The Rockies took a pitcher at No. 9 who was once the top prospect

The Colorado Rockies selected University of Tennessee pitcher Chase Dollander with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday night.

Dollander was awesome in 2022 for the Volunteers, compiling a 10-0 record with a very low 2.39 ERA. That made him the top pitching prospect in the country entering this season. But things didn’t go exactly as planned.

Dollander went just 7-6 and his ERA jumped up 4.75. He gave up 30 walks in 79 innings after walking just 13 batters in 89 innings the year before. Clearly, command became an issue for the right-hander this year.

Here’s part of what ESPN had to say about Dollander’s selection by the Rockies:

If the Rockies can fix whatever was wrong with Dollander’s delivery this spring and bring out the 2022 version of the Tennessee ace, they’re getting a player who would have been off the board far before No. 9 tonight. Of course, the risk here is also greater, so this pick is a bet on Dollander and a bet on Colorado’s development department being able to bring out the best in him.

Obviously, the Rockies fixing the kid is a big “if.” Their success rate with developing pitchers has some solid hits over the years — and also some big misses.

And right now Colorado desperately needs arms. Not that Dollander is going to be able to help anytime soon (they never do in baseball), but replenishing the minor leagues is important.

The Rockies also went pitching in the second-round, selecting lefty Sean Sullivan out of Wake Forest with the No. 46 overall pick.

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