Rockies add talented pitching prospects to bolster depth

DENVER -- Since the end of last season, Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt has made acquiring pitching the priority in every single one of his trades.

By the time Tuesday’s Trade Deadline passed, Schmidt had acquired pitching in all seven of the trades starting last December.

Here are the prospects from the Deadline-beating deals over the last three days:

RHP Alec Barger, Double-A Hartford (likely)
Scouting report: Barger does not show up on many prospect lists, having been a 17th-rounder out of North Carolina State. But because the Rockies prioritize by finding a diverse group of pitchers and developing them, it makes sense to acquire Barger.

Going through recent MLB Drafts and recognizing the Rockies’ pattern in prospect acquisitions, Colorado is bringing in strike-throwers. Not all the arms have extreme velocity, but it is a plus. Barger fits both categories.

With a fastball that tops out at 97 mph and a slider in the mid 80s, he has a power mix that can get strikeouts and grounders. If he handles a Hartford park that leans toward offense and a Triple-A Albuquerque park that can be a home field of horrors, Barger could find himself in the Major League bullpen.

Statistically, Barger has lowered his ERA in each of his pro seasons and had steady strikeouts per nine innings of 11-plus to near 13. His walk rate has fluctuated, though, and was a career-high 4.9 per nine innings at the time of the trade.

This season, he was solid at Double-A Mississippi in the Braves system -- 3-2, five saves, a 3.29 ERA with 48 strikeouts against 21 walks.

Organizational fit: The Rockies seem quite open to various types of pitchers, as long as they produce, and Barger this year is showing signs of doing just that.

LHP Mason Albright, Single-A Fresno (likely)
Pipeline scouting report: Albright, a Maryland native who moved to Florida to get exposure at IMG Academy, received a way over-slot bonus of right around $1.25 million, second-round money, to join the Angels' organization rather than head to Virginia Tech. He debuted in the Arizona Complex League later that year, and he was hit around a bit in Single-A the following summer. Back at Single-A, Albright is getting much better results in 2023.

Albright is not your prototypical high school projection case, as the 6-footer is more about his feel for pitching than raw stuff. His fastball typically has been sitting around 90-92 mph, though it can get as high as 94. It also plays up because he can command it, and he misses bats thanks to deception in his delivery. His curve has the chance to be a solid pitch, though it can get slurvy at times, and he has feel for his changeup and is developing a cutter.

While the southpaw can throw all four pitches for strikes, there was concern about his long arm action in the back and his consistency out front with his delivery that hampered his stuff and his command. The Angels shortened Albright’s arm action this year to great results -- his walks went down and his strikeouts went up. He could land in the back end of a big league rotation if he continues to develop.

Organizational fit, according to Schmidt: “We scouted him heavily in high school in Maryland, then he went to IMG, so he was a high-profile kid on the circuit back then. He was committed to Virginia Tech.

“There’s a feel to pitch. He’s leading the Cal League in wins, up there near the top in ERA and it’s his second year out. Statistically, he’s having a real fine season. When it’s all said and done, you can’t have enough left-handers.”

RHP Jake Madden, likely Single-A Fresno
Pipeline scouting report: After needing Tommy John surgery his senior year of high school in 2020, Madden switched gears and decided to head to two-year Northwest Florida State rather than South Carolina and opened some eyes in the fall of 2021. He had an up arrow next to his name when his stuff played in competition, even though trying to pitch through a blister issue hurt his stat line. The Angels took him in the fourth round, giving him an over-slot bonus of $1 million to keep him from heading to Alabama. He was having an up-and-down pro debut in 2023 with Single-A Inland Empire at the time of the trade to the Rockies.

There isn’t much track record with Madden, but there is a lot to work with. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has a loose arm and a starting pitcher’s repertoire. He was up to 98 mph with his fastball last spring, and it can be heavy, getting ground-ball outs when he keeps it down in the zone, breaking bats when he isn’t missing them. His mid-80s slider has improved and could be a true out pitch if he stays on top of it, and he misses bats with his upper-80s changeup as well.

The two main areas of developmental focus for Madden are his physicality and his command -- he walked more than 4.5 batters per nine innings in his one season in college, and he was at 5.5 BB/9 at the time of the trade. Added strength will help him repeat his delivery and could lead to better strikes moving forward. More than anything, he needs to get on the mound and beef up his pitching resume.

Organizational fit, according to Schmidt: “It’s a good arm, and he’s a 6-6 right-hander. He’s a young kid who has shown some arm strengths. We think there’s upside.

“He’s 21 years old and he’s scratching the surface. He signed a large signing bonus, he’s in his first full season and he’s learning how to pitch.”