As a public service, we all need to do something positive to support the rebuilding Colorado Rockies. We’re all in this together, after all.

For my part, I’ve already identified the player the Rockies should select with their first-round draft pick this June. Surprise – he’s a pitcher.

Remember, as part of baseball’s “anti-tanking” strategy, the Rockies – who had the worst record in baseball last season by far – don’t get to participate in the draft lottery this season after having done so the past two seasons. So while the other six worst teams in baseball will draw figurative straws to determine this top six draft order, the rules prevent the Rockies from picking that high again this time around.

So the Rockies will select 10th this year. And Nebraska right-hander Carson Jasa, out of Arvada’s Faith Christian (now Forge Christian) High School should be available.

Jasa stands 6’ 7” and throws flames. He did so back in high school, when he lacked command of his pitches (which kept him out of the regular starting rotation at times). He threw in the mid-90’s then, but spending the past two seasons working with former Texas A&M coach Rob Childress – now the Huskers’ pitching coach – has helped him refine things. Control is still an issue at times, but Jasa has developed a breaking ball and a lethal cut-fastball, which has been a weapon that few have solved so far this season. After beating Indiana for his fifth win on Saturday, the draft-eligible sophomore is now 5-1, which leads the 19th-ranked Cornhuskers. His ERA is a bit high at 4.11, a product of still too many bases on balls, but opponents are only hitting .211 against him and he leads the staff with 55 strikeouts in just 35 innings pitched.

Thornton native Carson Jasa – if he stays healthy – would be a great draft pick at  No. 10 for the pitching-starved Rockies. In fact, he’d be a better pick for Colorado than for any other team.

The challenges of pitching at Coors Field are well-documented. And only a select few pitchers want to embrace that challenge. Those most likely to do so – like Kyle Freeland, for example – are those who have spent time in the stands at 20th and Blake. The fact is, the whole “pitching at altitude” thing is less daunting to those who have grown up pitching in it.

Former Rockies manager Bud Black strongly embraced the idea of getting more homegrown pitchers into the Rockies organization. Recently, left-handers like Ty Blach (Regis) and Lucas Gilbreath (Broomfield) did good things in purple pinstripes. Too bad Colorado doesn’t have the services of guys like All-Star Kevin Gausman (Grandview), lefty Taylor Rodgers (Chatfield), All-Star David Peterson (Regis) or Cherry Creek’s Griffin Jax – fresh off of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic – just to name a few who have had success at the big league level.

With the proper development, Jasa could join that group as a standout in the majors. Wouldn’t it be cool if that success happened in his hometown?

The new Rockies front office is heavy into analytics now, which puts them in the same company as most of their competitors. No telling what the analytics say about how Jasa’s stuff would play at Coors Field. What the computers can’t tell you is how much a player would embrace that challenge, and how hard he’d work to win for his hometown team.

Wouldn’t it be fun to find out?