Colorado Rockies news and links for Tuesday, February 4th, 2025
The Colorado Rockies have struggled to extract big league talent from their drafts over the last ten years, especially when it comes to their early round selections. From 2015 through 2024 the Rockies draft has produced just 36 players to make their MLB debut, and only 30 of those players did so for the Rockies.
Those 30 Rockies debutants have contributed just 9.8 wins above replacement per FanGraphs (fWAR) and 10.1 per Baseball Reference (rWAR). Just six of them were worth more than 1.0 wins above replacement. Three of those players—including the now-free agent second baseman Brendan Rodgers—hail from the 2015 draft class.
With five big leaguers total—four making their debuts with the Rockies and three with 1.0 or more fWAR—totaling 5.5 fWAR and 6.0 rWAR for Colorado respectively, 2015 is arguably a successful draft class. However, that draft class was ten years ago.
The 2016 draft class produced eight total big leaguers, but they produced a combined -0.3 fWAR and -1.7 rWAR with none of them remaining with the organization today. The 2017 class produced five big leaguers, but only two with positive WAR in left-handed pitcher Lucas Gilbreath and outfielder Sean Bouchard.
The Rockies’ 2018 draft is arguably bearing some fruit, albeit only one or two ripe enough to be eaten. Right-handed pitcher and fourth round selection Ryan Feltner has worked his way into a consistent rotation spot after 61 major league starts. He’s contributed 3.7 career fWAR to the team, but only 0.8 rWAR over parts of four seasons. UCLA right-handed reliever Jake Bird—a fifth round pick—has made 143 appearances for the Rockies. He’s been worth 1.6 rWAR but only 0.8 fWAR since making his big league debut in 2022.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
There’s still a chance for Ole Miss lefty Ryan Rolison to make his long awaited big league debut after having his minor league career plagued by injuries. However, none of the Rockies’ first four picks—including two first round picks—have made it to the highest level with the Rockies. Third round shortstop Terrin Vavra got 159 plate appearances with the Baltimore Orioles between 2022 and 2023, but has since been released and is currently a free agent.
Heading into the 2025 season, it’s the 2019 class that appears to be the Rockies’ most successful draft in recent history. The 2019 draft produced seven unique major league debuts—the most since 2016—and is both one of the Rockies’ most productive recent drafts while also still holding additional potential for more. This class is currently valued at 2.7 fWAR and 4.7 rWAR in terms of contributions to the Rockies.
Center fielder Brenton Doyle does a lot of heavy lifting for this draft class. Drafted in the fourth round and making his debut in 2023, Doyle is already on pace to out-produce former first round pick Brendan Rodgers in terms of WAR after just two seasons. Rodgers contributed 2.8 fWAR and 5.9 rWAR over parts of six seasons with the Rockies after being drafted in 2015, and won a Gold Glove at second base in 2022.
Doyle—after just two seasons—is worth a career 4.3 fWAR and 4.9 rWAR over 275 career games as the Rockies’ starting center fielder. He just won his second Gold Glove in as many seasons with truly dazzling defense in the cavernous Coors Field outfield, and hit 23 home runs and stole 30 bases in his sophomore season.
Doyle is also the heir apparent to the Rockies’ leadoff spot in the batting order and is even eyeing a leadership role in a young clubhouse with the departure of longtime presence Charlie Blackmon.
2019 first round pick Michael Toglia is also rounding into a key contributor for the Rockies. After struggling to find himself through parts of his first three seasons, Toglia seized the starting first baseman job last June and never looked back.
Toglia broke the franchise record for consecutive starts at first base—a record set in 2006 by Todd Helton—while hitting 25 home runs and holding a stellar walk rate. If you look at his Baseball Savant statcast page, there’s enough red to be extremely encouraged with his performance moving forward. Toglia was able to pull his rWAR back into the positives thanks to his 2024 campaign, but his fWAR is still sitting at a career -0.9 mark.
The Rockies’ two second round picks from the 2019 draft might also have more to give to the organization. Georgia third baseman Aaron Schunk made his big league debut in 2024 and has shown himself to be a versatile defender with potential in his swing despite sporadic playing time. Schunk enters camp this season gunning for a utility role.
University of Michigan right-handed pitcher Karl Kauffmann has struggled both in Triple-A Albuquerque and in limited big league appearances, getting outrighted off the 40-man roster following the 2023 season. However, the 77th overall pick remains with the organization. At 27-years-old, he still has some time to right the ship and prove he could be an effective big leaguer.
The Rockies definitely need to keep getting production from their draft classes—especially those from 2020 onward as we near this decade’s halfway point. However, the final draft class of the 2010s is showing encouraging signs that the Rockies’ claims of being a “draft and develop” team might become a reality.
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This burgeoning Rockie has high expectations | MLB.com
Young Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar has delivered a great deal to this organization after two full big league seasons. However, at age 23 he isn’t done yet. In this excerpt from Thomas Harding’s Rockies newsletter, Tovar shows that he has high expectations of himself and lofty ambitions for his career.
“That’s something that every player wishes — to get on that All-Star team, to have that goal,” Tovar said. “As a player, you want to have high expectations.
“Not only All-Star, but you want to win a World Series.”
Rich Dauer, Orioles Hall of Famer, dies age 72 | MLB.com
We here at Purple Row mourn the loss of Rich Dauer, who passed away on Monday at the age of 72. Dauer was a World Series Champion with the 1983 Baltimore Orioles and enjoyed a lengthy coaching career after his playing days ended. He joined the Rockies as their minor league infield coordinator in 2006, and served as the Rockies’ third base and infield coach from 2009-2012.
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