Colorado Rockies among big winners on Day 1 of MLB Draft

MLB Draft Day One winners: Swanson, Rodgers, Rockies, D-Backs, Astros - CBSSports.com
Jon Heyman lauds the Rockies as one of the Day 1 winners of the MLB Draft. Colorado got two big-time talents -- Brendan Rodgers and Mike Nikorak -- in the first round.

Rodgers is a power-hitting shortstop not unlike Rockies All-Star Troy Tulowitzki. In a workout for the Rockies in Arizona, Rodgers took 19 of 35 balls over the wall.

Nikorak might end up being the best pitcher taken in the draft, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo (via Heyman). He owns a devastating fastball and a couple of currently workable and still developing secondary offerings.

We have more on both players within our MLB Draft stream, which you can check out here.

Baseball Prospectus | Some Projection Left: MLB Draft Day 1 Analysis
Chris Crawford provided analysis for each of the Day 1 picks. He, like Heyman, seems to like what the Rockies did, grabbing the best players available with each of their first two picks before taking makeup and upside routes with their next two selections. Here are a few snippets from Crawford:

On Rodgers:

Rodgers is the most talented player in the class, and if there's such thing as a steal with the third overall pick, he is just that ... if he can stick at shortstop, he's a future All-Star.

On Nikorak:

Some mechanical tweaks with the lower-half could see the right-hander improve both the velocity and command. Certainly not a fast-track guy, but he was the best pitcher left on my board by a substantial margin.

On Tyler Nevin:

Nevin has four average tools, and he should be able to stick at third base. Scouts rave about his make-up.

On Peter Lambert:

He has a chance to be a quality mid-rotation starter with a 60 fastball and two solid-average secondary pitches. Another nice pick from the Rockies.

Fading stars Mauer and Gonzalez crossing paths in decline - Beyond the Box Score
Carlos Gonzalez has become a little bit like Joe Mauer during his quest to remain productive at the plate in the wake of some diminished tools. Gonzalez has sacrificed some power for patience, but as Kevin Ruprecht warns, that patience will only do CarGo so much good if he can't barrel up the ball with consistency.

Tulo, CarGo leading Rockies' resurgence | rockies.com
On the other hand, CarGo has heated up as of late, writes Tracy Ringolsby, and the two-time All-Star -- along with fellow star Troy Tulowitzki -- has had a big role in the Rockies' improved play as of late. Tulo crushed a three-run homer in the first inning of Colorado's rout over the Cardinals on Monday. Gonzalez also did his part, going 2-for-4 with a double.

How Charlie Blackmon climbed out of his deep slump - The Denver Post
Blackmon is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak, writes Patrick Saunders, who has quotes from Walt Weiss on the Rockies center fielder's improvement over the last week or so.

Blogpile

Rockies Base Running Update: Still Nincompoops | Rockies Zingers Colorado Rockies Baseball
Despite the Rockies' recent resurgence, they're still not very good on the base paths. Adam Peterson takes an in-depth look.

The Draft Is Jeff Bridich's First Big Test As Colorado Rockies General Manager - Rox Pile
Bridich seems to have passed the early part of his first major exam as Rockies GM. The club hasn't always drafted with a "best player available" mindset in the past, but each of their first four picks were the top players on their board at the time. That's good news.

Jeff Bridich officially kicks off his legacy with Colorado Rockies - BSN Denver
David Martin also believes Bridich had his first chance to put a real stamp on the organization on Monday. If Day 1 of the draft is any indication, we're in for some good things with Bridich at the helm. At the very least, he's shown he's not a simple clone of Dan O'Dowd. That alone should be enough to get people off of his back -- for now.

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