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Draft  | State Preview  | 5/10/2013

MLB Draft Preview: Colorado

Allan Simpson     
Photo: Perfect Game
In the weeks leading up to the draft, Perfect Game will be providing a detailed overview of each state in the U.S., including the District of Columbia, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. These overviews will list the state's strengths, weaknesses and the players with the best tools, as well as providing scouting reports on all Group 1 and 2 players as ranked in Perfect Game's state-by-state scouting lists.  Please visit this page for all of the links to Perfect Game's 2013 Draft Preview content.


Colorado State-by-State List

With no impact Division I baseball programs in the state, Colorado’s contribution to the draft is historically defined by its underappreciated high school class. This year, there may be as few as two Colorado prep players snapped up in the first 10-12 rounds, but Gonzaga University left-hander Marco Gonzales, a potential first-rounder, is a Fort Collins high school product—just the latest out-of-state player with Colorado ties to make a meaningful mark on the draft.

As has become the custom through the years, almost every top Colorado high school prospect with college aspirations has committed out of state, including right-handers Derik Beauprez (Miami) and Alec Hansen (Oklahoma), and left-hander Denton Keys (Kansas). Ironically, the state’s best college prospects, left-handers Nick Breault (California) and Sam Wilson (New Mexico), found comfort by coming to Colorado.

The Colorado Rockies normally try and do their part to promote home-grown talent by routinely drafting players with local ties, and two who are unlikely to escape their watch are Regis Jesuit High teammates Brody Weiss (son of Rockies manager Walt Weiss), a lean, athletic shortstop, and Andrew Schmidt (son of Rockies scouting director Bill Schmidt), a scrappy outfielder.


STRENGTH: Left-handed pitching
WEAKNESS: Division I college talent
OVERALL RATING (1-to-5 scale): 2

BEST COLLEGE TEAM: Division II Colorado Mesa
BEST JUNIOR-COLLEGE TEAM: Lamar
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village

BEST OUT-OF-STATE PROSPECT, Colorado Connection: Marco Gonzales, lhp, Gonzaga University (Attended high school in Fort Collins)
Top 2014 Prospect: David Peterson, lhp, Regis Jesuit HS, Denver
Top 2015 Prospect: Nick Shumpert, ss, Heritage HS, Littleton

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History: Luke Hochevar, rhp, Wray (2006, Royals/1st round, 1st pick)
2008 Draft: Tyler Sample, rhp, Mullen HS, Denver (Royals/3rd round)
2009 Draft: Geoff Baldwin, 1b, Grand Junction HS (Royals/10th round)
2010 Draft: Kevin Gausman, rhp, Grandview Prep, Aurora (Dodgers/6th round)
2011 Draft: Greg Bird, c, Grandview Prep, Aurora (Yankees/5th round)
2012 Draft: Ryan Warner, rhp, Pine Creek HS, Colorado Springs (Rockies/3rd round)

2012 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed: 2/2
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: 1/0
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 6/1


TOP PROSPECTS, GROUPS 1 and 2

GROUP 1 (rounds 1-3)

1. ALEC HANSEN, rhp, Loveland HS
Hansen’s rise to prominence in Colorado baseball circles has been sudden and dramatic. As a tall and lanky, somewhat-uncoordinated junior at Loveland High, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound right-hander posted just a 1-5, 4.44 record. A year later, he burst out of the gates by striking out 40 in just 14 innings, covering three starts. By getting stronger, becoming more coordinated, developing better mechanics and repeating his delivery more consistently, Hansen quickly surged to the head of the class among prospects in Colorado for this year’s class. His fastball has evolved into a dominant pitch, consistently sitting in the low-90s in every outing this spring, while topping at 96 mph. Hansen, whose parents were both Division I swimmers, has an ideal tall, slender frame with a loose, quick arm from a clean, extended three-quarters slot. He does struggle at times with his secondary stuff and the command of all his pitches, and continues to master the art of changing speeds between his big fastball and 70-75 mph breaking ball. Through his first 30 innings this spring, Hansen had piled up 69 strikeouts, although he walked 27. There was some concern after Hansen pulled himself from a start on April 30 after pitching to one batter in the fifth inning, shaking his elbow as he left the mound, then lasted just two innings in his next outing six days later, though there was no noticeable loss in velocity. He has committed to play for Oklahoma.


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