One Rockies prospect named second-best in all of baseball
Aug 25, 2022, 2:17 PM
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies may have a future star working through the minor-league system right now.
In former MLB General Manager Jim Bowden’s Top 50 Prospects list released by The Athletic on Thursday, Rockies outfielder Zac Veen was listed as the second-best prospect in all of baseball.
Veen, a first-round pick out of high school in 2020, is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound corner outfielder. Currently, at Double-A Hartford, Veen was called up from High-A earlier this month. Veen was also selected to the National League Futures Games this summer.
So far in the minors, Veen has slashed .282 /.378/.458, 26 homers and 139 RBI in 212 games across all levels and two years of play.
On the 20-80 scale commonly used in baseball scouting, here’s what Bowden graded Veen.
HIT: 60 PWR: 60 RUN: 55 ARM: 60 FLD: 55
Veen put on a show in batting practice at the Futures Game in July, peppering line drives everywhere and displaying standout power to all fields, especially in the gaps, with remarkable backspin on his blasts. He can steal bases at will, racking up 53 in 59 attempts this season. I believe Veen will be a 30-homer, 40-steals type player once he arrives at Coors Field. He’s the next Rockies superstar.
According to this list, the Rockies could’ve had the two top prospects in baseball had they nailed the Nolan Arenado trade. Bowden named Cardinals’ 20-year-old Jordan Walker the best prospect in baseball.
Veen isn’t rated quite as high by other outlets, with even Purple Row saying he’s only the second-best Rockies prospect. Baseball America had Veen at No. 22 preseason, Baseball Prospectus said No. 25, and MLB.com had him at No. 36. Veen has moved up to No. 24 on MLB.com.
Ezequiel Tovar is consistently named just as good, if not better as a prospect. Both could hit the majors next season but projects on their call-up range even to 2025.
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