DENVER -- Before University of Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson became the first catcher in NCAA Division I history to exceed 25 homers and 25 stolen bases in a season -- and before the Rockies selected him 37th overall in Competitive Balance Round A as one of 21 picks over two days -- he had a more modest goal.
“I had been hearing about it forever -- that I was a warning track demon,” said Jackson, the pride of Atlanta North Springs High School. “I didn’t hit my first home run until halfway through my senior year of high school.
“It was the top of the sixth, we were down one and I hit a solo homer. I didn’t really even know what to do.”
How about keep hitting homers and rounding out his game? He did that, and was recognized as the 2026 Golden Spikes Award winner as the best amateur player in the country.
Jackson, MLB Pipeline's 28th-ranked Draft prospect, finished 2026 with 32 homers and 26 steals. He was the Rockies’ second pick, after the club chose University of Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell with the 10th overall selection.
Not only was Jackson the second Bulldogs player in three years to win the Golden Spikes Award, but also the second in that time period to be selected by the Rockies. First baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon, who was taken by the Rockies third overall in the 2024 Draft and is at Triple-A Albuquerque as the club’s No. 2 prospect, won the award in ‘24.
“I actually met him -- he had played in the same travel ball organization that I did -- and after my freshman fall I got to hit with him,” said Jackson, who began his collegiate career at Wofford University before transferring to Georgia. “He’s a top-tier person, so in the offseason I get to talk to him a little bit.”
In 1999, Colorado selected another Golden Spikes winner -- Jason Jennings, a right-handed pitcher from Baylor University who earned 2002 National League Rookie of the Year honors for the Rockies.
It was a year full of honors for Jackson. He also won the Dick Howser Trophy as the top collegiate player in the country and the Buster Posey Catcher of the Year Award, along with being a consensus first-team All-American.
Jackson became just the third Triple Crown winner in Southeastern Conference history after batting .379 with 32 homers and a school-record 87 RBIs. The junior also led all Division I players in runs scored (88) and total bases (212), and he became the first catcher in Division I history to hit at least 25 homers and steal at least 25 bases in the same season.
At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Jackson displays power to all fields and he improved his contact skills. Defensively, Jackson has improved behind the plate and scouts believe he can be an average defender as a pro after he cleans up his receiving and blocking, along with his throwing accuracy. Jackson has the athleticism to play a corner outfield spot if necessary.
“I want to catch as long as possible, but at the end of the day whatever is going to give me the best output to help my team and whatever the organization wants is what I’m going to do,” he said.
- Round 2, Pick 37
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: University of Georgia
- Calling Card: It’s an all-round offensive game. He is the first catcher in NCAA Division I history to finish a season with at least 25 homers (he hit 32) and steal at least 25 bases in a season. He also batted .379 with a school-record 87 RBIs, and led Division I in runs (88) and total bases (212).
- Quote: “Golden Spikes Award winner, first catcher in Division I history to have 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases, so he’s really super-talented,” Rockies assistant general manager Tommy Tanous said.
Logan Reddemann, RHP
- Round 2, Pick 38
- Bats/throws: B/R
- School: UCLA
- Calling Card: Strike-throwing was his forte when he began his collegiate career at the University of San Diego. After transferring to UCLA, he improved his fastball velocity to the mid 90s. He brings an advanced pitch mix for a collegiate pitcher. A hard cutter and a changeup have received high marks from scouts, but he also brings a curve and a sweeper.
- Quote: “It’s incredibly impressive -- it’s almost a professional arsenal,” Tanous said. “The last six or seven games, he really came on.”
Jack Natili, C
- Round 3, Pick 76
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: University of Cincinnati
- Calling Card: Much like Jackson, Nitili brings elite power. He turned in a college season full of big production, with 19 home runs and 65 RBIs in 60 games. He also finished second in home runs (six) last year swinging a wood bat in the Cape Cod League.
- Quote: “They were both [Jackson and Nitili] players that we had high on our board, that we felt if we had access to, we wanted to jump on that opportunity,” Rockies general manager Paul DePodesta said. ”We think both of them have a chance to have long careers in the big leagues.”
Ben Davis, RHP
- Round 4, Pick 104
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Mississippi State
- Calling Card: At 6-4 and 230 pounds, Davis has a power build that teams like in starting pitches. He also brings a power mix that he uses aggressively, but his slider and sweeper are effective secondary pitches.
- Quote: “He’s a big horse,” Tanous said. “You watch him and you don’t want to be in the batter’s box against him.”
Rounds 5-10
RHP Tyler Putnam (Round 5) from Columbia (Mo.) Battle High School was the only high schooler picked in the top 10 rounds. … RHP Garrett Lambert (Round 6) fanned 90 against 29 walks in 71 innings, and before the Draft announced that he was transferring to the University of Alabama. … RHP Jack Scott (Round 7) of Central Missouri was co-Mid-American Athletic Association Freshman of the Year in ‘24 and MIAA Pitcher of the Year in ‘25, but was limited to 7 1/3 innings this past season because of Tommy John surgery, from which he has recovered. … Oklahoma State LHP Hudson Barrett (Round 8), who recovered from Tommy John surgery he underwent while at UC Santa Barbara, struck out 64 in 45 1/3 innings this year at OSU, and ran a YouTube channel to help young players. … TCU RHP Tanner Sagouspe (Round 9), a reliever for all but one game of a collegiate career that began at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, fanned 43 in 33 1/3 innings in 2026. … LHP Mikiah Negrete (10) logged 100 innings and went 9-4 with a 2.70 ERA for Cal State Fullerton.
Player to watch: Tyler Putnam, RHP
- Round 5, Pick 136
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Columbia (Mo.) Battle High School
- Calling Card: Rockies chose just one high schooler in the top 10 rounds, and Putnam (committed to the University of Tennessee) is a scout’s dream. He is listed at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, so increased strength and maybe even velocity (his fastball has touched 97, even 98 mph) is expected. He played baseball and basketball through high school, so for part of his year he gave his body a break and developed other athletic skills.
Rounds 11-15
A 6-foot-3, 170-pounder who has committed to Indiana University, RHP Gavin Swartz (Round 11) struck out 51 in 35 1/3 innings and batted .289 for Bloomington (Ill.) Normal Community High School. … Auburn LHP Garrett Brewer (12) fanned 84 in 63 1/3 mostly relief innings in a collegiate career spent at Michigan State and Auburn. … OF Juriel Collazo (13) of Christian Military Academy in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 1 outfielder and the No. 3 overall player from Puerto Rico. … Pitt OF Lorenzo Carrier (14) put up a 1.318 OPS in 268 plate appearances. … Southern Illinois 1B Ryan Niedzwiedz (15) slashed .351/.427/.768 with 14 doubles, 27 home runs and 69 RBIs in 57 games.
Player to watch: Lorenzo Carrier, OF
- Round 14, Pick 404
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: University of Pittsburgh
- Calling card: In his first four collegiate seasons -- three at Miami, one at Pitt -- Carrier’s best home run season was seven in 2025. In 2026, he ignited for 20 for the Panthers, made himself a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist and became a popular name when All-America and honorable mention All-America teams were announced. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, there is the potential for professional power.
Rounds 16-20
Tulane RHP Sam Larson (Round 16) went 2-3 with four saves in 28 appearances in 2026 after going 6-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 14 games (eight starts) for Division III Denison in 2025. … Liberty LHP Josh Swink (17) was named a Cape Cod League All-Star in 2025 representing Chatham after posting a 2.63 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 10 appearances. … OF Blake Bowen (18) of San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic High School drew extensive scouting traffic after choosing baseball over football. … Over four seasons at Stanford, OF Cort MacDonald (19) slashed .309/.385/.409 with 23 doubles, one triple and six home runs in 131 games. … OF Dimitri Williams Jr. (20), a Brigham Young commit, batted .390 as a junior and .286 as a senior for Oakland (Calif.) Bishop O’Dowd High School.
Player to watch: Blake Bowen, OF
- Round 18, Pick 524
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic High School
- Calling Card: The No. 63 MLB Pipeline Draft prospect, Bowen has committed to Oregon State. After playing mostly football, he drew heavy scouting attention when he picked baseball and used his size (listed 6-foot-3, 225) and strong performances in front of scouts at events such as the Area Code Games.