Rockies prospects: Brendan Rodgers, Jeff Hoffman among 7 Colorado farmhands to make Baseball Prospectus' Top 101

The 2016 Baseball Prospectus Top 101 prospects list was released today, and seven Rockies prospects made the list, including six in the top 50. The Los Angeles Dodgers' Corey Seager came in at No. 1.

The highest-rated prospect in the Rockies system is 2015 draftee Brendan Rodgers, who came in at No. 20. Rodgers was rated higher than the two shortstops picked before him, Alex Bregman and Dansby Swanson. A sample of what BPro had to say about Rodgers:

" ... With a potential plus hit–plus power offensive profile and a glove that will keep him on the left side of the diamond, Rodgers may be worth the extra wait."

Coming in at second for the Rockies and No. 24 overall is Colorado's newest top prospect, Jeff Hoffman. Hoffman was the highest-rated prospect to come back to the Rockies in the Troy Tulowitzki trade.

The 23-year-old righty was going to be a September call-up for the Toronto Blue Jays, but the Rockies put the brakes on his development. Look for Hoffman to start 2016 at Triple-A Albuquerque.

"The reports on his stuff continue to wow, even if the results weren't as dominant as you might expect from the kind words. He can touch 99 with his fastball and shows a potentially plus change and curve as well."

The third prospect, and the first of three ranked in the 30s is outfielder David Dahl, who comes in at 31. Dahl had a tough year in 2015 thanks to the removal of the spleen he ruptured in an outfield collision at Double-A New Britain. Previously, Baseball Prospectus had rated him as high as 24th. He slashed .278/.304/.417 for the Rock Cats in 73 games.

"He was one of the youngest players in the Eastern League and more than held his own on the field. Dahl is a true center fielder with advanced instincts to match his plus speed and strong arm."

The next Rockies player in the top 50 is the most exciting pitching prospect to debut at Coors Field in a long time, Jon Gray. Gray comes in at No. 33 on the list, nine spots behind Hoffman. Gray, who spent most of last season at Albuquerque before being called up to Denver in early August, was the third overall pick in the 2013 draft.

"Gray's fastball sits around 95, and his plus slider will be a bat-misser at the highest level, but command and altitude issues led to more loud contact than you would expect from an arm with his arsenal."

The fifth and penultimate Rockies prospect in the top 50 is none other than Ryan McMahon, the third baseman (maybe turning first baseman?) who spent his 2015 season with the Modesto Nuts, coming in at No. 36 on the list. McMahon made a 64-spot jump from pre-2015 list, where he came in at No. 100.

"There is 20–home run power in his bat in any park or league, though, and McMahon is a polished third baseman with a plus arm, so he will contribute on the defensive side as well."

The final top 50 prospect is Raimel Tapia. Tapia seems to be the most polarizing prospect in awhile, as it seems that everyone either thinks he is going to be an epic bust or one of the best hitters in the game. Tapia comes in at No. 42 on the list, a three-spot jump from this time last year. Tapia should help christen the new ballpark in Hartford this year.

"He has bat-to-ball skills that border on the preternatural. His ability to get the barrel on almost any pitch leads to some bad contact and chasing, though. He is still raw in center field, but his plus foot speed should let him play at least average there with further development of his reads and routes."

The seventh and final Rockies prospect on the list, Forrest Wall (who was profiled here today as the No. 11 PuRP), comes in at No. 101. Look for him to start the year with the Modesto Nuts.

"He has a swing geared to spray line drives all over the outfield and has one of the best pure hit tools in the minors. He’s inexperienced at second base, only being forced there after undergoing labrum surgery in high school, which has left his arm well below average."

This is certainly a thrilling development for Rockies fans, especially because Colorado would probably be extremely well represented in the next 101 spots had BPro decided to go that far. As is, the Rockies fielded more prospects in the top 101 than any other NL West club (Dodgers: 6; Arizona Diamondbacks: 3; San Diego Padres: 3; San Francisco Giants: 0).

Baseball Prospectus' annual, probably the best hardball book that you'll find anywhere, is available for preorder now and will be released on Feb. 9. Order your copy here.