Colorado Rockies Top 10 Prospects
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TOP TEN PROSPECTS
1. Dexter Fowler, of
2. Jhoulys Chacin, rhp
3. Christian Friedrich, lhp
4. Wilin Rosario, c
5. Hector Gomez, ss
6. Casey Weathers, rhp
7. Esmil Rogers, rhp
8. Seth Smith, of
9. Michael McKenry, c
10. Charlie Blackmon, of
BEST TOOLS
Best Hitter for Average Seth Smith
Best Power Hitter Joe Koshansky
Best Strike-Zone Discipline Matt Miller
Fastest Baserunner Corey Wimberly
Best Athlete Dexter Fowler
Best Fastball Juan Morillo
Best Curveball Christian Friederich
Best Slider Parker Frazier
Best Changeup Jhoulys Chacin
Best Control Parker Frazier
Best Defensive Catcher Michael McKenry
Best Defensive Infielder Heider Velasquez
Best Infield Arm Heider Velasquez
Best Defensive Outfielder Dexter Fowler
Best Outfield Arm Brian Rike
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After a dream season the year before, 2008 was a bit of a nightmare for the
Rockies.
Colorado was Baseball America's Organization of the Year in 2007, winning a
franchise-record 90 games with a largely homegrown team that blazed into the
postseason with wins in 14 of its final 15 games. The Rockies then blew
through the playoffs and reached the World Series for the first time ever
before getting swept by the Red Sox.
With a young core of players who all seemed to still be on the way up, along
with a farm system that BA rated as the game's seventh-best entering the
year, Colorado had high expectations heading into the season. The front
office made few moves and was willing to rely on its farm system to fill any
holes that appeared.
The major league team never got it together, however, limping along on the
fringes of contention all season in the mediocre National League West. The
Rockies finally fell out of the running in September and finished 74-88, a
decline of 16 wins from 2007.
Troy Tulowitzki, depended on as a franchise cornerstone, was hurt much of the
year and batted a lackluster .263/.332/.401 when he did play. Several other
young players took steps back as the offense scored 113 fewer runs than it
had the year before. On the pitching front, Jeff Francis saw his ERA balloon
to 5.01. Former No. 1 prospect Franklin Morales, who looked like a future ace
at the end of 2007, went 1-2, 6.39 in five starts and found himself back in
Triple-A.
Reflecting the disappointment of the season, the front office made wholesale
changes to the big league staff after the season, keeping manager Clint
Hurdle but getting rid of just about everyone else. The Rockies also traded
their best player, Matt Holliday, to the Athletics ahead of his impending
free agency.
The news wasn't any better on the farm, where Morales' performance was
reflective of a system where most of the top prospects regressed. Ian Stewart
and Greg Reynolds did graduate to the big leagues, though neither marked
himself as a surefire regular going forward. Shortstop Hector Gomez and
righthander Casey Weathers both had Tommy John surgery.
One bright spot for the organization was the continued development of
outfielder Dexter Fowler, who becomes the Rockies' top prospect after playing
for Team USA in the Olympics. He'll be expected to step in at center field
after the Rockies cleared the way by nontendering Willy Taveras after last
season.
Fowler is a great example of Colorado's aggressive nature in recent drafts.
In August 2004, the Rockies saved $2 million when they traded Larry Walker to
the Cardinals. They used a chunk of that money to sign Fowler, days before he
planned to enroll at Miami.
The Rockies' increased presence in Latin America continues to pay dividends.
Venezuelan righthander Jhoulys Chacin and Dominican catcher Wilin Rosario
were two of their few prospects who significantly boosted their stock in
2008. Chacin led all minor leaguers with 18 wins, while Rosario ranked as the
No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Pioneer League.
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