Scouting report: Rockies' Zac Veen
MiLB.com's Scouting Report series spotlights players who are just starting their professional careers, focusing on what the experts are projecting for these young phenoms. Here's a look at top-ranked Rockies prospect Zac Veen. For more player journeys on The Road to The Show, click here. The Colorado Rockies needed to
MiLB.com's Scouting Report series spotlights players who are just starting their professional careers, focusing on what the experts are projecting for these young phenoms. Here's a look at top-ranked Rockies prospect Zac Veen. For more player journeys on The Road to The Show, click here.
The Colorado Rockies needed to make a splash.
With a depleted farm system and on the way to their second consecutive losing season after back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017-18, the franchise was interestingly positioned at the 2020 MLB Draft, picking ninth overall. As names came off the board, their splash arrived.
The Rockies snagged MLB.com’s highest-rated high school player in last year’s class from that No. 9 spot. Outfielder Zac Veen led the prep group in a college-heavy Draft thanks to a loud bat that graded as a 60 with a 55 power tool on MLB Pipeline’s 20-to-80 scouting scale.
“We think he has a chance to be a very, very good player,” said Bill Schmidt, then Colorado’s vice president of scouting and now the franchise’s interim general manager. “We were fortunate that he was there when our turn came to pick. He’s a very talented individual that we think has tremendous upside and can be an impact player for us at the Major League level some day.”
Zac Veen, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 Draft, headlines the new #Rockies Top 30 Prospects list: https://t.co/Kv2DVZUb32 pic.twitter.com/NKXLIo4YCk
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 12, 2021
Veen has all the potential tools of a future big league star. His smooth left-handed swing and extremely projectable 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame are prototypical features for a slugger who could put Coors Field’s right-field porch to use.
Prior to the Draft, Veen received comparisons to the National League’s last two Most Valuable Players: Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers and Christian Yelich of the Brewers. Whether his career follows a similar track or not, the young slugger holds substantial promise.
“There’s some natural balance and there’s rhythm,” Schmidt said last year. “He seems to be on time and it’s a loose, fluid swing. He’s got the ability, has shown the ability to impact the baseball.”
Now the Rockies’ top prospect, Veen is still growing and developing, telling MLB.com after the Draft that he went from 160 to 205 pounds over two years in high school. His swing is one “that scouts can dream on,” according to MLB Pipeline’s pre-Draft evaluation last year.
“I’ve never really tried to hit for power,” Veen told MLB.com. “I just try to hit the barrel, and I think my power’s going to continue to get there the more I grow into my body.”
Defensively, Veen could see action across the outfield. As a prep star in Florida, he played center field for his loaded Spruce Creek High School program, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stick there as a pro.
“We play them all over in the Minor Leagues at all three (outfield) positions,” Schmidt told the media after the Draft. “As the body matures, we’ll see where it goes. He’s got the arm strength to play right. We’ll see what the future holds as he develops into a man.”
Veen, who worked out with fellow Floridian and 2015 Rockies third overall pick Brendan Rodgers before the Draft, signed with the Rockies and made his organizational debut during instructional league play in the fall of 2020. After the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the Minor League season last year, the now-19-year-old got a strong assignment to kick off 2021, heading to Low-A Fresno.
Still in search of his first professional homer after 11 games, Veen has put his speed on display with 10 stolen bases, including a swipe of home over the weekend.
If he can put it all together, Veen will be calling a hitters' haven home for the start of his big league career, something that wasn’t lost on the young slugger after he was selected by the Rockies last year.
“I know they do a good job developing hitters, and the ball flies there,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll be there in a couple years and win a World Series.”
Here's what the experts at MLB Pipeline have to say about Veen:
Scouting grades (20-80 scale)
HIT: 60
POWER: 55
RUN: 50
ARM: 55
FIELD: 55
OVERALL: 55
"A product of Spruce Creek High School in the Daytona Beach area in Florida, a school that previously had just one draftee, Veen came out of the summer showcase circuit as a solid prospect for the Class of 2020, an outfielder who ranked No. 22 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Draft prospects the December before the Draft. The 2020 season may have been cut short, but Veen made the most of it, coming out on fire and jumping all the way up to No. 7 by the time the Draft rolled around. He ended up being the second prep bat taken, going No. 9 overall and signing with the Rockies before making his unofficial pro debut in instructional league play.
"Long and lean, Veen has already shown off plus hitting ability and plus raw power, with much more to come as he fills out his projectable 6-foot-4 frame. The left-handed hitter has a pretty swing with plus bat speed and can create leverage and loft when he stands more upright, drawing some Cody Bellinger comps along the way.
"A good athlete who is a solid average runner, Veen has played center field in the past and the Rockies certainly could let him play up the middle until he shows he can’t. He has the arm, and the future offensive profile, to look very good in right field should he slow down enough to necessitate the move."
Tyler Maun is a reporter for MiLB.com and co-host of “The Show Before The Show” podcast. You can find him on Twitter @tylermaun.
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
Prospect Peña quietly drawing raves in Brewers' farm system
PHOENIX – Jesús Made was at the top of the Brewers’ lineup for Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds in the finale of MLB’s four-day Spring Breakout, a fitting perch when you consider that the 17-year-old infielder is under a bright spotlight as MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect. Made could
Brecht -- in 1st outing since '24 Draft -- wows at Spring Breakout
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht. A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the
Braves prospects show promise in Spring Breakout
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As Terry Pendleton prepared to serve as the manager of the Braves prospect team that played the Tigers prospect team in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon, he said fans should be patient with John Gil and Luis Guanipa, a pair of teenagers who have
Yanks' Lagrange flashes triple-digit heat in Spring Breakout
SARASOTA, Fla. -- There was an audible “Ooh” from the crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, and Carlos Lagrange quickly glanced beyond the right-field wall, checking the velocity of the pitch he’d just thrown in Saturday’s 5-4 Spring Breakout loss to the Orioles. It had registered in the triple digits, and
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring
'Hungry' Alcántara hoping to pounce on big league prey in '25
MESA, Ariz. -- The thing about jaguars is, you don’t want to see one when it’s hungry. So when Cubs legend Sammy Sosa spoke to the organization’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- and the No. 89 prospect overall -- the former slugger gave him some apt advice. “His
Rainiers broadcaster Pay talks historic role on MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Prospect Santos 'electric' in Spring Breakout start
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Malcolm Moore knew Winston Santos was locked in before he even threw a pitch. In the second annual Spring Breakout game, Santos -- the Rangers’ No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- was throwing to Moore, the Rangers’ No. 4 prospect and highest-ranked catcher. The battery more
Switch-pitcher Cijntje deals from both sides in Spring Breakout
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jurrangelo Cijntje knew who’d be waiting for him in the batter’s box when he emerged from the visiting bullpen on Friday evening. The Mariners’ switch-pitcher had seen Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana recently at a card-signing event, to which they each joked, “I’m going to see you soon,”
Fans in this Minor League town are hungry for ... the Spicy Meatballs?!?
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Chandler adds mix to upper-90s heat in stellar Spring Breakout start
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- In the inaugural Spring Breakout game a year ago, as he was coming out to pitch the ninth inning, Bubba Chandler slammed a Red Bull and declared “let’s do this” before pumping upper-90s heat.