Rockies promote Rodgers to Double-A

VISALIA, California -- Top prospect Brendan Rodgers will be headed to Double-A Hartford after Tuesday night's California League All-Star Game.
"I'm pretty excited. It actually really wasn't supposed to be out until tomorrow, I was told," Rodgers said. "I guess everybody knows now. It's all over social media, so I can't really say I'm not going, because I am. I'm pretty excited. I'm ready to start with a new team and get going."

The third overall pick in the 2015 Draft by Colorado put up monster numbers in the California League with Class A Advanced Lancaster, hitting .400 with 12 homers, 21 doubles, 46 RBIs and a .419 on-base percentage in 48 games. He had a 23-game hit streak snapped June 16, but went 2-for-4 with a homer the next day -- his last in-game action prior to the promotion.
"I found out Sunday after our day game in Rancho," Rodgers said. "[Wednesday] morning, I have a flight."

He'll get to see a lot of familiar faces once he joins the Yard Goats.
"I'm excited to see some close friends, but I'm also pretty bummed I'm leaving some pretty close friends in Lancaster," Rodgers said. "I've played with, I'd say, 80 percent of the team all the way from Grand Junction to Lancaster with this group, and now I'm moving up to people that I haven't played with and people that I have. I'm excited."
Lancaster managed Fred Ocasio said last week that the 21-year-old shortstop was all business, never focusing on promotion.
"He's taking care of business right here. That's the one thing he can control. He can't control when the organization's going to move him anywhere, so he's focused on what he's got to do here," he told MiLB.com. "Whenever that chance comes to move up, that will happen, but he understands that he's got no control over that. What he's got control of is every day, every night when he goes to the plate, is to do his job. Right now, he's doing a good job with that."
The Lake Mary High School (Fla.) product received a $5.5 million signing bonus from the Rockies and quickly began showing his skills, hitting .281 with 19 homers and 73 RBIs in 110 games last year, his first full Minor League season with Class A Asheville.
Rodgers is ranked as the No. 4 shortstop prospect in baseball and the No. 10 prospect overall by MLB.com.
Ocasio said Rodgers will likely get better as he logs more games.
"He's just got to continue his development," Fred Ocasio told MiLB.com last month. "He's a 20-, 21-year-old kid. Offensively, he's a guy that's going to be able to hit. But the more at-bats and the more experience he gets, the better I think he's going to get. Right now, he's in a good place."
Rodgers' 2017 highlights so far include a season-high five RBIs against Modesto. He hit two homers on May 26 against Inland Empire and went a career-best 5-for-6 with a long ball on June 9 against the 66ers.