SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ryan Vilade was the Rockies’ second-round pick in 2017 out of the Texas high school ranks and is currently the organization’s No. 4 prospect. He’s coming off of a .303/.367/.466 season in the Class A Advanced California League and attended his first big league camp this spring.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Every player development staff aims to have depth at all positions at all levels. But that's also known as an ideal that is rarely reached. Things tend to go in cycles with organizational depth changing over time.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Thursday afternoon might have been more starting gun than baby step for Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers. In his first Cactus League action since he had right shoulder labrum surgery on July 16, Rodgers went 2-for-3 as the designated hitter in a 7-6 split-squad loss to the White

There’s little question the Rockies like to do things on their own. The big league roster is almost always largely homegrown, with the 2017-18 playoff teams consisting mostly of players originally drafted and signed by the organization. That will continue with the 26-man roster it breaks camp with this season,

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies catching prospect Dom Nuñez showed once again Friday night that he can hit a ball hard. His three-run homer off the Giants’ Melvin Adon in the fourth inning of the 9-6 loss reached the top levels of a party deck in right field at Scottsdale Stadium.

The 2019 Major League season will be remembered as the Year of the Home Run after players across baseball combined to hit a record 6,776 homers -- up from 5,585 in 2018 -- and 14 different teams set a new franchise record. National League Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Rockies have left-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison’s locker in the clubhouse, but tucked into an obscure corner. One must look to find him. His bullpen session Thursday morning, however, was appointment viewing. Manager Bud Black hung near his catcher. Pitching coach Steve Foster watched from behind the

Perhaps nothing gets a ballpark buzzing more than a long home run or a sizzling fastball. Scoreboards display velocity so fans can marvel at how hard flamethrowers deliver their heat. The current king of big league fastballers is Jordan Hicks, who threw the 23 fastest pitches in MLB last year

Think fast! That’s what we’re doing this week at MLB Pipeline. We assure this will be a quick read. That’s because we’re looking at the fastest players in each organization. This isn’t just a list of top prospects, as many organizations have speedsters who might not have other tools that

There is so much pressure on prospects to perform at the plate. If they don’t hit, they don’t get noticed and might not advance. Sometimes that means defensive acumen is underappreciated. But not here at MLB Pipeline. We recently announced our All-Defensive Prospect Team and asked executives who they thought

SAN DIEGO -- Outfielder Sam Hilliard is giving Rockies fans a unique opportunity to share in his family’s fight against ALS, the disease that his father, Jim, has been battling since before his official diagnosis in 2018. MLB has launched its 2019 Winter Meeting Charity Auction to benefit five charities

DENVER -- Headshots in a baseball cap make Rockies prospect Tyler Nevin hard to tell apart from his father, Phil Nevin, the Yankees’ third-base coach. But Tyler’s lean, athletic frame comes from his mother – Kristin Nevin, who met Phil while starring in volleyball at Cal State Fullerton. “Facially and

DENVER -- The Rockies placed four players on their 40-man roster Wednesday, including their No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline: left-handed relief pitcher Ben Bowden, a second-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2016 and one of the organization’s most coveted players. Wednesday was the deadline for protecting players from exposure

The Rockies made it to the postseason in 2017 and 2018 as a Wild Card team, advancing to the NLDS in ’18. They did it with rosters that were among the most homegrown of all the playoff teams, particularly in terms of original draftees. Their roster was similarly homegrown in

DENVER -- It’s not often that the player being asked about in the Inbox is in position to help with the answer. We’re in luck this week.

Seven Rockies prospects are playing for the Salt River Rafters in the 2019 Arizona Fall League: Third basemen Colton Welker (No. 3) and Bret Boswell, right-handers Ryan Castellani (No. 15), Ashton Goudeau, Antonio Santos and Alexander Guillen, and catcher Brian Serven. First baseman Roberto Ramos (No. 28) slashed .162/.295/.324 with

DENVER -- Aspects of the Minor League statistical performances of outfielder Sam Hilliard and left-handed starting pitcher Ryan Rolison justify their selections as the Rockies’ MLB Pipeline Prospects of the Year. But, deeper than the numbers, their willingness and success at improving when challenged confirm the choices. Each team's Hitting

DENVER -- After securing a series win with back-to-back victories over the National League Central-leading Cardinals, the Rockies started six rookies in Thursday’s finale, losing 10-3 on the strength of four leadoff Redbirds roundtrippers in the first four innings. The loss, combined with a Brewers win earlier in the day,

SAN DIEGO – The Rockies added another pitcher on Saturday, recalling right-hander Rico Garcia from Triple-A Albuquerque. Manager Bud Black said Garcia, a starter in the Minors who made one spot start for the Rockies last month, likely will be used for length out of the bullpen should a starting

DENVER – Right-hander Jeff Hoffman returned from Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday -- and made steps forward while pitching five innings in the Rockies’ 6-2 loss to the Pirates -- in the first wave of September callups. Hoffman flashed some of the old issues -- an Adam Frazier home run on

DENVER -- Sam Hilliard put his most unexpected tool on display Saturday night. Hilliard is listed at 6-foot-5 and 238 pounds, so power is expected -- and he homered in two of his first four games after debuting this week. But three times during the reeling Rockies’ 11-4 loss to

DENVER -- Rockies right-hander Rico Garcia had the highlight of his Major League debut immediately -- a strikeout of Red Sox leadoff hitter Mookie Betts. Beyond that, Garcia's five innings can be chalked up to a learning experience, as his club endured a 10-6 loss Tuesday night at Coors Field.

DENVER -- Did Sam Hilliard dream about hitting a home run in his Rockies debut? "Uh, yeah -- why not?" Hilliard said after sending his first Major League hit into the Rockies' bullpen in right field for a two-run homer off Josh A. Smith in the seventh inning of a

SAN DIEGO -- The Rockies have had a trying month that has landed them in last place in the National League West. But they haven’t made wholesale changes to their lineup. For the most part, they are fielding known quantities and simply attempting to get all facets of their team

DENVER -- Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers, the organization’s top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, underwent shoulder surgery Tuesday to repair a torn right labrum, the club announced. Rodgers went to the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 24, with what the club announced was a right shoulder impingement. The surgery,