Veen has already gotten stronger, adding about 15 pounds already since the 2021 season ended, and offers 30/30 upside once he reaches the majors.
Right field is by far the more likely outcome, and there’s potential for him to play center on a temporary basis in the future. Colorado moved Veen to the corner outfield this year, having him play both spots. 301/.399/.501, finishing in the Low-A West league’s top 10 in homers, steals, doubles, average, OBP and slugging. The Rockies’ first-round pick in 2020, Veen began his pro career in May, going right to Low-A Fresno as a 19-year-old, and hit. For instance, Veen was ranked 23rd overall by Keith Law of the Athletic in February: Veen’s hot professional debut boosted him higher on national top prospect lists. Here’s some pre-draft video of Veen courtesy of FanGraphs: One thing that has jumped out right away is Veen’s commitment to aggressive base-running, as he already has seven steals in eight attempts in that eight-game opening stint. The season is young, though, and Veen has plenty of time to find his groove. 138/.306/.138 line that includes 13 strikeouts and seven walks, equivalent to a 56% TTO mix and 63 wRC+. Through 36 plate appearances across eight games against pitchers who are 2.3 years older on average, Veen has started slowly with a. Defensively, Veen split time between the outfield corners, with a clear majority of his time coming in right field. Veen hit right-handers better (.924 OPS) but his left on left splits are still decent (.807 OPS). Veen assembled his batting line with a Three True Outcome approach (13% BB, 26% K, 3% HR) that shows he is patient enough to wait for a pitch he can do damage to, but naturally raises questions about what will happen against advanced pitching as he moves up the ladder. 992 OPS July (including 9 HR) and a white-hot 1.095 OPS August. Surprisingly, Veen also stole 36 bases (albeit in 53 attempts), which was second in the league behind teammate and fellow PuRP Eddy Diaz.įurthermore, Veen just kept getting better and better until a pedestrian September (.703 OPS). 301/.399/.501 with 15 homers among his 46 extra-base hits and 200 total bases, good for an excellent 135 wRC+. In 478 plate appearances with Fresno, Veen hit a strong. Assigned to Low-A, Veen played all last season as a 19-year-old, 2.1 years younger than league average. Veen’s 2021 season was an indicator that he was up to the task. Future Value: 55, above average regular OFĬontract Status: 2020 1st Round, Not Rule 5 Eligible, three options remainingĭespite the scouting hype, there was still uncertainty around how well Veen would handle professional pitching.