In previous weeks, we’ve summarized the Rockies 2015 and 2016 drafts by highlighting a few players taken each year and organizing them by their success or lack thereof. For the 2017 draft, we’ll take a look at the class on aggregate. This draft was fewer than five years ago, and the last two seasons of development have been at least partially canceled plus wholly affected by the pandemic, causing players’ development to move slower than it potentially has in the past.
This draft, the third under the tenure of Jeff Bridich, was similarly pitching focused. The Rockies took 20 pitchers with their picks. The Rockies forfeited their first round pick (which would have been #11 overall) in 2017 due to the Ian Desmond signing. Including the Competitive Balance Round B pick, the Rockies drafted 40 players in 2017. Of those 40, 35 signed. And of those 35, 14 are still with the organization (seven position players, eight pitchers). Here’s the full list:
Colorado Rockies 2017 Draft
| Rd | Pick | Player | Pos. | School | Age | Last MLB Org | 2021 Highest Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rd | Pick | Player | Pos. | School | Age | Last MLB Org | 2021 Highest Level | Notes |
| 2 | 48 | Ryan Vilade | 3B | Stillwater (OK) HS | 22 | COL | MLB | |
| 2b | 70 | Tommy Doyle | RHP | U. of Virginia | 25 | COL | AA | |
| 3 | 86 | Will Gaddis | RHP | Furman University | 25 | COL | AA | |
| 4 | 116 | Pearson McMahan | RHP | St. Johns River State College | 25 | WSN | AAA | Current FA |
| 5 | 146 | Nick Kennedy | LHP | Texas | 25 | COL | AA | |
| 6 | 176 | Chad Spanberger | 1B | Arkansas | 26 | MIL | AAA | Retired |
| 7 | 206 | Lucas Gilbreath | LHP | Minnesota | 25 | COL | MLB | |
| 8 | 236 | Bret Boswell | 2B | Texas | 27 | COL (2019) | AA (2019) | DFA'd 2021 |
| 9 | 266 | Sean Bouchard | 1B | UCLA | 25 | COL | AA | |
| 10 | 296 | Austin Bernard | C | Pepperdine | 25 | COL | A+ | |
| 11 | 326 | Hunter Williams | LHP | (No School) | 25 | COL (2019) | A+ (2019) | Released 2019 |
| 12 | 356 | Matt McLaughlin | SS | Kansas | 25 | COL | AA | |
| 13 | 386 | Shameko Smith | RHP | Polk State College | 24 | COL (2018) | Rk (2018) | Released 2018 |
| 14 | 416 | Nic Motley | C | McLennan CC | 25 | COL (2019) | A- (2019) | Retired in 2019 |
| 15 | 446 | Colton Hathcock | RHP | Memphis | 26 | COL (2019) | A- (2019) | Retired in 2019 |
| 16 | 476 | Alan Trejo | SS | San Diego State | 25 | COL | MLB | |
| 17 | 506 | Jeff Bohling | 3B | Gonzaga | 27 | COL (2018) | A- (2018) | Released 2019 |
| 18 | 536 | Garrett Schilling | RHP | Xavier | 26 | COL | AA | |
| 19 | 566 | Joey Bartosic | CF | George Washington U | 27 | COL (2018) | Rk (2018) | Retired 2019 |
| 20 | 596 | Casey Golden | RF | UNC Wilmington | 27 | COL | AA | |
| 21 | 626 | Nate Harris | RHP | Louisiana Tech | 27 | COL | AA | |
| 22 | 656 | Daneil Jipping | OF | Central Michigan | 25 | COL (2019) | A- (2019) | Released 2019 |
| 23 | 686 | Danny Edgeworth | 3B | Mercer U | 26 | COL | AAA | |
| 24 | 716 | Jesse Lepore | RHP | Miami | 25 | - | IND (2019) | |
| 25 | 746 | Derrik Watson | RHP | Murray State | 27 | COL | A+ | Retired 2021 |
| 26 | 776 | Aubrey Mccarty | RF | Florida A&M | 26 | COL (2018) | A- (2018) | Released 2018 |
| 27 | 806 | Brandon Lambright | RHP | Abilene Christian U | 27 | COL (2017) | Rk (2017) | Released 2020 |
| 28 | 836 | Brett Stephens | LF | UCLA | 26 | COL (2018) | Rk (2018) | Retired 2018 |
| 29 | 866 | Todd Czinege | 2B | Villanova U | 27 | COL | AA | Released 2019 |
| 30 | 896 | Jeff Moberg | 2B | U Tennessee | 27 | COL (2018) | A+ | Relased 2019 |
| 31 | 926 | Reagan Biechler | LHP | Wichita St | 27 | COL (2018) | Rk (2018) | Released 2019 |
| 32 | 956 | Moises Ceja | RHP | UCLA | 26 | COL | A+ | |
| 33 | 986 | Alec Byrd | LHP | FSU | 26 | - | IND (2019) | Released 2019 |
| 34 | 1016 | Hayden Roberts | RHP | U Southern Mississippi | 26 | COL (2019) | A+ (2019) | Released 2019 |
| 35 | 1046 | James Notary | RHP | Broomfield HS | Unsigned | |||
| 36 | 1076 | Michael Agis | RHP | FIU | 27 | - | IND (2021) | Released 2019 |
| 37 | 1106 | Tyler Hardman | 3B | Temescal Canyon HS | Unsigned | |||
| 38 | 1136 | Drake Davis | RHP | Ralston Valley HS | Unsigned | |||
| 39 | 1166 | Colin Hall | CF | Wesleyan HS | Unsigned | |||
| 40 | 1196 | J.T. Stanley | C | Centennial HS | Unsigned |
Three players from this class have played in the Rockies uniform thus far: Vilade, Gilbreath, and Trejo.
Ryan Vilade (Round 2, 48th overall)
No. 10 in the most recent PuRPs list, Vilade was a high school shortstop with a solid arm, but projected more as a power-hitting corner infielder. He had never played above Single-A going into 2021, but didn’t let that stop him from proving his prospect pedigree. In 2021, the Rockies finished their conversion of Vilade to an outfielder, he played in the Futures Game, and spent most of his time at AAA before making his major league debut in September. He wrapped up his season by spending time in the AFL. Currently just 22 years old, he’ll look to become a big league mainstay in 2022.
Lucas Gilbreath (Round 7, 206th overall)
Similar to Vilade, Gilbreath entered Spring Training 2021 having never pitched above the Single-A level. His strong spring was a welcome sign for the thin Rockies pitching corps, and he made his major league debut in May. After an up and down May, he found his groove - his ERA from June 8th until the end of the season was just 2.10, making him one of the more consistent and reliable pieces in the Rockies bullpen. The Legacy High School (Broomfield) and University of Minnesota product looks poised to build on his success in 2022, and will hopefully continue to be a bright spot for the Rockies on the defensive side of the ball.
Alan Trejo (Round 16, 476th overall)
Like Vilade and Gilbreath, Trejo has excelled through the minors since being drafted. The 25-year old started 2021 with AAA Albuquerque, and later made his major league debut with the Rockies. He was up and down all year, mostly due to injuries to the Rockies infield, but hit well when he was able to spend extended time at AAA - he finished the year with 17 home runs and an .893 OPS. It’s unclear how the organization views Trejo going forward. As a 16th round pick, any big league value that’s provided is a surplus, but opinions are surely mixed on whether Trejo is the one to inherit the six hole from Trevor Story.
Again, drawing conclusions from any draft this recent remains difficult. The pandemic not only hindered players’ development, but also caused many players to leave the game altogether. Gilbreath has already established himself as a contributor for the Rockies. If either Vilade, Trejo, or both can also establish themselves this coming year, the 2017 draft will be well on it’s way to being considered a success.
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Grading the Week: Colorado Rockies have the answer to their recent woes - more Monfort | The Denver Post ($)
In the grade book of the Post’s Matt Schubert, the Rockies last week earned them a passing grade. Barely. This is the most recent take on the Monfort hire, with the same quotes from Bill Schmidt on Sterling’s work ethic and qualifications. Along with the eight years Sterling has already put in with the organization, he was also drafted by the Rockies in 2009 MLB draft. Many times we’ve seen the Rockies circle back to players or coaches who’ve been with the organization before - Clint Hurdle being a recent example. Seems like Sterling Monfort is also on that list.
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