Today we’re breaking into our top 30 as we unveil our top 40 list. Monday we released our honorable mentions and yesterday 40-31. This portion of the system is all about pitching. Literally. All 10 prospects we have ranked here are pitchers, showcasing the number of quality arms the Rockies have in their system.
Below is a nice mix of 2023 draftees, 2023 trade pieces, and even some multi-year presences in the system. Let us know who you think is most likely to stick in Colorado’s rotation on Twitter.
#30 – Jack Mahoney
The Rockies 3rd round pick this past year, Mahoney had just 117.2 innings in college under his belt after missing most of 2021 and all of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 2023, Mahoney pitched to a 4.16 ERA with 84 strikeouts to 29 walks across 84.1 innings. While still rebuilding arm strength, Mahoney averaged 93.6 mph between his two fastballs while also mixing in a slider, curveball, and changeup; the changeup looks like a potentially plus offering in the upper 80s with heavy fade.
The Rockies made last year’s draft a pitching fest as they clearly need to find more arms that profile as MLB starters. In the case of Mahoney, he has the arm talent and deep arsenal to make a run as a starter. If the South Carolina alum can tap into more velocity as he continues to progress back from Tommy John, he’s got a chance to be a mid-rotation arm.
#29 – Isaiah Coupet
Isaiah Coupet’s game can be perfectly encapsulated in one word: spin. He won’t wow the radar guns with his power (sitting 90-92), but he will make batters look foolish with his breaking balls. A starting pitcher at Ohio State, logging 132.3 innings during his three years, Coupet may need to adapt to a relief style game given his lack of power. His marquee pitch is his slider, which in college was his go-to pitch to put hitters away, though his curveball offers a jaw-dropping movement profile, too.
Much like other draftees, Coupet has barely touched the Rockies farm system, only getting in for four innings last season. He has legit stuff that will translate, but there are worries that his low-velocity fastball and big, vertical curveball won’t translate to Coors Field, isolating him with one reliable pitch. Time will tell, if Coupet can hone in on relief work and embrace his most likely path to the big leagues role, he could be wearing purple pinstripes soon.
#28 – Victor Juarez
Juarez won’t wow anyone on the hill, sitting in the low-90s without flashy stuff, but his ability to pinpoint pitches and throw with deception has netted him success as a young pro. Juarez ran into trouble this year in High-A Spokane as more balls in play went for hits. Juarez misses enough bats that there should be some regression back to the mean next year. If he can take the next step in his physical development as well, Juarez could re-emerge as a top 20 prospect in this system
Still yet to turn 21, patience will be a virtue with Juarez. He’s way ahead of the age curve and deserves plenty of patience coming off a year with a 6.38 ERA. Expect Juarez to repeat High-A but he could get a quick call to Double-A if he’s performing. The upside of a stable backend starter somewhat like Antonio Senzatela is here.
#27 – McCade Brown
Much like Weatherly at #39, Brown has been off the radar because of injury. We don’t know much other than he didn’t get Tommy John surgery. Brown entered the Rockies organization via the 3rd round of the 2021 MLB draft after a rollercoaster career at Indiana, though he looked like a first/second rounder at times as a Hoosier. Brown went and backed that up in 2022 with 118 strikeouts to just 23 walks in 89.2 innings in Single-A Fresno.
Brown has power stuff. He usually sits 92-95, capable of gearing up to 97, backing the heater up with two pristine breaking balls and a promising changeup. Right now, health is most important but the 6-foot-6 Brown has tremendous upside that could land him in an MLB rotation at some point.
#26 – Case Williams
Case Williams, 22, hails from Castle Rock, CO. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2020 drafted and quickly swapped to Cincinnati for Robert Stephenson and Jameson Hannah (Jeff Hoffman also went to Cincy). 8 months later, he came back to Colorado, along with Noah Davis, for Mychal Givens. Not many professional athletes get traded in their career, let alone twice, let alone to and from the team that drafted them. Case has a fun Rockies story and it will be even better when he hits the majors.
Playing 3 years younger than the competition in Double-A in 2023, Williams held his own. Spanning 107.6 innings, he’s been able to keep a 18 K%, but the walks and hits have gotten the best of him. He is starting he 2024 with a biceps injury but knowing what we know about Williams, he will come back ready to go soon. Williams sits in the low-to-mid 90s and is complimented by a changeup, curveball, and a slider that has become an effective pitch after he worked through some finger issues. Williams was drafted with one tool at the top of the list; the ability to spin the baseball and hopefully that skill can guide him to success in 2024.
#25 – Victor Vodnik
Acquired from Atlanta in July alongside RHP Tanner Gordon in the Pierce Johnson trade, Victor Vodnik is a 6-foot right-handed reliever. He began his Rockies tenure at Double-A Hartford, where he only played in four games (six innings, zero runs, nine strikeouts), and after being sent to Triple-A Albuquerque for just eight games (seven innings, 7.71 ERA, four strikeouts), Vodnik finished his quick ascent through the Rockies system by making his MLB debut on September 9.
The Rockies love what they have in Victor Vodnik. He features a three pitch mix (fastball, changeup, slider) with the fastball averaging over 97 MPH. At just 24, Colorado hopes Vodnik can become a trustworthy middle reliever out of the bullpen, but he certainly has the tools to develop into a closer. Keep an eye on Vodnik during Spring Training.
#24 – Michael Prosecky
Drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Michael Prosecky has become one of the biggest prospect names among the organization’s pitchers. Prosecky is a tall left-handed pitcher whose best pitch is a fastball that sits around 92-93, topping out at 95. He has become reliant on his fastball, using it 67% of the time in 2023. Despite being a fastball-heavy pitcher, Prosecky has improved his changeup in the past year, making it a quality part of his arsenal. While in college, Prosecky was a dominant relief pitcher, becoming one of the best in Louisville’s history. Despite his success as a reliever, Rockies brass must have seen something that can translate into a starting role and let Prosecky hit the ground running from the rotation.
In his first full season playing professional baseball, Prosecky pushed an impressive 109 innings, managing a 2.72 ERA during that span. He’s one of the few pitchers in the system who showed off longevity and quality last season. Prosecky is one of the most underrated prospects in baseball. Prosecky has above average power and stuff for a left-handed pitcher and could be in line to start games for the Rockies as soon as 2025.
#23 – Jackson Cox
An uncommon prep pitching selection for the Rockies in the 2022 draft, Cox was always going to take time to develop, but now his timeline will be delayed another year following a summer Tommy John surgery. Cox doesn’t have that big lanky frame you usually see from high school draftees, but fortunately he’s already sat in the mid-90s and has a devastating ability to spin the baseball.
In his pro debut with Single-A Fresno, Cox struck out 32 in 31 innings before undergoing the elbow procedure. He did allow a 7.26 ERA, but as a 19-year-old, early struggles were to be expected. Unexpectedly, in Cox’s final two outings, he threw 7 combined shutout innings with 14 strikeouts, flashing the potential MLB rotation talent he was drafted for. It’s hard to tell what the finished product may look like, but Cox could bring a high-level MLB curveball to go along with mid-90s velo.
#22 – Jaden Hill
The talk of Rockies camp so far in Spring Training has been Jaden Hill, a 24 year old, 6-foot-4 righty reliever. Drafted by the Rockies in the 2nd round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of LSU, Hill has dealt with injuries to his throwing arm in the early stages of his professional career. In 2022, he was limited to just 17.2 innings split across Single-A Fresno and the Arizona Complex League. In 2023, he was out there a bit more, totaling 55 innings with High-A Spokane (43.2 innings, 9.48 ERA) and the Arizona Fall League (11.1 innings, 3.18 ERA).
Formerly a starting pitcher, the Rockies have converted Hill to a reliever, hoping to prolong his career and limit injuries. Hill carries an absolutely electric arm, and his high-end velocity has caught the attention of Rockies fans. If he continues to have a strong spring training, it will be big for his confidence and certainly lands him on the call-up radar later in the season.
#21 – Mason Albright
A key piece of the 2023 trade that saw C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk land in Anaheim, Mason Albright was traded to the Rockies alongside RHP Jake Madden last July. Albright, 21, stands at 6-foot and is a southpaw starter that features a four-pitch mix, including a fastball, slider, curve, and changeup. Drafted in the 12th round in 2021, Albright spent his time at Single-A with the Angels, and upon joining the Rockies, he made one start with Single-A Fresno before being promoted to High-A Spokane.
All told, in 2023, he appeared in 21 games (20 starts) totaling 109.2 innings and a 3.28 ERA, while being an effective starter. With the Rockies needing young arms, Albright was certainly a commodity for Colorado at the deadline. It might take a couple years until we see him at 20th & Blake, but Albright has a stable profile and the undeniable talent to be a big leaguer. In 2024, we’d love to see him continue his growth and get some run in Double-A with Hartford.
Our 4th of 5 installments of the top 40, numbers 20-11 drops tomorrow!
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