The Rockies drafted left-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison with the 22nd pick of the 2018 draft. Rolison comes out of Ole Miss as a draft-eligible sophomore.
1 (22): @Rockies select Ole Miss LHP Ryan Rolison. https://t.co/tgcXDkoR9b #MLBDraft
— MLB Draft Tracker (@MLBDraftTracker) June 5, 2018
Assuming Rolison signs, and that’s a pretty safe assumption, the Rockies will likely assign him to Grand Junction when Rookie Ball gets underway.
Purple Row’s Matt Kok has this to say about Rolison:
Ryan Rolison has good command of his repertoire that includes a low-90s fastball, an above average curve, and a promising yet developing changeup. He struggles occasionally with his delivery, losing his mechanics from time to time. He isn’t the overpowering arm the Rockies are used to but fits more of the high-floor mold while still offering enough upside to someday become a 2 or 3 starter if he can get his delivery down and continue to improve his secondary pitches.
Value appropriate pick but not super exciting, he’s a curveball lead guy with the possibility to bring a plus speed game in there too. Should be fairly quick to the majors.
Sage Farron adds:
Value appropriate pick but not super exciting, he’s a curveball lead guy with the possibility to bring a plus speed game in there too. Should be fairly quick to the majors.
How you should feel: middle of the road value appropriate pick, not very flashy, and a bit of a surprise given that the Rockies spent so much time looking at Seigler and the HS pitching field. This might be best read as a belief that they’re trying to draft to their window, and perfer someone that will help by 2020.
This was the first of three draft picks the Rockies will make tonight. They’ll select again with picks 42 and 76 before the night’s over. To follow along with the MLB Draft, be sure to check out our live blog and open thread.