3 years agoBrendan Rodgers, the young Rockies' infielder, quietly put together an interesting 2021 season. In his 415 plate appearances, the 25-year-old slashed .284/.328/.470 with 15 homers. The barrel rate (6.2%) and max exit velocity (111 mph) cast a bit of doubt over his potential power upside, but he did make a ton of contact (80% contact rate, 20.2% K%) while providing a non-zero amount of power. One big positive was his ability to be an effective hitter on the road (.289/.337/.536 in 194 PA), while most of the rest of his teammates were brutal at the plate away from Coors Field. Rodgers comes with former top-prospect pedigree and has plenty of time left to improve his game. The contact skills are a good base to build on, and it is much too early to say he will never be a significant power threat. On paper, his lack of raw power and steals make him look like a low-upside player, but it is never wise to write talented players off this early on. Playing time should not be much of a concern with Trevor Story leaving town, which means there will be lots of opportunity for improvement. Rodgers is a great guy to take a late-round flier on with an ADP around 160. The worst-case scenario here still results in a positive batting average, which can be hard to find late in the draft.--Jon Anderson