When it was all said and done, the Colorado Rockies selected 24 pitchers, including 21 from the college ranks, in the 2016 MLB First Year Player Draft. Colorado took nine players straight out of high school, including the No. 4 overall pick, Riley Pint.
Here’s a pick-by-pick snapshot on all 41 of this year’s crop of Rockies draft picks..
Overall Pick No. – Player Name (Position)
No. 4 – Riley Pint (RHP) – With the fourth overall pick of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, the Colorado Rockies selected right-handed pitcher Riley Pint (PYNT) from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kan.
The 18-year-old native of Lenexa, Kan., went 6-1 with a 0.50 ERA this season for St. Thomas Aquinas with 75 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched. In his most recent outing, Pint struck out 12 in a quarterfinal victory for St. Thomas Aquinas en route to winning the Kansas 5A state championship. In his junior season in 2015, he went 5-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 210-pound right-hander was selected as a 2016 Perfect Game First Team All-American and Central All-Region First Team member. He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Kansas in both his junior and senior seasons.
This is the second consecutive year the Rockies have taken a high school pitcher in the first round (Mike Nikorak, 2015) and the first high school pitcher to be selected with the club’s first overall pick since Tyler Matzek was taken 11th overall out of Capistrano Valley High School in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. Pint is the first high school pitcher selected in the first round out of Kansas since Brian Holman in 1983.
No. 38 – Robert Tyler (RHP) – With the 38th overall pick of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft the Colorado Rockies selected right-handed pitcher Robert Tyler from the University of Georgia.
Tyler, a junior at the University of Georgia, went 3-5 with a 4.10 ERA, 46 walks and 89 strikeouts in 74.2 innings pitched for the Bulldogs. His .200 opponent batting average was third in the Southeastern Conference in the regular season. He was named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week and SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week after carrying a no-hitter through 8.2 innings pitched against Alabama on April 1.
In his three years at Georgia, Tyler went 10-10 with a 3.62 ERA, 79 walks and 182 strikeouts in 179 innings pitched across 35 games, 32 starts.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 225-pound right-hander was ranked as the 25th overall prospect by MLB.com and the 29th overall prospect by Baseball America. Tyler was originally drafted in the 28th round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Baltimore Orioles out of Crisp County High School in Cordele, Ga.
No. 45 – Ben Bowden (LHP) PICTURED – With the 45th overall pick in the second round of the draft, the Rockies selected left-handed pitcher Ben Bowden from Vanderbilt University.
Bowden, a junior at Vanderbilt University, went 2-1 with 10 saves, a 3.51 ERA, 14 walks and 65 strikeouts in 48.2 innings pitched across 24 appearances, five starts, for the Commodores. In his sophomore season with Vanderbilt, Bowden went 6-1 with a 2.89 ERA across 26 relief appearances, striking out 49 and walking 14 across 37.1 innings pitched.
In the 2015 Cape Cod League, the 6-foot-4-inch, 225-pound left-hander did not allow a run in 10 relief appearances, allowing only five hits and eight walks while striking out 31 across 17.1 innings pitched. He named the co-MVP of the playoffs after striking out 12 in 12.2 innings pitched.
The Lynn, Mass. native was ranked as the 67th overall player by MLB.com and the 75th overall player by Baseball America.
No. 81 – Garret Hampson (SS) – Shortstop Garret Hampson, a junior from Long Beach State University, was drafted in the third round, 81st overall. The Reno, Nev. native batted .306 (75-for-245) with 13 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 26 RBI and 23 stolen bases in the 2016 season. The right-handed hitting 21-year-old started every game and played every inning at shortstop in his three seasons at Long Beach. He was a three-time All-Big West selection, the 2016 Big West Defensive Player of the Year and was the 2014 Big West Freshman of the Year. His 213 career hits at Long Beach rank seventh all time. The 5-foot-11-inch, 175-pounder was previously drafted in the 26th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft by the Washington Nationals.
No. 110 – Colton Welker (3B) – Third baseman Colton Welker, 18, was chosen with the 110th overall pick in the fourth round out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The 6-foot, 205-pound right-hander was named the Sun Sentinel 2016 Florida Player of the Year after hitting .512 with six home runs and 25 RBI while leading Stoneman Douglas to its first baseball state championship. The University of Miami commit was named a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game Second Team All American, Florida-All Region First Team member and an Under Armour All American.
No. 140 – Brian Serven (C) – Catcher Brian Serven, was the Rockies’ fifth-round pick, 140th overall, out of Arizona State University. The 20-year-old junior from Palm Desert, Calif. batted .293 (63-for-215) with 12 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 36 RBI for the Sun Devils this season. The 6-foot, 210-pound right-hander started at catcher all three seasons with Arizona State and was named a 2015 First-Team All-Pac-12 member.
No. 170 – Willie Abreu (OF) – The Rockies selected outfielder Willie Abreu, a junior from University of Miami, with their sixth-round selection, 170th overall. As the three-year starting right fielder for the Hurricanes, the left-handed hitter batted .278 (186-for-668) with 30 doubles, four triples and 130 RBI. He was named to the All-ACC Third Team in all three years and was the Miami team captain his sophomore and junior season. The 6-foot-4-inch, 225-pound Hialeah, Fla. native was originally drafted in the 14th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft by the Cincinnati Reds as one of the top high school prospects in South Florida.
No. 200 – Reid Humphreys (RHP/OF) – Humphreys, 21, was selected out of Mississippi State with the 200th overall pick in the seventh round. The Brandon, Miss. native was drafted as a right-handed pitcher but has played significant time in the outfield, batting .317 with 44 RBI and five home runs this season. As a pitcher, he is 0-1 with seven saves and a 5.48 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 16 appearances. Played for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2016, where he hit .265 (35-for-132) with five home runs and 17 RBI.
No. 230 – Ty Culbreth (LHP) – Culbreth, 22, is a left-handed pitcher selected out of the University of Texas with the 230th overall pick in the eighth round. The 5-foot-11 pitcher was named to the All-Big 12 Conference second team after going 8-4 with a 3.74 ERA in a career-high 86.2 innings pitched this season. He recorded 78 strikeouts in 16 appearances (15 starts).
No. 260 – Justin Calomeni (RHP) – Calomeni 20, was selected with the 260th pick in the ninth round. The right-handed pitcher out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo went 14-7 with eight saves, a 3.81 ERA (149.0 IP, 63 ER), 50 walks and 150 strikeouts in his career at Cal Poly. During the 2015-2016 season, he went 5-2 with a 2.95 ERA (39.2 IP, 13 ER), 29 walks and 61 strikeouts. All eight of his career saves came in the 2015-2016 season.
No. 290 – Vince Fernandez (IF/OF) – Fernandez, 20, was selected with the 290th overall pick in the 10th round out of the University of California – Riverside. The 6-foot-3 junior lefty infielder/outfielder batted .350 (77-for-220) with nine doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 42 RBI in 2016. Fernandez was teammates with Reid Humphreys on the 2016 Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he batted .235 (12-for-51) with two home runs and 10 RBI.
No. 320 – Bryan Baker (RHP) – Right-handed pitcher Bryan Baker, a junior from the University of North Florida, was selected in the 11th round, 320th overall. The 6-foot-6-inch, 225-pound native of Shalimar, Fla. was named Atlantic Sun First Team All-Conference in 2016 after going 6-4 with an Atlantic Sun-low 2.27 ERA (83.1 IP, 21 ER), 28 walks and 80 strikeouts for the Ospreys.
No. 350 – Brandon Gold (RHP) – Gold, a junior from Georgia Tech University, was selected in the 12th round, 350th overall. The 6-foot-3-inch, 185-pound right-handed pitcher was named to the All-ACC Second Team in 2016 after going 9-3 with a 2.48 ERA (105.1 IP, 29 ER), 21 walks and 81 strikeouts for the Yellow Jackets.
No. 380 – Taylor Snyder (SS) – Shortstop Taylor Snyder, a junior from Colorado State University, Pueblo, was selected in the 13th round, 380th overall. Snyder, a native of Elk Ridge, Utah, batted .345 (61-for-177) with 13 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs and 48 RBI. The-6-foot-2-inch, 165-pound right-handed hitter led the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in RBI and tied for the league lead in home runs. His father, Cory Snyder, played nine seasons in the Major Leagues for the Cleveland Indians (1986-1990), Chicago White Sox (1991), Toronto Blue Jays (1991), San Francisco Giants (1992) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1993-94).
No. 410 – Matt Dennis (RHP) – Right-handed pitcher Matt Dennis, a 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound junior from Bradley University, was selected in the 14th round, 410th overall. Started 14 games for Bradley in 2016 and went 9-3 with a 3.89 ERA (85.2 IP, 37 ER), 33 walks and 76 strikeouts. He was used primarily as a reliever his first two collegiate seasons, registering a Bradley record 18 career saves and a single-season record 12 saves in 2015.
No. 440 – Justin Valdespina (RHP) – Right-handed pitcher Justin Valdespina, a sophomore from Southern New Hampshire University, was selected in the 15th round, 440th overall. The 6-foot-2-inch, 195-pound native of Garfield, N.J. went 10-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 13 starts this season, striking out 91 and walking 22 over 81 innings.
No. 470 – Will Haynie (C) – Haynie, a junior catcher from the University of Alabama, was selected in the 16th round, 470th overall. The 6-foot-5-inch, 222-pound Nashville, Tenn. native batted .225 (41-for-182) for the Crimson Tide while leading the team with 10 home runs.
No. 500 – Mike Bunal (RHP) – Right-handed pitcher Mike Bunal, a junior from SUNY-Binghampton, was selected in the 17th round, 500th overall. The 6-foot-2-inch, 205-pound native of Rome, N.Y. went 4-6 with a 3.96 ERA while striking out a team-high 41 batters in 50 innings this season.
No. 530 – Hunter Melton (1B) – First baseman Hunter Melton, a senior from Texas A&M University, was selected in the 18th round, 530th round overall. The6-foot-2-inch, 230-pound right-handed hitter batted .304 (75-for-247) for the Aggies in 2016 with 13 doubles, two triples and a team-high 11 home runs.
No. 560 – Jacob Bosiokovic (1B) – Bosiokovic, a junior first baseman from Ohio State University, was drafted in the 19th round, 560th overall. The 6-foot-5-inch, 240-pound Delaware, OH. native batted .272 (55-for-202) for the Buckeyes and tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 11 home runs.
No. 590 – Kyle Cedotal (LHP) – Left-handed pitcher Kyle Cedotal, a senior from Southeastern Louisiana University, was selected in the 20th round, 590th pick overall. The 6-foot-1-inch, 190-pound left-hander went 9-2 with a 2.08 ERA in 15 appearances for the Lions in 2016, striking out 95 batters with 19 walks in 99.2 innings pitched.
No. 620 – Tyler Bugner (CF) – Center fielder Tyler Bugner, a junior from Newman University in Wichita, Ks., was selected in the 21st round, 620th overall. The left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing outfielder batted .439 (82-for-187) in 2016 with 16 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 20 stolen bases en route to being named the Heartland Conference Player of the Year. The Andale, Ks. native is the first player drafted from Newman since 1995.
No. 650 – Steven Linkous (OF) – Linkous, a left-handed hitting senior outfielder from UNC Wilmington, was drafted in the 22nd round, 650th overall. The 6-foot, 180-pound native of Leland, N.C. was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Conference team for the second consecutive season after hitting .374 with 29 stolen bases in 2016.
No. 680 – Jared Gesell (RHP) – The Rockies drafted a UNC Wilmington player with their 680th overall pick in the 23rd round, right-handed pitcher Jared Gesell. The 6-foot-4-inch, 200-pound reliever made 28 appearances for the Seahawks in 2016 and recorded five saves with 45 strikeouts and 20 walks in 32.1 innings pitched.
No. 710 – JD Hammer (RHP) – Hammer, a right-handed pitcher from Marshall University, was selected in the 24th round, 710th overall. The Fort Collins, Co. native appeared in 14 games with 11 starts for the Thundering Herd in his senior season and went 4-2 with a 4.88 ERA with 56 strikeouts. The Fort Collins High School graduate was named Second Team All-State his junior year at Fort Collins after hitting .390 with eight home runs.
No. 740 – Heath Holder (RHP) – Right-handed pitcher Heath Holder, a senior from the University of Georgia, was selected in the 25th round, 740th overall. The 6-foot-5-inch, 215-pound Georgia native led the Southeastern Conference with a .174 opponent batting average and went 4-5 with a 3.68 ERA and one save in 19 appearances, 11 starts.
No. 770 – Austin Moore (RHP) – Moore, a right-handed pitcher from West Texas A&M University, was selected in the 26th round, 770th overall. The 6-foot-2-inch, 230-pound Tuscon Ariz. native was named a Second Team All-South Central Region member after going 9-3 with a 2.94 ERA, 123 strikeouts and 42 walks in 2016.
No. 800 – George Thanopoulos (RHP) – Right-handed pitcher George Thanopoulos, a right-handed pitcher from Columbia University, was selected in the 27th round, 800th overall. The 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound senior went 3-5 with a 6.69 ERA (37.2 IP, 28 ER) 32, strikeouts and 20 walks in 2016. He was originally drafted in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft in the 35th round by the New York Mets.
No. 830 – Ryan Luna (RHP) – Luna a right-handed pitcher from Sonoma State University, was selected in the 28th round, 830th overall after going 4-4 with a 3.05 ERA (62.0 IP, 21 ER), 25 walks and 57 strikeouts in 2016. The Corcoran, Calif. native went 8-9 with a 3.13 ERA in his two years at Sonoma, including a no-hitter in 2015.
No. 860 – Josh Shelley (RHP) – Right-handed pitcher Josh Shelley, a senior from the University of Mobile, was selected in the 29th round, 860th overall. The 6-foot-3-inch, 225-pound Mobile, Ala. native earned Second-Team All-Conference honors in the Southern States Athletic Conference after going 7-3 with a 2.98 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 84.2 innings in 2016.
No. 890 – Rico Garcia (RHP) – Garcia, a right-handed pitcher from Hawaii Pacific University, was selected in the 30th round, 890th overall. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Honolulu, Hawaii native went 65 with a 3.39 ERA (77.0 IP, 29 ER), 18 walks and 59 strikeouts in his senior season. He was named First-Team All-PacWest in 2015 after going 6-4 with a 2.18 ERA (74.1 IP, 18 ER), 26 walks and 87 strikeouts.
No. 920 – Kenny Oakley (RHP) – Oakley a right-handed pitcher from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was selected in the 31st round, 920th overall. The 6-foot-3-inch, 195-pound senior went 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA (88.2 IP, 43 ER), 58 strikeouts and 35 walks in 2016. The Henderson, Nev. native earned 2015 All-Mountain West Second Team honors after going 4-5 with a 3.18 ERA (68.0 IP, 24 ER), 60 strikeouts and 22 walks.
No. 950 – John Hendry (RHP) – Hendry, a right-handed pitcher from Niles Notre Dame High School in Niles, Ill was selected in the 32nd round, 950th overall. The 6-foot-3-inch, 225-pound 18-year-old went 5-2 with a 1.99 ERA, 30 strikeouts and 10 walks in 2016.
No. 980 – Tyler Orris (SS) – Shortstop Tyler Orris, a senior from Millersville University in Millersville, Pa., was selected in the 33rd round, 980th overall. The 5-foot-9-inch, 175-pound right-handed hitter was a four-year starter at Millersville and batted .354 with 64 runs scored, 43 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 2016. The New Cumberland, Pa. native set Millersville career marks in games played (224), runs (198), hits (275) and stolen bases (101).
No. 1010 – Wyatt Featherston (CF) – Featherston, a center fielder from Green Mountain High School Lakewood, Co., was selected in the 34th round, 1010th overall. The Western Kentucky University commit hit .472 (27-for-53) for Green Mountain in 2016 with four doubles and 12 home runs en route to earning Colorado High School Athletic Association First-Team All-State honors.
No. 1040 – Michael Toglia (CF) – Toglia, a center fielder from Gig Harbor High School in Gig Harbor, Wash., was selected in the 35th round, 1040th overall. The switch-hitter was named a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American and a West-All Region Second Team member. He is committed to play at the University of California, Los Angeles.
No. 1070 – Trevor Edior (CF) – Edior, a center fielder from Carson High School in Carson, Calif, was selected in the 36th round, 1070th overall. The 6-foot-3-inch, 160-pounder batted .318 (28-for-88) with one double, four triples, one home run and 19 RBI his senior season.
No. 1100 – Troy Bacon (RHP) – Bacon, a right-handed pitcher from Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla, was selected in the 37th round, 1100th overall. The 6-foot, 165-pound native of Tampa, Fla. went 4-2 with a 1.23 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched while helping lead the Saints to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.
No. 1130 – Quin Cotton (CF) – Cotton, a center fielder from Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colo, was selected in the 38th round, 1130th overall. The 5-foot-11-inch, 175-pounder was a First-Team All-State pick in 5A after batting .514 with three home runs, 28 RBI and 14 stolen bases. He is committed to Grand Canyon University in Arizona.
No. 1160 – Cuba Bess (C) – Catcher Cuba Bess, from Fruita Monument High School in Fruita Monument, Colo. was selected in the 39th round, 1160th overall. Bess was named Honorable Mention All-State in 5A after batting .507 with one home run and 19 RBI this season. Bess is also committed to Grand Canyon University.
No. 1190 – Luca Dalatri (RHP) – Dalatri, a right-handed pitcher from Christian Brothers Academy in Middletown, N.J., was selected with the Rockies last selection of the draft in the 40th round, 1190th overall. The 6-foot-6-inch 240-pounder went 10-0 his senior season with a 0.42 ERA, 118 strikeouts and four walks in 67 innings. He finished his career with a Shore Conference record 35 wins, including winning the final 30 decisions of his career.