Jason Van Kooten
| AB | 1992 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .277 |
| OBP | .334 |
| SLG | .425 |
| HR | 40 |
- Full name Jason Van Kooten
- Born 09/01/1984 in Denver, CO
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Seward County CC
- Drafted in the 46th round (1,357th overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2003.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Van Kooten first registered on the Rockies' radar through special assistant to the general manager Walt Weiss, who volunteers time at Regis High in the Denver suburb of Aurora. Weiss worked with Van Kooten at Regis, and Colorado took him in the 46th round in 2003 as a draft-and-follow. He signed after one season at Seward County (Kan.) CC, where he was the Jayhawk Conference freshman of the year. Van Kooten is a good athlete who draws comparisons to Rockies shortstops past (Weiss) and present (Clint Barmes). He's also solid at second base and has played some third base as well. He has soft hands and gets excellent reads on balls, though he has had to work on learning to trust his backhand. He also has a little twist in his wrist when he throws but doesn't lose any accuracy. Offensively, Van Kooten profiles as a No. 2 hitter. His priorities are making contact and getting on base, and he's a good bunter. His speed is average. With all the middle-infield talent in the system, Van Kooten's eventual role with the Rockies figures to be as a utilityman. He'll get his first shot at full-season ball this year in Asheville.
