MLB Draft 2022: Rockies Day 2 Recap, Rounds 3-10

After making four selections on Sunday night to kick off the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft, the Colorado Rockies made another eight picks on Monday afternoon to finish out the first ten rounds. The Rockies drafted five pitchers and three position players over the second day of the draft, all of whom are coming out of collegiate programs.

You can find information on the previous rounds here:

Round 1 | Round 1C | Round CB-A | Round 2

In the 3rd round, with pick number 88, the Rockies select LHP Carson Palmquist from the University of Miami (FL)

Carson Palmquist is a 6’3’’ lefty from Fort Meyers, Florida with a deceptive low arm slot delivery that turns out an effective three pitch mix. His four seam fastball can top out at 96 MPH but tends to run low 90s when he makes starts, and he features a slider he uses to make batters swing and miss. Palmquist also uses a changeup that Joe Doyle praised as one of the better changeups in the draft. As Miami’s closer in 2021 he posted a 2.22 ERA with 14 saves, a 0.672 WHIP, an outstanding K/9 of 15.1, and a BB/9 of just 1.5 over 44 ²⁄₃ innings. After moving to the rotation in 2022 his ERA increased to 2.89 over 16 starts and 84 innings and his BB/9 increased to 3.4, but maintained a strong 12.6 K/9.

In the 4th round, with pick number 116, the Rockies select SS Ryan Ritter from the University of Kentucky

A glove-first player with soft hands, a strong arm, and smooth, nimble footwork, the 6’2’’ Kentucky infielder can play any infield position but excels at shortstop. Ritter won the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award at shortstop in 2022 after posting a .978 fielding percentage with just five errors. Prospects Live called Ritter “among the slickest and most fluid defender in the 2022 class.” The concern for Ritter lies in his bat, where a 33% whiff rate and difficulty with secondary pitches has caused him trouble. Ritter has been adjusting to using a wood bat in the Cape Cod league, posting a .861 OPS there this summer. When he makes contact he spreads the ball well and does have the potential for average power with further adjustments.

In the 5th round, with pick number 146, the Rockies select RHP Connor Staine from the University of Central Florida

The 6’4’’ righty from Jersey started his collegiate career with the University of Maryland from 2020-21. Originally a reliever, Staine transitioned to a starting role in his second year with Maryland before become a full time member of Central Florida’s rotation after transferring. In 12 starts with the Knights in 2022 Staine posted an ERA of just 1.87 through 43 ¹⁄₃ innings. Staine’s 55-grade fastball can hit up to 97 MPH while his 50-grade slider is developing into a strong bat-missing pitch. He also utilizes a solid curveball and changeup. He can sometimes struggle with command and had a BB/9 of 4.4 in 2022, but has solid strikeout stuff to balance it out and can find the zone more often than not. Joe Doyle praised Staine as “probably [his] favorite late-round college arm available. Premium clay.”

In the 6th round, with pick number 176, the Rockies select LHP Michael Prosecky from the University of Louisville

A 6’3’’ Chicago-area native with a repeatable left-handed delivery, Michael Prosecky was the closer for the Louisville Cardinals in 2022. His 55-grade fastball averages between 92 and 95 with some movement, but can max out at 97 MPH. He also uses a curveball that hits in the mid-70s to generate whiffs as well as a mid-80s changeup, but can often struggle with command. Prosecky posted a BB/9 of 5.3 in 2022 with a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.00 in 37 ¹⁄₃ innings. Prosecky has started a handful of games in his collegiate career but his future likely lies in the bullpen. As the closer in Louisville he posted a career-best 3.38 ERA with 44 strikeouts while earning 11 saves in 26 appearances.

In the 7th round, with pick number 206, the Rockies select C Kody Huff from Stanford University

The son of longtime Tampa Bay Rays scout Tim Huff, 5’10’’ Kody Huff has been praised for his leadership skills and baseball intelligence in combination with solid defense and blocking behind the dish. A 50-grade Arm tool helps him throw out would-be base stealers. Huff’s bat has been getting better each year at Stanford, culminating in a .315/.411/.567 slash for the 2022 season with 51 RsBI, 21 doubles, and 13 home runs. He drew almost as many walks in 2022 with 34 as he did strike out with 40 while clocking an 18% whiff rate.

In the 8th round, with pick number 236, the Rockies select RHP Davis Palermo from the University of North Carolina

The oldest selection of the Rockies draft thus far, 22-year old Davis Palermo from Chapel Hill, NC was a full time reliever for his hometown Tar Heels. Palermo only pitched a combined 26 ²⁄₃ innings from 2020-21 before coming out full force in 2022. This season he had a career high 37 appearances over 58 ¹⁄₃ innings, posting an ERA of 2.78 with 74 strikeouts. His fastball tops out at 97 MPH with some movement and generates a fantastic 26% whiff rate, while he also has a solid slider and changeup in his arsenal. Despite being a reliever, Joe Doyle from Prospects Live notes that some scouts believe Palermo could be a starter thanks to an athletic build and an easily repeatable delivery.

In the 9th round, with pick number 266, the Rockies select OF Brad Cumbest from Mississippi State University

Built like a tight end—because he was a tight end—Brad Cumbest is 6’6’’ and weighs in at 235 pounds. His senior year at Mississippi State was a career season as he hit 15 home runs while slashing .302/.347/.584 in 202 at-bats. Cumbest has a surprising 55-grade speed tool despite his size, helping him patrol the outfield in addition to making him a solid threat on the bases. MLB Pipeline suggests that a more upright stance could help him tap more into the raw power of his build, though he also needs to improve his chase and whiff rates.

In the 10th round, with pick number 296, the Rockies select RHP Zach Agnos from East Carolina University

He may have been drafted as a pitcher, but the Virginia native Zach Agnos is actually a two-way player. Agnos made 55 appearances at shortstop for East Carolina in 2022, along with 20 appearances at second base and six at third base. In 312 plate appearances he slashed a strong .330/.405/.479 with 15 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, and 42 RsBI. He’s also got the speed to steal, swiping 9 bases with a 100% success rate. Agnos also had a strong 2022 season as a reliever for the Pirates. In 23 ¹⁄₃ innings and 21 appearances he posted an ERA of 2.31 and a WHIP of 0.771 without allowing a home run. He also struck out 19 batters to just seven walks. Agnos runs a four pitch arsenal of a four seam fastball capping out at 94 MPH, a low-to-mid 80s changeup, a low 80s slider, and a mid-to-high 70s curveball. His three breaking pitches keep opposing batters to an OPS of .400 or lower.

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The Rockies have ten more picks to make on day three of the MLB Draft, and you can follow along via our open thread and draft tracker tomorrow starting at 12:00 PM MDT. There will be a similar recap of the final ten rounds available on Wednesday.