Zac Veen is an intriguing player because he was a first-round draft choice — No. 9 overall in 2020 — and because he has prodigious power potential.
Rockies right fielder Zac Veen looks down in the dugout during a spring training baseball game against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Surprise, Arizona. Chris, you are not the only one asking about Veen.
He’s an intriguing player because he was a first-round draft choice , and because he has prodigious power potential. But Veen, 24, did not make the Opening Day roster for Friday’s game at Miami because he’s dealing with a knee injury that slowed him for much of spring training. Even if Veen had been healthy, I doubt he would have made the team. He has a lot of work to do to become a better outfielder, and he needs work as a hitter, too. There are a lot of holes in his swing. The hope is that he doesn’t turn into a strikeout machine likeLike a lot of people, I’m rooting for Veen, who’s had to deal with a lot in his young life,I have been following the Rockies since their 2007 run to the World Series. What a ride that was. My younger stepson learned baseball at Coors Field. He saw Chris Iannetta hit a ninth-inning grand slam against the Houston Astros and has gone with me since. My question is this: What in the world does everyone see in Jordan Beck? I see a lot of strikeouts. I see an impossibly uncontrollable swing. His head turns completely on his shoulders. He cannot possibly see the ball after he swings. Yes, he has gotten better in the outfield on defense and has a really good, accurate arm. But at the plate? Please help me out here.Ari, I think the best word to describe Beck is “streaky.” But when he’s hot, he’s a force, so I understand why so many fans and members of the front office and coaching staff believeConsider this little statistical nugget: per OptaSTATS, Beck became the second player in major league history to have his first five home runs of a season all come in two days , joining Ty Cobb on May 5-6, 1925. Beck was also the first Rockie in history to have five home runs in any two-day span. But also consider this: He opened the 2025 season with the Rockies but was quickly optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 7 after starting the season 3 for 20 over nine games. And then there are his dramatic home/road splits. He slashed .303/.348/.466 with 18 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, and 36 RBIs in 76 games at home, while slashing .204/.280/.355 with nine doubles, three triples, eight homeFinally, Beck needs to cut down on the K’s. He struck out 80 times in 251 plate appearances in the second half last season, a 31.9 strikeout percentage that was the eighth highest in the majors post All-Star break. I’m not as critical of Beck’s plate approach as you are. He wouldn’t have gotten this far without a decent approach. He still has a solid chance to be a very good big-league player. For the first time in years, the Rockies have changed their front office personnel and incorporated new ways to play baseball and win games. Even if the new regime is successful and analytics take hold, how many years can we wait to consistently get .500 baseball? How far is the Rockies’ analytics department behind the league? I predict 75-87 . Cheers!Robert, I salute your optimism. But 75-87 this season?! In the name of the late Harry Caray, “Holy Cow!” I don’t see it. Like you, I applaud the Rockies’ willingness to change their process. It’s way past time. As far as consistent, .500 baseball? I would think 2028 would be reasonable. Hi Patrick, I have enjoyed your insights for a long time for both baseball and football. I also enjoyed reading your dad’s articles for many years. The Rockies have historically done well developing Latin American players . Are there any young Latin American players we should be looking for in the near future to make an impact? Why don’t I ever see the Rockies being named as a possible suitor in the Asian market? Both Japan and Korea have produced many quality MLB players in the last few years, but I never see the Rockies as a possible landing spot. Thanks.Ryan, thanks so much for the compliment and for remembering my dad, Dusty Saunders.I was with him on the day he died, and I was watching a Rockies road game when he passed. In his eulogy, I joked that my dad woke up briefly, saw that the Rockies were getting rocked again, and said, “I can’t take it anymore.” Then he passed away. OK, on to your question. The Rockies’ best Latin players right now are outfielder/second baseman Roldy Brito , outfielder Robert Calaz , and third baseman/shortstop Wilder Dalis . I think 2028 would be the earliest we see any of them in the big leagues. As for the Rockies’ presence in Asia, they used to simply punt, believing they couldn’t compete. But Paul DePodesta, the new president of baseball operations, plans to change that. “I absolutely think it’s important,” DePodesta said during baseball’s winter meetings in December. “We’ve talked about a necessity for us to be sort of active in every possible avenue to acquire talent. So whether it’s Latin America, whether it’s Asia, whether it’s the waiver wire, you have Major League free agent trades. I mean all of it. I think we have to be actively involved in all of those to try to find some potential solutions for us. And so I do think that’s an area where we’ll probably ramp up our efforts to some degree.” At this point, it is pretty obvious to everyone, including Kris Bryant and the bat boy, that he will never play baseball again. With the highest annual player salary on the team, you would think he would be inclined to initiate a contract renegotiation to provide some relief to our current payroll. Seems like I remember Todd Helton doing this, which was a pretty stand-up and classy move to help the team.Looking forward to all your 2026 Rockies articles!You’re correct, Helton did defer part of his contract. In March 2010, Helton signed a two-year extension that also reworked his 2011 salary and 2012 buyout, totaling $13.1 million in deferred money. However, the Bryant situation is much different. Helton was still playing, and he was a Rockies icon, with deep ties to ownership. Bryant is not playing and is still owed $81 million over the next three seasons. Plus, Bryant’s agent is Scott Boras, one of the most powerful men in sports, and he’s going to get all of that money for his client.“Retirement, with a financial agreement worked out with the Rockies, seems like the sensible course of action. It’s what former Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg eventually did when he finally retired in April 2024. Strasburg, who had not pitched since June 9, 2022, is receiving all the remaining $105 million owed from his original seven-year, $245 million contract. Meet the 2026 Rockies: Roster includes new starters Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano and Jose QuintanaRenck: Failure, faith, fortitude make Michael Lorenzen a good fit for the Rockies“His original contract was heavily deferred — $11.4 million annually, according to USA Today — with Strasburg scheduled to receive $26.5 million in 2027, ’28 and ’29. When Strasburg retired, the contract was restructured to spread out the deferrals further into the future.” Who will be doing the Rockies radio broadcasts in 2026? On the spring training simulcasts, I thought I understood they were auditioning three possible partners with Jack Corrigan. Who employs them? Are the TV broadcasters the same as before? Thank you.Steve, funny you should ask. I had just reached out to David Tepper, the program director at 850 KOA. He told me that it has not yet been decided who will work with Corrigan in the radio booth. For now, Corrigan will team with longtime producer Jesse Thomas when the Rockies open their season on Friday in Miami. During spring training, the Rockies auditioned Zach Goodman , Albuquerque Isotopes announcer Josh Suchon, and Hartford Yard Goats announcer Jeff Dooley. I believe one of those three will join Corrigan. KOA is looking to replace Jerry Schemmel, the longtime Colorado broadcaster, who was laid off for the second time by iHeartMedia last October. Schemmel now works as an ambassador and chief fundraiser forEd, you’re not a glass-half-full kind of guy, are you? At least not when it comes to the Rockies. They will be improved, so yes, they can win 60 games. In fact, my preseason prediction is a 60-102 record.How DIA keeps TSA security lines at 12 minutes as other airports see hours-long wait timesDenver Water enacts Stage 1 drought restrictions for the first time since 2013Asking Eric: Aunt wants to skip wedding over political divideKeeler: Why did 2026 Broncos trade for Jaylen Waddle? Because they learned a lesson from 2025 Chiefs
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