DENVER—The Colorado Rockies keep stockpiling left-handed pitchers, taking Tyler Anderson from the University of Oregon with the 20th overall pick in the baseball draft Monday.
This makes the third time in four years the Rockies have gone with a southpaw in their opening selection.
The Rockies also drafted shortstop Trevor Story at No. 45, a compensatory pick for losing Octavio Dotel in the offseason.
Story, an 18-year-old out of Irving High School in Texas, could very well be looking at a move to second base, especially with All Star Troy Tulowitzki entrenched at short after signing a longterm deal. Story hit .484 with eight homers and 29 RBIs this spring.
He’s also committed to play baseball at Louisiana State, but the Rockies are hoping he has a change of heart.
“We’d like to think he’d like to get his professional career started,” said Bill Schmidt, the vice president of scouting for the Rockies. “We saw an athletic kid with quality makeup. We thought he had the potential to play if not shortstop, second base or third base. He would be able to stay on the dirt.”
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Anderson was 8-3 with a 2.17 ERA for the Ducks this season.
And while his fastball may not be blazing, topping out at around 92 mph, Anderson’s deceptive delivery makes him hard to hit. He held teams to a .201 batting average this spring.
“He’s had success at the college level that we believe will ultimately transfer to the major league level,” Schmidt said. “His athleticism, his competitiveness, his character all fit our model, what we’re looking to acquire here.”
Anderson has drawn comparisons to former Rockies hurler Jeff Francis, another crafty lefty lacking an overpowering fastball but who could hit his spots.
“We like the physical talent,” Schmidt said of Anderson. “He can command his fastball.”
Anderson was originally drafted in the 50th round by the Minnesota Twins in 2008, but elected to go to Oregon. He’s the first Ducks players to be taken in the first round since the San Diego Padres selected Dave Roberts with the top pick in 1972.
In his time at Oregon, Anderson broke virtually all the Ducks’ strikeout marks. He has the career record (285), the single-season mark (114) and the most in a game (14), which he set in March against Long Beach State.
Anderson also is the only Oregon pitcher to record back-to-back seasons of 100 or more strikeouts. He had 105 in 2010 and 114 this spring.
Some mock drafts had the Rockies taking University of Utah first baseman C.J. Cron, viewing him as a possible replacement for Todd Helton down the road. But Cron was already off the board, taken at No. 17 by the Los Angeles Angels.
“When it was our turn to pick, we thought Anderson was the best pitcher available,” Schmidt said. “We stayed true to our board.”
The Rockies took outfielder Kyle Parker last June with their first pick, a break from their recent pattern. The team selected lefties Tyler Matzek and Christian Friedrich the previous two years.
