The Rockies select outfielder Zac Veen ninth overall in the 2020 MLB Draft

With the 9th pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the Rockies have selected outfielder Zac Veen out of Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida.

Veen is seen as the best prep bat in the class as a plus hitter with tons of athleticism, he should be able to stick in center field and provide real defensive value there, and he’s a guy who has real upside especially when it comes to power. For a prep bat, which is a notoriously tough demographic, Veen checks a whole lot of boxes for both his current skill set as well as what he projects to be as he ages and grows into his 6’4 frame.

If one is looking for causes for concern with Veen, they lie more with the type of draftee he is rather than anything he has done wrong in the past. With prep bats in general, you always worry about the level of competition a guy played against as well as experiential things like pitch recognition, etc. However, Veen’s bat speed and quick hands/wrists have removed a lot of those concerns from scouts as there are no obvious holes in Veen’s swing. He also has all of the physical tools to stick in centerfield, but how his body and skills develop will ultimately determine if he ends up having to move to a corner.