Mountain Ranges Expert: Colorado prospects to check out at the Class-A degrees in 2021

Interesting article by Kyle Newman from The Denver Post talking about some important points this week. Kyle Newman recently posted the article and I decided it was worth syndicating here.

With the 2021 minor league season underway, here’s 10 Rockies prospects to watch on the rosters of the Class-A Fresno Grizzlies and the Class-A Advanced Spokane Indians.

Class-A Fresno

LHP Sam Weatherly — A third-round pick in 2020, Weatherly impressed in the Arizona Instructional League last fall and is one of the Rockies’ most promising starting southpaw prospects.

C Drew Romo — Colorado’s second pick in 2020 was widely considered the best prep catching prospect in his draft class, though he has room to grow with his receiving and his game-calling.

C Colin Simpson — A 29th-round pick in 2019, Simpson dominated for rookie-level Grand Junction that year, slashing .309/.383/.667 and being named Pioneer League MVP.

1B Grant Lavigne — A lefty hitter with pop, Lavigne had 13 homers across his first two seasons, and the ex-New Hampshire prep star is only starting to settle in as a pro.

OF Brenton Doyle — Equipped with all five tools, Doyle had eight homers and a 1.088 OPS for Grand Junction in 2019. He has phenomenal range and speed in the outfield.

Class-A Advanced Spokane

RHP Karl Kauffmann — A second-round pick in 2019, the high-ceiling Kauffmann didn’t pitch in the minors that year because of how much he was used during Michigan’s World Series run.

LHP Helcris Olivarez — Already on Colorado’s 40-man roster, Olivarez pitched in big-league camp this spring and a strong season could fast-track him to the big leagues in 2022.

RHP Riley Pint — It may be now or never for the No. 4 overall pick in 2016. Pint has struggled with command and injuries, and time is running out for the first-round pick to still prove his worth.

3B Aaron Schunk — College baseball’s two-way player of the year in 2019 did well with short-season Boise that summer, and remains highly rated at a position where Colorado has a prospect backlog.

1B Michael Toglia — Colorado’s top pick in 2019 hit nine homers in his first minor league season, and the switch-hitter’s power is growing: Toglia has four homers through the first seven games of 2021.