Colorado Rockies news and links for Thursday, June 27, 2024
The Colorado Rockies haven’t won a series all month and aren’t inclined to move any of their productive players. Now that we’re all caught up, let’s move on to more hopeful matters.
Last week we looked at five left-handed pitchers that could be on Colorado’s radar in the 2024 draft – which is now less than three weeks away. This week, let’s take a look at five arms from the opposite side of the mound that could be of the Rockies’ interest.
Before we dive in, let’s address the elephant in the room when it comes to this demographic: Chase Burns. The Wake Forest righty and former teammate of last year’s top selection Chase Dollander is absolutely in play for Colorado with the third overall selection and could very well be a member of the franchise in the coming weeks.
However, there are plenty of collegiate bats that are also in play with that pick and management still has three more top-100 picks to work with and a minor league pitching crop that is suffering through a rash of elbow injuries.
With that in mind, let’s look at five collegiate righties that Colorado’s scouting team could be in on after the first round.
Drew Beam – Tennessee
A steady force for the recent National Championship Volunteers, Drew Beam is one of the safer picks on the hill in the class. An easy and repeatable delivery, Beam can work into the mid-90s with his heater and carries a developed four-pitch mix without any standout or “plus” offering but is highlighted by a mid-80s changeup with plenty of arm-side action.
Beam started in nearly every appearance during his freshman and sophomore years, but moved to the bullpen in 2024. Still, he produced promising but unspectacular results in his three years with Tennessee – totally 249 strikeouts in 262 ⅔ IP with 241 hits allowed and 71 walks.
Although not the sexiest prospect in the draft or on this list, Beam passes the eye test as big league arm, has a history of production against elite NCAA competition and could be an easy, reliable arm that could immediately plug into the Colorado system as a fast-track candidate.
Ben Hess – Alabama
With a sturdy 6’5”, 250 lb frame, there is plenty to project with the Crimson Tide’s Ben Hess. He offers a two plus pitches in his fastball and slider, complimented by a curve and changeup. The latter group are clearer “show me” pitches with his changeup being the most questionable. But that doesn’t take away from the potency of the former as he’s sat 92-96 with the ability to flirt with triple-digits up in the zone when he wants and a wipeout slider that he can work both horizontally and vertically.
Hess has sported a lofty 13.3 K/9 in his collegiate career, showing a talent for being able to miss bats and flash command in the zone. His control of getting into the zone has been the downside, however, evident by his 35 walks and 12 hit batters in 68 ⅓ innings in 2024.
Still, Hess has top-of-the-rotation upside and a frame that breeds confidence in his durability without any major hitches or violence in his delivery. That, along with his two plus pitches, should make him plenty appealing in the eyes of the Rockies scouting team.
Luke Holman – LSU
Another larger frame at 6’4”, Luke Holman has acclaim on his side after a standout performance in the U.S. collegiate national team in 2023. After two solid years with Alabama, Holman transferred to LSU for the 2024 season and took off out of their bullpen, posting a 127/33 strikeout-to-walk and just 57 hits allowed in 91 ⅔ IP.
His arsenal does jump off the page with his low-to-mid 90s heater, an average curve and below-average changeup. His slider is his clear best pitch, grading in the 60s on the scouting scale with plenty of depth to its rotation and a proven ability to control it in the zone.
Holman is a bit of a cross between Beam and Hess, offering size and production like Hess but with a more modest arsenal like Beam. However, there is a little more physical projection here as he fills out, and if he is able to make gains on his fastball he could be one of the biggest steals of the draft for any team.
Ryan Johnson – Dallas Baptist
Let’s get weird. That’s the best way to describe the delivery of Dallas Baptist ace Ryan Johnson, who has posted gaudy numbers in three years for the Patriots. This was highlighted by his 2024 performance – a 2.21 ERA with 151 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 106 innings.
The numbers and radar readings all scream a first-round talent in Johnson, who dishes one of the best sliders in the class which he uses at nearly a 50% clip along with a tailing fastball that sits in the mid-90s but can be ticked-up to 100.
The real crux is the delivery, which is unorthodox to say the least. A side-swipe push off with an extremely abbreviated balance point into his lunging rotation, Johnson’s approach to the plate is extreme in multiple ways. Uncomfortable to watch, Johnson is surely harder to face in the batter’s box while also showing a very defined ability to pump strikes. However, his contorted mechanics are largely uncharted territory for a starter and bring up genuine concerns about his future durability in pro ball.
Khal Stephen – Mississippi State
On the other side of the extreme from Johnson is Khal Stephen, who has shown plenty of consistent, controlled success in his NCAA career without any major flashes along the way. His numbers between Purdue and Mississippi State don’t jump off the page, however his 2023 performance in the Cape Cod League – 2.73 ERA in 26 ⅓ IP – does hold a little more interest.
Sitting at average grades with his conventional four-pitch mix, Stephen can touch the mid-90s and compliment it in three different ways with his tailing mid-80s changeup being viewed as his best secondary. He has shown control and command with all four pitches, making him one of the most pure starters in the class.
That arsenal gives Stephen a safe floor at the cost of the heights of his ceiling. The Rockies could certainly use all of the MLB-caliber arms they can get their hands on, however Stephen has shown to this point that he may not be higher than a back-end starter at his peak.
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Feltner makes impressive strides despite loss to Astros| mlb.com
Despite falling to the Houston Astros in a lopsided 7-1 game on Wednesday, Thomas Harding highlights starter Ryan Feltner — who tossed six strong innings before getting lifted in the seventh inning.
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On the farm
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 6, Salt Lake Bees 1
Karl Kauffmann was spectacular on the mound, tossing five shutout innings with just one hit allowed in the Isotopes second-straight win against Salt Lake. In all, Albuquerque surrendered just five hits in the victory while recording eight of their own — highlighted by Willie MacIver’s three-run dinger in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 12, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 6
Despite allowing 16 hits and four walks, the Yard Goats held strong for their first victory of the series. Kyle Datres and Sterlin Thompson each went deep — accounting for five of Hartford’s runs in the game. Warming Bernable collected three hits and two runs scored in the game.
High-A: Everett AquaSox 5, Spokane Indians 0
Mason Green threw well for Spokane with three runs allowed over six innings — lowering his season ERA to 2.51. But it wasn’t enough as the Indians’ offense collected just eight total bases and left seven stranded in scoring position.
Low-A: San Jose Giants 8, Fresno Grizzlies 4
Bryan Perez was roughed-up for six runs on seven hits in just three innings, putting the Grizzlies in a hole they couldn’t crawl out of. Jason Hinchman collected two knocks and two RBI in the loss.
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