BSB Prospects: 21-30
Last week we gave you a sneak peek of our first ever BSB Prospect rankings…its okay if you missed it, just go here.
This week, as Spring Training begins and college baseball players begin their journey to Omaha, we give you our 21-30 ranked prospects. What is better than watching clips of Rockies Spring Training on Twitter while reading up on some of the names you’ll see at camp!
Let’s dive in!
30: Riley Pint - RHP, 25 yo
By now, you know about Riley Pint. The hard-throwing righty out of the Kansas City area was supposed to be the next big thing for the Rockies. With some setbacks to build up for this epic comeback, the Pint glass is completely full again! Having retired in the middle of the 2021 season, Pint missed his boys and got his “outside of baseball” pieces together. He talked to the Rockies brass and resigned for the ‘22 season where he found his groove again. Control is still an issue but his fastball and slider are elite and earned him a spot on the 40-man. He is in big league camp and fighting for one of those Arm Barn openings. Not a Banter Session but an interview with Jonathan Mayo is a must-listen.
29: PJ Poulin - LHP, 26 yo
Would you believe me that the Rockies have a prospect who posted a 12.2 SO/9 out of the Arm Barn? You might, and then you’d probably assume that was at Fresno. PJ, across Hartford and Albuquerque, had 79 strikeouts across 60.2 innings pitched. Granted, his time as an Isotope was a little less than desired, but the PCL will do that to a person. The lefty sports an above-average fastball/slider combo with nice command. As one of the heads of the Hartford 3 (Jones, Poulin, Hollowell), PJ was always a safe, go-to arm for Manager Denorfia in Hartford. PJ is on the shortlist for Arm Barn relief at the MLB level and should start at The Lab. I’d responsibly put some cents down on him to be in purple by year’s end.
28: Aaron Schunk - IF, 25 yo
Once a two-way player at Georgia, Schunk was drafted as a position player in the 2nd round of the 2019 draft. Persevering through the grind that was short season A ball, Schunk quickly made a splash in the Rox organization with his bat - .306/.370/.503 while earning All-Star nods. Missing out on a year of development, 2021 was a wake-up call. Battling injuries and struggles at the plate, Schunk needed to find his groove in 2022 to recapture the FO eyes. Quick recap, he did. In 2022, exclusively with the Yard Goats, Schunk led the league in doubles, had 77 RBI, and had an OPS of .743. He worked this off-season on pitch recognition so we expect the SO to decrease and the power to increase! We will probably see in start in Hartford with his name being on the Isotopes shortlist. Banter Session:
27: McCade Brown- RHP, 22 yo
Arguably, Brown broke out in 2022, posting a ridiculous 118:23 K:BB in 89.2 innings. On the flip side, Brown gave up 90 hits, leading to a 1.26 WHIP--not a bad figure but one that isn’t jumping off the page. Coming out of Indiana, Brown had legit first-round talent but his strike-throwing inconsistency allowed him to slip to the 3rd round. He’s got a mid-90s fastball, two quality breaking balls, and a changeup; pair that with an aggressive pitching style and there’s a chance Brown can be a mid-rotation arm. He’ll most likely start the season in Spokane (A+) but a promotion away from the extremely pitcher-friendly Northwest League is likely to come sooner than later.
26: Victor Juarez - RHP, 21 yo
Victor Juarez, a native of Mexico, first garnered attention in 2021 after making the stateside leap to the ACL after posting a 0.68 era in 26 ⅓ innings in the DSL. Entering 2022, Juarez was assigned to Class-A Fresno at just 18yo and got off to a good start posting a 2.41 era, .197 ba against and 55 strikeouts though his first 10 starts. However the second half of the season was not kind, giving up 48 runs in 50 ⅔ ip to the tune of a 7.64 era in his final 11 starts. He's still very young & athletic on the mound and at just 19yo the key in 2023 for him will be building consistency start by start.
25: Juan Guerrero - OF, 21 yo
Bat drop — Juan is one to watch for! With the Rockies since 2019, Juan has progressed nicely. Most international signings take the slow route, so don’t look too much into the fact that he’s only played as high as Fresno. In a full, healthy 2022 campaign, Juan had 89 RBI while swiping 18 bags and an OPS near .800, and ranks in the Rockies Top 30 at number 22 at year’s end. The Dominican Republic native is still growing into his 6’ 1” frame, listed at 160 pounds, so we can expect the power to come while he maintains his above-average hit tool! Juan is a big piece of the upcoming international talent that is working its way up through the system! Keep at least one eye out for Juan as the 2023 season moves on!
24: Case Williams - RHP, 21 yo
The 21-year-old got his first Spring Training invite and will likely turn some fans’ heads. He has the attention of Billy and The Crew, but it’s time for him to become a fan favorite. The Castle Rock product, drafted in 2020, was traded away then traded for, and finally had his first, full, no-hiccup season and dominated! Starting in Fresno and ending the season with a stellar start for Hartford, Case was fast-tracked through the system and he met the expectations at every step. He developed his slider last season, by mistake mind you, (check out the Banter Session for the story), combined with his dawg mentality, Case is figuring out what it means to be a professional pitcher. He should be a Goat for most of the 2023 campaign but would not be surprised if he got the Noah Davis treatment and made an appearance in purple in September. You don’t have to listen to the Banter Session. Case had an ouchy on his finger and wasn’t able to throw his slider with his normal grip before a start in Fresno. He switched up the grip to have it as an option for that night, and it was filthy so he stuck with it! Banter Session Podcast or Banter Session:
23: Sam Weatherly - LHP, 23 yo
Simply put, Sam Weatherly is a very good left-handed pitcher when he's on the mound. He's got an above average fastball in the mid 90s and a slider that gets whiffs regularly and is working through adding a curveball. The key part in all of this is health, he was shut down in August of 2021 with shoulder inflammation and last year missed most of the season with a strained left shoulder. There's high upside in Weatherly particularly as a reliever it's just a matter of staying healthy and pitching well. Banter Session:
22: Brenton Doyle - OF, 24 yo
This is a big year for Doyle. He is next in line to man the dreaded Coors centerfield and there is a great deal of hype around him to be that center piece (pun intended). The OF at the major league level is full, but with an early season injury to Grichuck, the 4th OF spot is now an open competition - Bouchard, Toglia, Doyle. Doyle brings a big athletic frame, 6’ 3", with a gold glove (2021) to the park every day. But he also has some holes in his swing that has everyone from experts to the casual concerned. If he can cut back on the SO and keep his power stroke, 21 doubles and 23 dongs last year, he could be a valuable piece for the competitve window the Rockies hope to open in 2024.
21: Ryan Rolison - RHP, 25 yo
The Rockies 1st round pick in 2019 out of Ole Miss is somewhat of an outsider looking in. Ryan missed all of 2022 after undergoing shoulder surgery. When he's at his best, it's a low 90s fastball with a curveball/slider mix that won't rack up a high strikeout number but gets ground ball outs and limits hard contact. He's on the Rockies 40 man so hopefully this is the year he makes his MLB debut.
ICYMI
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