enough BABIP, which he did this season, he could slash .240/.330/.450 with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. That’s an impact fantasy player, provided you can work around the low batting average. Just know your parameters.
6. Sterlin Thompson (3B/2B)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2024-25 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 15 2B
- Tools Summary: He makes great contact with 15 to 20 home run pop lurking.
Sterlin Thompson was the Rockies’ second-round pick in 2022 and looks like a hit-first player who should be able to grow into some power. He only struck out 16% of the time in High-A in 60 games before the Rockies promoted him to Double-A. While he posted a .520 SLG, it was more doubles-power despite hitting the ball equally in the air and on the ground. I think there is 15 to 20 home run power as he matures and gets stronger. He also is an above-average runner who could steal double-digit stolen bases early in his career. He’s a nice player who is not talked about enough with a Top 15 2B ceiling in fantasy leagues.
7. Benny Montgomery (OF)
- Highest Level: High-A ETA: 2025-26 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 OF with risk
- Tools Summary: He’s extremely athletic but with questions about how much he’ll impact the ball.
When Benny Montgomery was drafted in the first round in 2021, there was a lot of debate as to whether he should have been taken that high. You can’t deny the athleticism as he’s a true 70-runner, and while he’s never stolen a ton of bases, the sprint speeds will be some of the best in the league once they are available. He’s also a great outfielder with a plus arm. Finally, he has plenty of bat speed, and at 6-foot-4, he has the setup to hit for power.
When you analyze his swing, he doesn’t use his lower half well, and there is a lot of twitchy movement in his setup and swing. Said another way, I have concerns about whether he’ll hit enough to get to his power. That could make him a soft regular or even a fourth outfielder. If he played for the Dodgers, Rays, or another organization I trusted to resolve the issue, I would not be bringing this up, but he plays for the Rockies, which always adds risk.
In summary, despite the lofty draft pedigree, there is some risk in Montgomery’s ceiling of a number three outfielder.
8. Drew Romo (C)
- Highest Level: Triple-A ETA: 2024-25 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 10 Catcher
- Tools Summary: He needs to get stronger, but there’s a feel to hit with a little speed. Defensively, he’s nearly there.
Drew Romo was the Rockies’ first-round compensatory pick in 2022 (pick #35). After his solid 2022 season in High-A, the Rockies assigned him to Double-A to begin the 2023 season. He continued to make solid contact, but as young players will do, he became more aggressive at the plate. I believe this will correct over time, and while he won’t be a walk-machine, I believe the approach will work.
There’s plenty of bat speed, and as he gets stronger, I think there’s a chance he’ll develop 20 home run pop. He’s a solid-average runner, so there could also be some stolen bases as well. Candidly, it’s the profile of a Top 10 fantasy catcher with a chance to be a 20-8 player with a solid batting average. Those players don’t grow on trees.
9. Chase Dollander (RHP, #9)
- Highest Level: DNP ETA: 2025-26 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 SP with upside
- Tools Summary: He had one of the best arms in the 2023 Draft, but his performance was not great in his Draft year. Could he defy the odds and be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher for the Rockies?
When was the last time the Rockies developed a pitcher that was more than a number three starter? I’ll wait while you Google that. I get why they keep drafting them. They can’t attract any top free agent to pitch there, so you are left trying to draft and develop them. But it hasn’t worked. By the way, what did the Google search say?
Chase Dollander is the best pitching prospect the Rockies have drafted since Jon Gray. He has two 70-grade pitches in his fastball that will touch 98 and a wipeout slider. The change-up should also play, but it’s clearly his third pitch.
With all that talent, he posted a 4.75 ERA in his draft year with a 1.4 HR/9 rate. If any other team had selected him, I would have felt more confident that they could have sorted out what went wrong in his junior year and would have hung a Top 30 Starting Pitcher ceiling. But the Rockies grabbed him with the ninth pick last July, and I’m forced to lower my expectations. But how much? Should I automatically throw a number four starter on him? I probably should, but in watching several of his games, the stuff and athleticism look so good I’m going to hold out hope that he’ll be more than that.
I will ignore him in the first round of FYPDs, but he might be enticing around pick 30 to 40. If you disagree and think, “Not on my watch,” I totally get that. Just know that it’s a great arm.
10. Warming Bernable (3B)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Corner Infielder
- Tools Summary: He was slowed by injuries, which hurt his development. He still makes elite contact, but I’m putting his power and speed at a 15-15 ceiling.
Warming Bernable did not build on his 2022 breakout season this year. He dealt with a back injury mid-season, which might have zapped his power. However, it could also have to do with playing in a neutral park in Hartford. It’s still an aggressive approach with elite contact skills. He didn’t run, which could have had to do with his wonky back.
It’s hard to make declarations with so many unknowns, but fantasy managers are not a patient bunch, and I wasn’t sure he was going to be a 20-20 guy, so I’m going to suggest a 15-15 ceiling with a .270 average but a low .300 OBP. That’s more likely a corner infielder than a Top 15 third baseman.
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