Community Prospect List - Rockies

by cwhitman412 on Oct 19, 2009 6:45 PM EDT Comment 38 comments

On to the Rockies. This system had a great draft this year. Three projected top 30 guys with their first three picks. That's what you call a good draft.

1. Christian Freidrich

2. Jhoulys Chacin

3. Matzek

4. Willin Rosario

5. Rex Brothers

Other names are E.Y. Jr, Blackmon, Gomez, Deduno, Frazier, Rogers, Wheeler, McKenry, Arenado, Balcom-Miller, and Weatherford.

Does anyone know anything about Jordan Pacheco? He looks like a great sleeper prospect.

0 recs | Comment 38 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

1. Friedrich
2. Chacin
3. McKenry
4. Matzek
5. E.Y. Jr.

by WrenFGun on Oct 19, 2009 6:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

gimme this one

McKenry is underrated

baseball rules.

by doublestix on Oct 19, 2009 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can see the argument for Matzek over McKenry if you want to massively stress upside over performance, but how the heck do you argue Matzek over Chacin? Goodness.

by WrenFGun on Oct 19, 2009 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Matzek

A polished lefty with good mechanics and good off-speed stuff who has a fastball that sat in the mid 90s (topped out at 98) in HS playoffs. He was not very far behind Ackley for me in June.

by jar75 on Oct 19, 2009 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How has he fared against minor league competition? How has Chacin? Does Chacin not have quality pure stuff? I don’t mean to single you out, but Matzek could flame out before Hi-A and Chacin has already pitched in the majors. It’s not like Chacin’s getting by on fringy stuff. I’d strongly consider Chacin over Friedrich if someone gave a good enough argument..

by WrenFGun on Oct 19, 2009 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t have a rebuttal. I don’t dislike Chacin; I think all three are top 50 prospects. Matzek is riskier, no doubt, but I like his combination of very high upside and polish.

by jar75 on Oct 19, 2009 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

really thins out after the top names

Friedrich
Chacin
Matzek
Brothers
EY Jr.

by daveh33 on Oct 19, 2009 7:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This is mine as well

I know he is not top 10 but what do people think about Kiel Roling?

Yadi is my hero

by Big Phil on Oct 19, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Psuedo-Sleeper for me

He can certainly hit, but he really isn’t a good defender anywhere is kind of a bad body player. So he’lllhave to keep hitting to stay on the radar.

by thudean on Oct 20, 2009 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

actually, i like Matzek more than Chacin

not sure why I typed Chacin first.

… can anyone prove Chacin is the better prospect? his K/IP is not impressive at all

by daveh33 on Oct 19, 2009 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

k/9 is not everything when evaluating a pitcher

by matthewmafa on Oct 20, 2009 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

110 K's in 128 2/3 IP in AA/AAA/MLB isn't bad at all.

He’s also a big time sinker throwing groundball inducer, so he has a shot at becoming a solid #2 despite decent, not excellent strikeout numbers.

Brett Anderson is the Truth. Brett Anderson is divine presence. Brett Anderson is eternal life. Brett Anderson is within you. Brett Anderson is here. Brett Anderson is Now.

by Frederick0220 on Oct 20, 2009 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he does have good ARL

and GB% … his babip in AA was .265 …perhaps slightly lucky, and he does give up home runs… so yes, he’s a good prospect, but i think i still like Matzek better [view him as the best prep player out of the 09 draft]

by daveh33 on Oct 20, 2009 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed.

Matzek was the best prep player in the draft.

It also doesn’t hurt that he was touching 97 in the state playoffs.

Brett Anderson is the Truth. Brett Anderson is divine presence. Brett Anderson is eternal life. Brett Anderson is within you. Brett Anderson is here. Brett Anderson is Now.

by Frederick0220 on Oct 20, 2009 3:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, I can prove Chacin’s a better prospect. He has a proven track record of success, he is young for his level, he has very impressive stuff with quality movement and he has absurd groundball tendencies, while still fanning an acceptable amount of batters for a groundballer. His only knock is some fringe-average control, but when you compare to Matzek’s track record…well, it’s a no-brainer.

by WrenFGun on Oct 20, 2009 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Chacin

Command not quite as sharp this year but a lot to like. Matzek is too far away to rank ahead of him in my book, but we’ll see.

Surprised a few more folks aren’t going with Deduno, although he really needs some more control.

by wobatus on Oct 20, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Touching a velocity

I don’t understand why a pitcher “touching” a particular velocity is ever really important. Ok, so you can rare back and throw it a little faster. Did it have the same movemement? Unlikely.

The only way “touching” a velocity would matter is if nothing changed – aka, using the same motion and effort, all of a sudden a fastball jumps out higher, suggested projected velocity. But there is no way to know if that was the case, and when anyone says someone “touched” a velocity, there is no indication as to why or how consistent. Overall, saying a player “touched” a velocity is an inconsistent terminology that often gets people excited over nothing.

by thudean on Oct 20, 2009 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

well i think for a young pitcher [specially a teen fresh out of HS]

it does mean they at least have it in them to throw a ball that hard… nobody is at their strongest at age 18.

by daveh33 on Oct 20, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, Matzek's touching of 97 mph

isn’t all that important in itself, but when you complement it with his advanced breaking stuff, smooth mechanics, and mature poise, you’re looking at an extremely well rounded pitching prospect out of high school.

Brett Anderson is the Truth. Brett Anderson is divine presence. Brett Anderson is eternal life. Brett Anderson is within you. Brett Anderson is here. Brett Anderson is Now.

by Frederick0220 on Oct 20, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

not quite

I tend to think it’s a decent indicator of a player’s ability to maintain their current sitting velocity. Other than that, is it important? Not really. But I don’t think anybody really cares all that much, either.

by mrkupe on Oct 21, 2009 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like this one.

Draft guru in training.

by tj.hendricks on Oct 20, 2009 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

1. Christian Friedrich
2. Tyler Matzek (I really like him)
3. Jhoulys Chacin
4. Tim Wheeler
5. Wilin Rosario

I like this top 5 a lot.

by jar75 on Oct 19, 2009 7:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

1. Christian Friedrich
2. Tyler Matzek
3. Jhoulys Chacin
4. Wilin Rosario
5. Rex Brothers

by gogotabata on Oct 19, 2009 7:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

1. Jholuys Chacin
2. Christian Friedrich
3. Tyler Matzek
4. EY Jr.
5. Wilin Rosario

by jarjets89 on Oct 19, 2009 8:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

1. Friedrich
2. Chacin
3. Matzek
4. Blackmon
5. Young

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Oct 20, 2009 1:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd go...

Friedrich
Matzek
Chacin
Wheeler
Brothers
Roario
McKenry
Rogers

EY Jr

by joegonzo on Oct 20, 2009 7:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rex Brothers

I’m surprised that he’s getting as many votes as he is. Isn’t he destined for the bullpen?

by jar75 on Oct 20, 2009 9:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not necessarily

Out of the bullpen, he would already have a power arsenal (low-mid 90s FB and above average slider). But, he’ll be tried as a starter next year and with two above average pitches, if he can get a third to merely average, he’s a starter.

by thudean on Oct 20, 2009 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I kind of agree, I can’t justify ranking him real high until he proves to be a starter, but I still have him top 10 even with relief in the future because lefty power arms arent the easiest thing in the world to find.

by Marlinsin7 on Oct 20, 2009 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

1. Friedrich
2. Chacin
3. Matzek
4. Brothers
5. Rosario

6-10 (no particular order): McKenry, EY Jr, Tim Wheeler, Blackmon, Rogers

by thudean on Oct 20, 2009 10:00 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

1. Jhoulys Chacin
2. Christian Friedrich
3. Tyler Matzek
4. Eric Young Jr.
5. Michael McKenry
6. Tim Wheeler
7. Wilin Rosario
8. Hector Gomez
9. Rex Brothers
10. Nolan Arenado

by Marlinsin7 on Oct 20, 2009 10:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I also don’t want to sleep on Casey Weathers…..if he comes back healthy he slides into the back half of the Top 10

by Marlinsin7 on Oct 20, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I honestly forgot about him. Was it just the injuries that have dropped him ?

Draft guru in training.

by tj.hendricks on Oct 20, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mine

1. Chacin
2. Friedrich
3. Matzek
(space)
4. Rosario
5. Young Jr. (just ’cause his dad seems so proud on Bball Tonite)

The wind is in the buffalo.

by journeymen on Oct 20, 2009 11:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rockies

top 5

1. Christian Friedrich
2. Joulis Chacin
3. Tlyer Matzek
4. Willin Rosario
5. Hector Gomez

H.M.: Eric Young Jr, Mike McKenry, Tim Wheeler, Rex Brothers

Deolis Guerra = Daniel Cabrera ?
I tend to think so

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Oct 20, 2009 5:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

From what I've seen...

1: Christian Friedrich

Good velocity, great breaking stuff, watching him in the bullpen will make you shake your head several times at how nasty some of his pitches look. I said last year that I thought he would be the best of the bunch out of the Rockies Prospects (over Fowler and Chacin), and I still think so. On a completely irrelevant note, also one of the nicest guy’s you’ll meet.

2: Jhoulys Chacin

His change-up falls off the face of the earth. He won’t miss as many bats as Friedrich, but at this point, you can’t argue with two seasons worth of success. Has a stocky build and looks like he can stand up to the rigors of a full season.

3: Tyler Matzek

Pure potential at this point. Plus velocity from a lefty with a smooth delivery. He seems to have all the confidence in the world in himself.

4: Tim Wheeler

Looks like a solid outfielder with a solid bat. Ball seems to jump of his bat during BP. May not have the highest ceiling in the world, but he sure looks like he’ll be a regular contributor.

5: Rex Brothers

A scout summed it all up when he told me "He hit 93 several times, but not much of a breaking pitch".

While he obviously has to develop a third pitch to make it as a starter, his fastball and slider virtually guarantees that his floor will be that of a high level reliever. That’s a pretty good floor to have for the number 5 prospect in your system.

6. Wilin Rosario

I put him ahead of guys that are more likely to be regular contributors, but if Rosario reaches his potential, he’s an all-star. I noticed him last year before he had made a name for himself. He was regularly hitting monster shots during BP. After seeing his performance at Casper last year, I was greatly looking forward to watching him this year. Not only did he regress during the season, he looked better last year during instructionals than he did this year. He has a short, stocky body and will try to throw out any runner on an base. "Willie likes to throw" was a warning I’ve heard given to several base runners that started to venture off of the bag.

All that being said, the raw power he displays is impressive, and he looks like he will stick at catcher. A legit catcher with that kind of power potential is someone Rockies fans will defiantly hope develops.

7. Hector Gomez

Potential regular shortstop. Looks solid in the field, looks solid at the plate. He obviously won’t be replacing the Rockies current shortstop anytime soon, so he may be trade bait to a team where a .270 hitting, solid defense playing shortstop would be an upgrade.

8. Eric Young Jr.

A maximum effort guy you can’t help but root for. Young may never be an all-star, but he looks like he could definitely contribute to a major league club.

9. Charlie Blackmon

Very rarely do I notice a players speed, Blackmon is an exception. He reminds me of Drew Stubbs in the fact that he’s just so much faster down the baseline then those playing around him, you can’t help but notice.

Blackmon lacks the raw power of Stubbs, but he looks solid in centerfield and at the plate. Much like Wheeler, it’s very easy to envisioning Blackmon contributing in the majors.

10. Nolan Arenado

A high school short stop, Arenado looks like he can stick at 3B.

He appears to have a solid approach and good plate disciple, which is impressive for a kid straight out of high school. He doesn’t have the raw power of a Borchering, but he may very well develop into a solid 3B.

I can’t speak very much on Michael McKenry, and I wish Parker Frazier all the luck in the world in his recovery.

by matt0177 on Oct 20, 2009 9:08 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs

Good stuff, man.

Brett Anderson is the Truth. Brett Anderson is divine presence. Brett Anderson is eternal life. Brett Anderson is within you. Brett Anderson is here. Brett Anderson is Now.

by Frederick0220 on Oct 20, 2009 10:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs