Veen focused on the basics ahead of Futures Game

July 9th, 2022

This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding's Rockies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The more acclaim sent his way, the more Zac Veen -- baseball’s No. 23 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline -- dedicates himself to the basics.

A left-handed-hitting outfielder with a .275 batting average and 10 home runs at High-A Spokane going into the weekend, Veen was one of two Rockies prospects chosen to appear in the 2022 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, one of the gem events of All-Star weekend.

No. 2 Rockies prospect Ezequiel Tovar, who is having a big year at Double-A Hartford and could be in the Majors by season’s end, will also represent the Rockies.

The seven-inning American vs. National League game will take place at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, July 16 at 7 p.m. ET/5 p.m. MT. It will be broadcast live on Peacock and SiriusXM, with MLB Network producing the telecast and re-airing the game at 9 a.m. ET on Sunday. Scott Braun (play-by-play), Yonder Alonso (analyst), Jim Callis (analyst) and A.J. Andrews (reporter) will be on the call.

But Veen, the team’s top prospect and the No. 9 overall Draft pick in 2020, knows even an opportunity before a worldwide audience is merely one more step toward his goal of being an impact player in the Majors.

“I’m trying to keep the same approach every day and take care of my body,” said Veen, who at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds still has potential to add more muscle and strength. “I know the power will come, but I’m trying to be a good hitter first. It’s nice that there are 10 home runs for just being a hitter.

“It’s very humbling. I can remember watching the game when I was younger and seeing players that I see on TV today.”

The 10 homers through 73 games show Veen is capable of a jump in production, even though he is facing slightly older competition. Last year, he hit 15 dingers in 106 games while batting .301 at Single-A Fresno, a level that included fewer college products. The other eye-popping number is he has 35 steals in 37 attempts this season. He was 36-for-53 last year.

In the low Minors, the bases are bigger and there are limits to pickoff throws and step-offs to control the running game. But the 20-year-old Veen does not want to abandon running when some of those rules go away at higher development levels. It’s questionable whether a player his size can stay aggressive throughout a Major League career. He’s a similar size to the Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon, who stole 43 bases in 2015 but curbed the running to stay healthier. For now, it’s part of Veen's game.

“Fans love to watch stolen bases,” Veen said. “It brings energy, so definitely something I plan on doing. One of the best ways to score runs is to, you know, advance 90 feet. It’s only beneficial to do it.”

Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said Veen is on board with the team’s requirement for him to make hard contact more consistently and to address the occasional uphill swing that higher-level pitchers will exploit. Working out in the offseason in the Orlando, Fla., area with several Major Leaguers, including the Rockies’ Brendan Rodgers, has helped Veen's maturity level, Schmidt said.

“He’s got tools and potential to be a good player at this level,” Schmidt said. “I still think refinement -- contact consistency, the ability to drive the ball to all parts of the field -- is in his future. He’s an aggressive baserunner. He’s a good baserunner.

“He’s mature. There are going to be adjustments he’ll need to make -- all players do. But he understands that.”