The Colorado Rockies’ 2024 Draft Class: A Look at the New Talent

Last July, the spotlight was on Ethan Holliday, and for good reason. As the Colorado Rockies’ first-round pick at No. 4 overall, he made an immediate impact both on the field and in the organization’s profile. After all, he is the son of one of the most recognized Rockies players of all time, Matt Holliday.

But the Rockies didn’t just focus on Holliday during the draft. They also selected other promising players who could contribute to the team’s future success. Between Holliday and 2024 first-round pick Charlie Condon, the Rockies feel encouraged by their ability to add slugging to their lineup and quality defense in the field in the next couple of years. However, Colorado still needs pitching that can cut through the thin air at Coors Field 81 times a year.

So, in the fourth round, the Rockies took a chance on a right-hander out of California named Riley Kelly, who may rise quickly if he can stay healthy.

Riley Kelly as a Rockies Prospect

Before college, Riley Kelly was better known as a two-sport athlete at Tustin High School in California, where he played quarterback and pitched. He eventually chose baseball, but it took him three years to gain real traction with Major League scouts.

The Rockies were intrigued by Kelly’s final season at UC Irvine. In the most work he had at the collegiate level, he went 4-1 with a 3.78 ERA in 17 games (12 starts). He struck out 70 and walked 32 in 66.2 innings, while batters hit .264 against him. Some scouts were likely taken aback by his development. In his first two years, he went 3-1 but only pitched 20.1 innings. He struck out 25 and walked 14. It seems once the right-hander was able to shed the injuries that limited him during his first two seasons, he was able to show what he could do.

Kelly hasn’t pitched a professional game yet, as the Rockies opted to let him develop at their Arizona complex. For now, he’s assigned to their ACL team. It’s possible that with a good minor league spring training, he could find his way to Class A Fresno to start the season.

What MLB Scouts Like About Riley Kelly

MLB scouts liked several things about him in college. At 6-foot-5, he strikes the right image on the mound of a starter that can build above-average extension off the mound. But his curveball is a big draw. It shapes from 11-to-5 and only hits in the upper 70s. So, matched with a consistent low-90s fastball and a mid-80s changeup, it can be a deadly pitch once refined.

He will likely get runway to develop, given he threw less than 100 innings in college. But a slow development that leads to Major League success is something the Rockies will take after a 119-loss season.

Other Notable Rockies Prospects

• Ethan Holliday: The Rockies’ first-round pick, who has already made an impact on the field.
• Charlie Condon: Another first-round selection, who adds slugging power to the lineup.
• Riley Kelly: A promising right-hander who could become a key part of the Rockies’ pitching staff in the coming years.

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