There were so many storylines with the Rockies going on yesterday. Let's knock them out, one by one:
The Rockies Won a Game!: Yes, it is true. It has happened. Now, a win in either of their next two games gives them their first 3-game series win since April 15-17.
Clayton Mortensen vs. Juan Nicasio: The Rockies' prospect with the most helium this season has been Juan Nicasio, and he has been exceptional in two starts this season, aside from one inning in San Francisco. With Aaron Cook due to start tomorrow in the finale at PetCo Park, either Nicasio or Mortensen would be losing their rotation spot. Mortensen tossed six shutout innings last night, walking two and allowing five hits against the Padres in what amounted to his last audition. It wasn't impressive, but was it enough to stave off Nicasio and send the Dominican to the minors for more work on his secondary offerings? Bob Apodaca on Mortensen after the game: "He didn't pitch as well as he needed to."
Dexter Fowler Likely to the DL: The Rockies' center fielder has struggled of late, and he injured a muscle in his left abdominal muscle diving into first base Sunday. The injury is legitimate, though whether he'd see the DL if he was hitting .400 is another question.
Charlie Blackmon Likely Called Up: Nothing is official, but the Rockies best hitting prospect in AAA did not play last night and is finally rumored to be coming up. While the Rockies have called up Eric Young Jr., Alfredo Amezaga and Chris Nelson from AAA to help an ailing offense, Blackmon is a completely separate beast. The left-handed hitter can potentially help the offense with power, hitting, and speed. He was hitting .328/.366/.525 on the road, so his numbers are not inflated just due to Colorado Springs. He was rated the #7 rated Rockies prospect by Kevin Goldstein in January. I have heard he is one of the hardest working players in the system, and Christian Friedrich echoed that claim last night.
Carlos Gonzalez Shifts to Leadoff and Center Field: With the number of AAA players running out in which to change up the line-up, Jim Tracy put CarGo back where he was a year ago. The offense didn't come (0-for-4, 2 K's, comebacker, popup), but he did pick up an outfield assist in center. His start there strengthens the case that Blackmon will be called up and playing regularly when he is.
Rex Brothers Makes MLB Debut: Jim Tracy wasn't shy about putting Brothers in the game last night, allowing the lefty to make his debut in the 7th inning, leading just 1-0. He gave up two singles and induced a double play, but most importantly, he threw 12 strikes in 15 pitches. The Rockies wanted him to improve his fastball command, and he was strong, throwing 10 of 11 for strikes despite sitting 95-97mph. He threw four sliders, one resulting in an infield single, two in balls and one in a called strike. He was removed in favor of Matt Belisle to protect the rookie a bit, but all in all, it was an impressive debut.
Oh yeah...there was also the start of the draft last night. David Oh No and mkorpal will add much more later in the day, but there's a bit on the draft after the jump.
Draft
The MLB Draft resumes at 10:00 AM MDT today with round 2 and will finish with round 30. Rounds 31-50 are tomorrow. The Rockies will choose in the #17 slot in each of the coming rounds. Make sure to have this window open throughout the day to keep an eye on the Rockies' newest draft choices. Last night, they selected two players:
#20 - 21yo LH SP Tyler Anderson - Oregon University - 6'4", 215
Anderson is a polished lefty starter with a plus changeup and fastball in the low-90's. His slider is sharp but not a swing and miss pitch. Not great stuff, but highly projectable as a mid-to-back-of rotation starter. In other words, he has nothing in common with Tyler Matzek...except first name, occupation, handedness and desire to be a Duck. Keith Law doesn't like the pick, but it is worth noting that Law only saw Anderson pitch in his worst outing this season, against Arizona St. Here is a scouting report and video from John Klima at Baseball Beginnings
#45 - 18yo SS Trevor Story - Irving High School (TX) - 6'1", 177
Story is a very good fielder with good range and a very strong arm. He possesses speed, but his bat is the main question, similar to the vein of last year's 3rd rounder Josh Rutledge. Unlike Rutledge, Story has the potential to develop a solid bat, some scouts believe, that would make him a five-tool player. Video.
There have been a lot of critical comments on the Rockies draft so far, so I'll leave you with this reminder by Jeff Sullivan on the draft:
The opinions of the many trace back to the opinions of the few
Everybody who follows the MLB draft has opinions on the MLB draft. Everybody has their own favorite players and least favorite players, and when things go right or wrong, a lot of people will respond with remarkable emotion. The majority of these people have never actually seen the players play. Thorough scouting reports are generated by a select few, and these reports spread like a brushfire. Which isn't to say that the reports are wrong. Many reports are accurate. But scouting is a subjective art, and scouting opinions should never be taken as gospel. Draft time tricks people into making conclusive statements when they should not.