When Daza first signed with the Rockies in October 2010, it took him a while to show anything of note on the field. He spent three summers in the Dominican Summer League, but when he got to the United States, it started to click, starting with a .370/.415/.490 summer in the Pioneer League in 2014. He’s been raking ever since, getting added to the 40-man roster after the 2017 season and making his big league debut in 2019, carrying a .318 career Minor League batting average into the 2020 season.
While Daza makes a ton of contact and gets on base, he’s still not an impact bat. He’s a hit machine, but without much power, and when he got to the big leagues last year he tried to do too much and struggled. Daza’s real impact comes on the defensive side. He’s the best center field prospect in the organization, with a knack for running the right route on every ball along with some good makeup speed if something does go wrong. He also has an absolute hose for an arm, one that once collected 22 outfield assists in a season.
The Rockies feel Daza has the chance to be an everyday center fielder because of his defense. Right now, his best chance might be as a fourth outfielder who gets a lot of time in all three spots. How much he can translate his contact skills against big league pitching will determine what his long-term role might be.
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 55 | Arm: 70 | Field: 65 | Overall: 45
Signed way back in 2010, Daza didn't get to the United States until the 2014 season. Since then, however, all he's done is hit, posting averages of over .300 in every season. That earned him a spot on the 40-man roster following the 2017 season and he probably would have contributed in Colorado last year if not for a hamstring injury that limited him to just 54 games and shut him down in late July. He did make up for lost time by hitting well in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Daza has a knack for barreling up the baseball and picks up hits in bunches, and while he's perfectly happy to shoot line drives the other way, he did start turning on pitches and driving them to his pull side more effectively in 2018, though over-the-fence power is never going to be a big part of his game. He's not a burner, but he runs well enough to be an effective baserunner and uses his speed well in center field.
Considered the best center field prospect in the system, he has plus instincts, reads and routes to go along with excellent first-step quickness. He makes it look easy out there as a true ball hawk. How he continues to impact the baseball might determine his ultimate ceiling, but at the very least, he's a very valuable fourth outfielder.
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 30 | Run: 70 | Arm: 40 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45
Rogers led Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.) to consecutive third-place finishes at the Junior College World Series before signing with the Rockies as a fourth-round pick in 2014. After posting the worst offensive numbers of his career when he got to the Class A Advanced level in 2016, he put up his best when he returned to that level last year, batting .319/.377/.488 with a Minor League-leading 70 steals. He's the premier basestealer in the Minors, swiping 166 bases in his three full pro seasons while succeeding at an 87 percent clip.
Rogers wreaks havoc on the bases with his plus-plus speed. It also helps him cover ground in center field, though he played more in left field last season in deference to Yonathan Daza in Lancaster. His quickness also helps him compensate for a below-average arm by getting to balls quickly.
Playing in Lancaster, perhaps the best hitting environment in the Minors, helped fuel Rogers' breakout as he batted .356/.418/.589 at home. The right-handed hitter also made a concerted effort to get stronger and hit the ball with more authority, and it showed. He won't ever be a power threat, so he needs to continue to enhance his plate discipline so he can get on base and run wild more often.
