MLB Mock Draft 2014: Options For The Colorado Rockies With The Eighth Overall Pick
By Andrew Dill
KEVIN SWANK / Courier & Press
The University of Evansville’s pitcher, Kyle Freeland, 21, prepares to deliver a pitch as UE faced Bradley in a baseball game at Braun Stadium on the UE campus on Friday, April 25, 2014.
Tonight’s the night we have been waiting for, to see who the next top prospect will be for the Colorado Rockies. Colorado finished last season with a record of 74-88 which has them selecting eighth overall in this years draft. It’s time to go ahead and look at some options with the pick.
Kyle Freeland, LHP, Evansville:
Freeland is a Colorado native where he went to Thomas Jefferson High in Denver, Colorado. The lefty has a funky arm-slot which automatically compares the southpaw to White Sox starter Chris Sale.
Freeland is a control pitcher that sits low-to-mid 90’s on his fastball and has one of the best sliders in the draft. Want to hear and interesting fact? The southpaw didn’t give up a single home run all season as he finished with a 1.90 ERA and 128 strikeouts while collecting 10 wins.
Bradley Zimmer, OF, San Francisco:
Colorado could be taking the best player available off the draft which would give them a hint to take Bradley Zimmer at number eight.
Zimmer features a strong-arm out in center field and has been praised over his speed. Standing at 6’4′, Bradley Zimmer can hit with the best of them as he finished this season hitting .368 with seven home runs and 31 RBI’s.
Max Pentecost, C, Kennesaw State:
This draft is thin on catchers but Colorado like noted above could take the best talent off the board with Pentecost.
Colorado already has catchers like Wilin Rosario and Tom Murphy, but it would be hard to pass this kid up. Pentecost features a lot of power and is also a good athlete. Hee finished the 2014 campaign hitting at a line of .424/.479/.631 with nine home runs, 50 runs, 57 RBI’s while stealing 16 bases.
Other notable options include Grant Holmes, RHP, Conway HS, Aaron Nola, RHP, LSU, and Sean Newcomb, LHP, Hartford.
Another name to keep an eye on is Kyle Schwarber, C, Indiana.
Tonight’s MLB First-Year Player Draft will begin at 7:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM MT on MLB Network.