Colorado Rockies 2024 MLB Draft Review

Draft Theme: The BA Board

The first four picks of the Rockies draft unfolded in a way that the BA Board approves of. The team managed to get No. 1 ranked Charlie Condon third overall, then followed up by taking high-risk, high-reward righthander Brody Brecht (No. 28) with the 38th pick, outfielder Jared Thomas (No. 58) with the 42nd pick and catcher Cole Messina (No. 72) with the 77th pick. Four top 100 players with their four top 100 picks is something the BA 500 certainly approves of. Late round arms like RHP Luke Thelen, LHP Justin Loer and LHP Everett Catlett are fun targets as well on day three.

Most Interesting Day 2 Pick: C Cole Messina, 3rd round

Messina is a big and burly 6-foot, 215-pound catcher who became South Carolina’s everyday backstop in 2023 and has been a source of power and sharp defense since. In three seasons with the Gamecocks, he hit .305/.436/.625 and had a career year in 2024 when he homered 21 times. Messina has flashed bat-to-ball skills and raw power, but not both at the same time for a consistent period. Ultimately, he looks like a power-over-hit righthanded hitter who can drive the ball with authority up the middle and to his pull side. Messina’s setup starts with his hands above his head and his bat head pointed directly to the ground behind him, but he gets to a consistent launch position in his load stage with a leg kick before firing a slightly uphill swing with plenty of strength. Messina is a well below-average runner but a shockingly good athlete with standout athletic testing scores and a chance for above-average defense behind the plate. He sets up in a one-knee stance, receives the ball well with strong hands and pairs above-average arm strength with a quick exchange. He’ll need to stay on top of his size to stick comfortably but has all the defensive tools needed for the position. Cole’s younger brother Carson is a talented high school pitcher also in the 2024 class.

Most Interesting Day 3 Pick: RHP Luke Thelen, 15th round

Thelen is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound righthander who struggled with control in his first two seasons on the mound for Western Michigan in 2022-2023, but took a huge step forward this spring. Pitching mostly as a reliever, Thelen posted a 3.53 ERA over 43.1 innings with an 11.9% walk rate that was a significant improvement from the 20%+ range he was in during the previous two seasons. He works from the stretch and throws from a low three-quarters slot while mostly pitching off a solid fastball/slider combination. The fastball averaged 93-94 mph this spring and has been up to 99 while the slider checks in around 80 mph with short three-quarter shape, though the pitch lacks consistency. Thelen does have a mid-80s changeup in his pocket but it’s rarely used and likely won’t be much of a factor out of the bullpen. His jump in command this spring gives some hope that he can find a role in a pro bullpen.