The Colorado Rockies went college-heavy in the 2026 MLB Draft, although that strategy partially allowed the club to grab and sign two notable high schoolers. Tyler Bell, Daniel Jackson, and Logan Reddemann, three of the best players in the NCAA this past year, are now part of the organization.
The picks
| Round | Player | School | Signed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Bell | Kentucky | Y |
| 1 | Daniel Jackson | Georgia | Y |
| 2 | Logan Reddemann | UCLA | Y |
| 3 | Jack Natili | Cincinnati | Y |
| 4 | Ben Davis | Mississippi State | Y |
| 5 | Tyler Putnam | Battle HS | Y |
| 6 | Garrett Lambert | Mercer | Y |
| 7 | Jack Scott | Central Missouri | Y |
| 8 | Hudson Barrett | Oklahoma State | Y |
| 9 | Tanner Sagouspe | TCU | Y |
| 10 | Mikiah Negrete | Cal State Fullerton | Y |
| 11 | Gavin Swartz | Normal Community HS | Y |
| 12 | Garrett Brewer | Auburn | Y |
| 13 | Juriel Collazo | Christian Military Academy HS | Y |
| 14 | Lorenzo Carrier | Pittsburgh | Y |
| 15 | Ryan Niedzwiedz | SIU-Edwardsville | Y |
| 16 | Sam Larson | Tulane | Y |
| 17 | Josh Swink | Liberty | Y |
| 18 | Blake Bowen | JSerra Catholic HS | N |
| 19 | Cort MacDonald | Stanford | Y |
| 20 | Dimitri Williams Jr. | Bishop O’Dowd HS | Y |
The players
The Rockies had two first-rounders in the 2026 MLB Draft, and the club took two of the best players out of the SEC from this past season: Tyler Bell & Daniel Jackson.
Bell was a second-round pick by the Rays two years ago. But instead of going pro, he opted to play with Kentucky and had a strong collegiate career. Bell hit 10 home runs in his freshman year, and then hit nine home runs and batted .343, along with a .510 on-base percentage, in his sophomore season with the Wildcats.
In terms of tools, Bell is a complete shortstop. Bat speed, a willingness to work counts, and he may very well be the long-term option at short for Colorado. Yes, Ethan Holliday exists. But Bell profiles better, especially when taking into account that Holliday could move off short.
The other first-rounder was Daniel Jackson, the 2026 Golden Spikes Award winner. Jackson had a complete season for the Bulldogs, as he hit 32 home runs and stole 26 bases for UGA. The pluses with Jackson are obvious for those who watched him: plus power, and he made a strong impression last summer after he hit very well in the Cape.
However, the hit tool is a bit of a question mark. Both he and Jack Natili, also drafted in the third round of Cincinnati, had high swing-and-miss rates in the Cape Cod League last summer. But with his tools, he can be a lightning rod.
Pitching is an omnipresent concern for the Rockies. Drafting and development are vital, and Colorado will hope that Logan Reddemann can be a force down the road. Reddemann transferred to UCLA last summer after two seasons with San Diego as a somewhat two-way player. But this past year, it was all about the pitching, as Reddemann struck out 84 over 59 innings.
Deep pitch arsenal for Reddemann, which includes a hard fastball that sat in the mid-90s and can reach the upper-90s. He also got swing-and-miss off a high-80s cutter, as well as a mid-80s changeup.
Colorado grabbed another college pitcher in the fourth round, Mississippi State pitcher Ben Davis. Davis saw some action as a reliever in 2025. However, he worked as a reliever on a deep Bulldogs team this past season, striking out 57 over 47 innings with MSU. Heavy sinker that ran up to the upper-90s, plus a cut/slider and breaking stuff.
The Rockies also snared a very interesting name in the eighth round, Hudson Barrett. Barrett, once part of the UC Santa Barbara pitching machine, struck out 82 over 61 innings, along with a sub-2.00 ERA, in his freshman season. However, he pitched in just five games between 2024 and 2025. With Oklahoma State, Barrett struck out 64 over 45.1 IP for the Cowboys in 2026.
Wide array of pitches, including a “cutty” four-seamer in the low-to-mid-90s, as well as a two-seamer, changeup, and breaking balls.
One round earlier, the Rockies took another interesting pitcher, redshirt freshman Garrett Lambert from Mercer. Lambert led the Bears in strikeouts (90) over 71 innings.
As for the high schoolers, Colorado spent nearly $2MM to sign Tyler Putnam, a high school pitcher from Missouri. Putnam is a tall drink of water at 6’5” in high school, along with a mid-90s fastball. The Rockies also spent close to $1MM to bring in another notable pitching product, Gavin Swartz from Bloomington, Illinois.
Lastly, the Rockies also grabbed two standout college performers in the bottom half of the MLB Draft. Senior outfielder Lorenzo Carrier had 20 home runs as a fifth-year senior with Pittsburgh. Left-handed reliever Josh Swink struck out 56 innings with Liberty.
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