Even though he’s in only his third year of playing pro ball, Jhoulys Chacin of Venezuela knows well the geography of baseball.
The 21-year-old right-hander, the most highly regarded pitcher in the Rockies’ farm system, opened the season at Double-A Tulsa. Asked if he thought he could climb the development ladder this season to Triple-A and play in Colorado Springs, Chacin answered, “I want to go to Denver.”
His outstanding stuff and veteran-like presence are among the reasons the Rockies are so high on him. That, and his franchise-record 18 victories a season ago.
“He’s our future,” Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca said after his first spring training working with Chacin in the major-league camp. “He has tremendous ability and that’s what you see first. But the more you’re around him, you see the maturity, the attitude, the ability to listen and implement what he hears. He’s going to be knocking on that major-league door real, real soon, with the poise and mound presence that most young pitchers don’t have.”
Former major-league catcher Marv Foley, now an instructor in the Rockies’ organization, agrees.
“He’s been coached tremendously well,” Foley said. “He’s very aware of his surroundings. He has all the components to be a No. l starter in the big leagues. I don’t think it would be pressing it too much to see him work his way up to the big leagues this year.”
Jim Wright, who followed Chacin the last two years as a Rockies pitching instructor before joining the team this year as bullpen coach, said, “He’s legitimate with three very good pitches. He has a very good sinker, a very good four-seam sinker and a plus changeup. He needs to work on his curveball.”
Chacin (pronounced cha-SEEN) has no disrespect for the Sky Sox or Colorado Springs, but he wants to pitch at Coors Field. He talks of following the footsteps of current big- league pitchers from Venezuela, such as Johan Santana and Victor Zambrano.
“I like to ask the big-league pitchers how they pitch,” Chacin said. “The more I learn, the better I can pitch.”
Chacin quickly became the talk of the Rockies’ organization last year, his first full season of professional play, when he ripped off a 10-1 record at Single-A Asheville with a 1.86 ERA. He was then promoted to a tougher Single-A league with Modesto of the California League. He cooled off to an 8-2 record with a 2.31 ERA.
The next challenge is Double-A hitters.
“With the 18 victories comes high expectations,” Apodaca said. “It’s important that he relies on his own goals and not on other’s expectations.”
Chacin stretches to his full 6-foot-3 frame and presents a determined, but pleasant face to questions about that seemingly unlimited future.
“I’m confident,” he said. “I want to throw strikes, keep the pitches down and pitch a lot of innings. I have to be more consistent with my curveball. I want to make my pitch. If they hit it, that’s the way it is. But I always want to make my pitch.”
Right now, he’s making all the right pitches.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
Making a pitch
Irv Moss lists three other young pitching prospects to watch in the Rockies’ minor-league system this season.
Shane Lindsay
The right-hander from Australia is 24 and making the move from starter to the bullpen.
Ryan Mattheus
The right-hander is 25 and saved 17 games in Double-A last season. Excellent fastball.
Connor Graham
At 23, the right-hander is still in the lower minors but, at 6-foot-6, is an intriguing prospect who throws hard.
Irv Moss, The Denver Post
