Thomas Harding of MLB.com writes that shortstop prospect Brendan Rodgers has been working out with major-league shortstop Trevor Story this offseason. In fact, this is the second offseason they’ve worked together. Story recalled that he had a major-league mentor in Troy Tulowitzki while he was climbing through the minors, and he wants to return the favor. On the field, Story said he’s most impressed with Rodgers’s bat speed and strong arm.
Rodgers also spoke about getting work in at second base, just like Story did while he was coming up through the minors. Research has shown that it’s not a simple thing to just go from a difficult position, like shortstop, to a relatively easier one, like second base. Right now, it’s good that both should be able to play second in the future. Story needed to play second because Tulowitzki was in the way at shortstop; I hope he remembers how because it could be Rodgers who moves Story to second, not the other way around.
MLB.com top 100 prospects | MLB.com
The Rockies landed five players on the MLB.com top 100 prospect list. Rodgers ranks the highest at 20, followed by Jeff Hoffman (44), Riley Pint (51), Germán Márquez (73), and Raimel Tapia (90). Three of those five players—Hoffman, Márquez, and Tapia—could play a role on the major-league team as soon as this season.
The Rockies had the strongest showing among National League West teams, which means something even if it doesn’t mean that much. The Dodgers also placed five players on the list, but the Rockies had higher ranked players on the whole. The Dodger prospects included are Cody Bellinger (13), Yadier Alvarez (49), Alex Verdugo (61), Willie Calhoun (82), and Walker Buehler (93). Four Padres are on the list: Manual Margo (23), Anderson Espinoza (25), Hunter Renfroe (42), and Cal Quantrill (97). The Giants have two pitchers on the list that appear in succession late, Tyler Beede at 88 and Christian Arroyo at 89. The Diamondbacks have no prospects on the list. The Yankees and Braves have the most prospects in the top 100, seven each.