Tracking the 2018 Draft: Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies celebrated their 25th-anniversary season by beating the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card, earning a spot in the NLDS. After losing three consecutive games to the Milwaukee Brewers, the focus quickly turns to the 2019 season.

Let’s focus on the prospects — most notably, the new ones.

You aren’t going to find many Top-100 prospects in the organization. According to MLB Pipeline, the Rockies have only three prospects (Brendan Rodgers, Colton Welker, and Peter Lambert) in the Top 100. There’s a lot to like with Rodgers (No. 9), however, Welker (No. 94) and Lambert (No. 99) barely made the cut.

Given the lack of star power in the minors, you might expect to see an above-average number of prospects from the 2018 class working their way onto this updated list — that’s not the case.

Here’s a look at the three prospects from this year’s class that entered the organization’s Top 30.

No. 6 Ryan Rolison (LHP)

1st Round; 22nd overall — Ole Miss

No. 8 Grant Lavigne (1B)

• Competitive Balance A; 42nd overall — Bedford HS (NH)

No. 13 Terrin Vavra (SS)

• 3rd Round; 96th overall — Minnesota

Honorable Mention:

Selected with the 76th overall pick, Texas A&M right-hander Mitchell Kilkenny will likely work his way onto this list once he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Notes:

The fastball (91-92 mph) may not catch your eye, however, stick around for Rolison’s curveball and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of break and depth he finishes with. During his 29 innings in the Pioneer League, the 21-year-old southpaw struck out 34 batters while posting a 1.86 ERA. He should have no trouble sticking as a starting pitcher throughout the organization.

I’m not even sure where to begin with Lavigne. He posted a .350/.477/.519 slash line in his first taste of pro ball. He walked (45 times) more than he struck out (40 times), stole 12, and scored 45 runs in 59 games. It’s unrealistic to believe that he’ll be able to sustain those ratios through the higher levels of the minors — on pace for 123 runs, 24 steals, and a .996 OPS in a 162-game season — but it will be interesting to follow.

As is often the case, being the younger sibling has worked in Vavra’s favor. Despite having two older brothers (Tanner and Trey) in the Minnesota Twins system, Terrin has a higher ceiling at the pro level. Playing for Boise, of the Northwest League, Vavra posted a .396 on-base percentage while posting an .863 OPS. His speed tool — nine stolen bases and four triples — played well, and should continue to improve as he develops.