Tyler Nevin saw up close the toil of the minor leagues, long before he submitted to it.
The 18-year-old infielder, the Rockies’ third pick (38th overall) in baseball’s draft, learned that life from his dad. And he’s looking forward to slogging through the system after he signed a rookie contract with the Rockies on Thursday.
“It is, in fact, a grind. It’s not easy,” Nevin said at Coors Field. “Just day in and day out, dealing with your struggles, the high times and the low times. It’s how you bounce back. There’s always a game tomorrow night.”
The Rockies signed Nevin, a third baseman out of Poway High near San Diego, with a contract bonus somewhere near the $1.6 million he was slotted for based on draft position and past picks.
Right-handed pitcher Mike Nikorak, Colorado’s second first-round pick, at 27, also signed Thursday. He got a $2.3 million bonus, , about $300,000 more than was slotted for his draft spot.
The 18-year-old Nikorak, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound starter, and Nevin will report to the rookie-league Grand Junction Rockies this week. They’ll join shortstop Brendan Rodgers, the Rockies top pick (third overall), who signed Wednesday.
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Nevin is the son of Phil Nevin, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 draft. Phil Nevin now manages the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A farm team, the Reno Aces.
“He didn’t spend too much time in the minor leagues. But now he’s coaching in the minors,” Tyler Nevin said. “And I’ve seen first-hand the guys who spent five, six, seven, eight years working their way to the big-leagues. I’m ready for it.”
Nikorak, too, is ready for the trials of low-level professional baseball. He and Nevin both know it’s the only route to the big-leagues.
“I’ve been waiting for a long time to put on a pro uniform,” Nikorak said. “I know it’s not an easy path. I know the minors are a grind. But everybody coming into this knows that.”
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickgroke
