This story was excerpted from the Rockies Beat newsletter, with MLB.com reporter Manny Randhawa filling in for Thomas Harding in this edition. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

If you’re the Rockies, or a Rockies fan, there’s a new avenue for daring to dream.

On Sunday, at the Winter Meetings in San Diego, the first MLB Draft Lottery will be held. Colorado, tied for the seventh-worst record in MLB last season, has a 3.9% chance at the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft.

The Rockies have never had the No. 1 overall selection. The highest Colorado has picked in its 30-year history is second. That was in 2006, when it chose right-handed pitcher Greg Reynolds out of Stanford University.

• MLB Draft Central

The Rockies have had a top-eight pick in the Draft 11 times. Among the notable picks in that group are Todd Helton (eighth overall in 1995), Troy Tulowitzki (seventh overall in 2005), Jon Gray (third overall in 2013), Kyle Freeland (eighth in 2014) and Brendan Rodgers (third in 2015).

So, what could the organization potentially make of a windfall in Draft order this summer if luck is on its side Sunday in the lottery?

Well, when dreaming, you start with the moon before you land among the stars. The moon, in this case, would be the No. 1 overall pick, with which Colorado could go a number of directions. Let’s start with pitching. (What else, given it’s the Rockies?)

Colorado has historically preferred college arms. The No. 1 pitching prospect in the collegiate ranks, according to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, is Tennessee right-hander Chase Dollander. Dollander was named SEC pitcher of the year in 2022 after posting a 2.39 ERA with 108 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 79 innings. He features a fastball that touches 99 mph and a slider that can hit 91. 

On the position player side of the ledger, intriguing outfielders abound. There is Dylan Crews, a power hitter who had a 1.154 OPS with 22 homers in 62 games during his sophomore year at LSU. 

There’s also Wyatt Langford, who launched a school-record 26 homers and posted a 1.166 OPS in 66 games for the University of Florida as a sophomore last season. He has more speed and athleticism than Crews, though he’s primarily a left fielder, whereas Crews plays center.

There are also a couple of shortstops named Jacob among Callis’ top five collegiate prospects -- Mississippi’s Jacob Gonzalez and Grand Canyon’s Jacob Wilson.

Gonzalez controls the strike zone well and has what projects as at least average power at the Major League level. He produced all three of Mississippi’s runs in the College World Series clincher. His arm strength and athleticism could keep him at shortstop in the big leagues.

Wilson is the son of former MLB shortstop Jack Wilson. Jacob had a 1.004 OPS with 12 homers in 59 games for Grand Canyon University as a sophomore last season. He also struck out in just 3% of his plate appearances and then proved to be the best hitter on the U.S. collegiate national team.

The high school pool features some interesting prospects who could go high in the Draft. Among the top prep players right now are five-tool outfielder and clear No. 1 high school prospect Max Clark from Indiana, outfielder Walker Jenkins of North Carolina, two-way player (right-handed pitcher and catcher) Blake Mitchell out of Texas, right-hander and top arm in the prep class Travis Sykora from Texas, and third baseman Aidan Miller out of Florida.

Miller was named MVP of the High School All-American Game and won the high school home run derby in Los Angeles during the All-Star break.