Colorado Rockies news and links for Thursday, April 18, 2024
As expected, the Colorado Rockies’ major league product has been less than desirable so far this season. Sitting at a franchise-worst 4-15 mark to start the season, Colorado is firmly entrenched in the cellar of the division and tied with the Miami Marlins for the worst record in the National League.
The 2024 season has always been destined to be a flatline at the highest level for the organization as they continue their rebuild, so there are no major surprises in the team’s performance. The current state of the organization means the larger emphasis is placed on the performance and development of the teams and players in the lower levels this year.
There have been plenty of positive developments in these ranks already. Chase Dollander has hit the ground running in his pro debut with just one run and four hits allowed against 15 strikeouts in his first ten innings – headlining an impressive start for the Spokane rotation. On the offensive side, former first-round selection Benny Montgomery has jumped out of the gate in his first taste of Double-A, nabbing Eastern League Player of the Week honors already.
While Dollander and Montgomery have rightfully gained notoriety with their performances, there is another prominent Rockies’ prospect that is off to a terrific start. Another former first-round selection and one that has been a fixture in the club’s long-term plans – OF Zac Veen.
Once the poster child of the impending youth movement, Veen has had lofty expectations placed on his shoulders since being selected ninth overall in the 2020 draft.
He burst onto the scene in his first pro season, posting a .900 OPS and 200 total bases for the Fresno Grizzlies in 2021 – enough to earn Player of the Year honors for the California League that year. He maintained that pace in 2022 with High-A Spokane with an .807 OPS over 92 games before getting the call to the Double-A Yard Goats to finish the year. He finished the year with a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League, though, leading many to believe his performance in the season’s final month was simply a blip.
Unfortunately, that turned out to be where Veen’s trajectory began to falter.
He posted a sub -.500 OPS in his first taste of the next level in 2022 but was expected to take control of the more advanced competition in 2023. That did not come pass, however, as Veen stumbled to a .209/.304/.308 line in 46 games with the Yard Goats before getting shut down to undergo wrist surgery in June.
While the injury to Veen could certainly explain the downtick in performance, it nonetheless left the outfielder’s future in uncertainty. Not only were there questions about his ability after recovering from the injury, but his performance in the proving grounds of Double-A to this point were simply not sufficient enough to warrant consideration for an MLB role until he conquered that crucible.
Well…he may be doing just that this season.
Zac Veen shows off his power and speed for the @GoYardGoats ⚡️
The @Rockies‘ No. 6 prospect ties a career high with four hits, including his first homer and triple of the season: pic.twitter.com/x8yArwb44c
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 13, 2024
Through his first nine games, Veen has put together a 1.163 OPS with 23 total bases and four stolen bases. It goes without saying that a small sample size caveat applies with these numbers considering the minor league season is barely a week old. But Veen’s start is encouraging nonetheless, riding a four game hitting streak — including at least one extra-base hit in each — along with multi-hit performances in four of his last six games.
There is still plenty of season to go, but the initial results are very promising. Veen is looking healthy once again and is making an impact with the bat at an advanced level – something that has been long overdue.
If his bat can stay hot and catch up with robust speed and defense profile, Veen could be back on track to become a regular at the MLB level as soon as this season.
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Kris Bryant goes on the 10-Day IL | Purple Row
Kris Bryant season has begun as the club placed the embattled veteran on the 10-day injured list with lower back strain. The move is retroactive to April 14th, when Bryant crashed into the right field wall in Toronto.
Luke Zahlmann runs down the events of the Rockies three-game sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team is now on a five game losing streak and its 4-15 start is the worst record in franchise history through the first 19 games of a season.
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