The Colorado Rockies could go several directions with its 2020 MLB Draft targets. Several prospects stand out in the class but Colorado selects ninth in this year’s amateur draft. That means the team could pick anyone they decide is the best available. There are only five rounds this year in the condensed draft but the Rockies still have six picks to acquire future players.
Colorado Rockies 2020 MLB Draft Targets
Every team has its own draft trends and those could dictate what happens in an unusual 2020 draft. Colorado has selected 29 players in the first five rounds dating back to 2015. That includes players selected in the competitive balance portions. Fourteen of the 29 are pitchers from the college ranks. The SEC is the organization’s favorite conference as, Georgia and Mississippi have two selections each within the first five rounds. Vanderbilt and Texas A&M are also represented. Most of Colorado’s favorite college programs have very few players in the draft pool so it could force the team to branch out in its selections.
The Rockies have focused heavily on corner infielders as well with six selections listed as either first or third basemen. Only one outfielder, one catcher, and two middle infielders have been selected in the first five rounds since 2014. Additionally, they have not drafted a high school pitcher since Riley Pint in 2016. In general, the team has only taken four high schoolers since 2015 when their first five selections came from that level. This year could be completely different, but it’s worth noting what the team has traditionally selected in recent years.
Round One – Pick Nine
The most logical pick here is Louisville’s Reid Detmers, if he is available. He is among the most polished arms in the draft and is coming off a very good college career. Detmers only throws up to 94 mph but dominated college completion. The left-handed starter threw 218 2/3 innings for Louisville with a 3.38 ERA, 313 strikeouts, and 80 walks. He is probably the pitcher closest to major-league-ready and would give the Rockies an immediate boost in the next couple of seasons if he doesn’t get selected sooner.
A college hitter would be very smart if Detmers is off the board. The best two after Vanderbilt’s Austin Martin are Heston Kjerstad from Arkansas and Garrett Mitchell of UCLA. Both are strong options for the Rockies, as they have gravitated towards those two programs in recent seasons. Colorado loves UCLA players, with Michael Toglia selected in 2019 and Jake Bird in 2018, but Mitchell carries some risk with questionable power and, sadly, Type I diabetes. Kjerstad would be a safer choice after a .343/421/590 slash line with 37 home runs in 691 collegiate at-bats.
Competitive Balance A – Pick 35
This pick is a reward for Colorado having one of the 10 smallest markets or revenue pools. Mississippi State’s J.T. Ginn would be an intriguing option if he remains on the board. The 6’2″ righty only had one subpar outing in 2020 but had a strong year for the Bulldogs in 2019. However, the Rockies could pass on Ginn based on his draft history; he turned down an under-slot first-round deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018. Ginn’s signability could push the team in a different direction, but the team loves SEC players.
Casey Martin could be a second consecutive Arkansas pick if Colorado goes with another hitter here. Martin shows above-average power for a middle infielder and adds elite speed on top of the home run potential. He could be a future 20 home run/steals player or better for a team that doesn’t have many power/speed prospects in the pipeline.
Round Two – Pick 46
The situation becomes increasingly unknown past the first competitive balance round. The Rockies jumped on Michigan’s Karl Kauffmann in the last draft and might return to the program with his former teammate, Jeff Criswell. Criswell is a 6’4″ right-hander with three solid pitches and experience playing for a very good Wolverines squad.
Parker Chavers from Coastal Carolina will seem like a reach, but he could be a high-ceiling pick from a smaller program. His college slash line was .319/435/554 with 22 home runs in two seasons. He followed that up by hitting .270/359/467 in the prestigious Cape Cod league last summer. The Rockies picked up D-II outfielder Brenton Doyle last season. Chavers could be another pick in the same mold this year.
Round Three – Pick 82
Nick Garcia from D-III Chapman University in California would be like the Chavers or Doyle picks mentioned above. The 6’4″ right-hander comes from a smaller program but had a solid college career against inferior competition. Garcia has a very good fastball that can reach 97 mph. He would need some healthy seasoning against professional hitting but he has a very interesting upside.
Arizona State’s Gage Workman might be gone by this pick, but the Rockies should grab the college third baseman if he’s still on the board. He is a 6’4″ switch-hitter with the range and arm strength to hold down the hot corner. Workman also has average power with 14 home runs in college. Colorado loves corner infielders and Workman should be one of the best collegiate options this year.
Round Four – Pick 111
The fourth round is ever more mysterious. This could be a spot for Texas’ Bryce Elder if he falls to this pick. The Rockies are fond of Longhorns, with four alumni taken dating back to 2015. Elder is a solid 6’2″, 225-pound college pitcher who has a 3.42 ERA and 149 strikeouts compared to 58 walks in 144 2/3 innings. Nothing about Elder leaps out, but he is from a program Colorado has traditionally followed and has decent stats for a back-rotation starter.
One of the better college hitters that could be around at this point is Michigan outfielder Jordan Nwogu. The 6’3″, 235-pounder has been a very effective college hitter with a .334/430/545 slash line and 20 home runs in 525 career plate appearances. Nwogu has an odd swing that might need some adjustment in the professional ranks but it hasn’t hurt him yet. He would be an intriguing prospect for a system that lacks outfield depth.
Round Five – Pick 141
This is the territory where college seniors might be viable options. Seniors have the lowest leverage of any demographic in the draft, but Colorado could still try and snag one of the better ones before teams scramble to sign the best undrafted free agents. Landon Knack would be an outstanding selection here if the Rockies want to select him. The East Tennessee State product threw 122 innings in two seasons with a 2.29 ERA and 145 strikeouts against only 17 walks.
The Rockies have not drafted many catchers in recent years but they might take a chance on Arkansas-Little Rock’s Kale Emshoff. The 22-year-old backstop doesn’t have the best receiving skills but that might not matter if a robot umpire is introduced in the next few years. On the other hand, Emshoff might have taken a huge step forward with his bat in 2019. He was hitting a blistering .417/527/800 with seven home runs in 74 plate appearances before college baseball ceased. That is far above Emshoff’s previous production but something to note.
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