Ranking Rockies 5 Worst First-Round Draft Picks in Franchise History

Here are the five worst first-round draft picks in Colorado Rockies history

Jun 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Colorado Rockies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With the Colorado Rockies coming off such a brutal 2025 campaign, it's important to assess their history with draft picks, particularly the more questionable ones, in order to move forward in the offseason with the goal of improving for next year.

After ranking the Rockies' top five first-round draft picks earlier this week, we have now ranked their five worst first-round draft picks by bWAR from baseball-reference.com. Of note, this list only includes players who competed in a minimum of 100 MLB games.

5. Christian Friedrich (2008, -0.7 bWAR)

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Left-hander Christian Friedrich spent most of his MLB career with the Colorado Rockies, but retired with the San Diego Padres. Interestingly, his time in the Major Leagues was rather short; he spent three years with the Rockies and one year with the Padres, ultimately retiring in 2016. Throughout his professional career, he registered a 5.37 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP in 296.2 innings pitched across 124 games, striking out 246 hitters.

4. Michael Toglia (2019, -1.0 bWAR)

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Infielder Michael Toglia was drafted by Colorado as the overall pick No. 23 in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft, where he has remained since making his debut on Aug. 30, 2022. His 2025 was incredibly disappointing, as he only appeared in 88 games while slashing .190/.258/.353. Along the way, he recorded 15 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs and 32 RBIs. This was a substantial drop from his previous seasons.

By the time his 2024 campaign wrapped up, he was slashing .218/.311/.456 with 14 doubles, three triples, 25 home runs and 55 RBIs across 116 games. Toglia has never been known for producing big numbers compared to other MLB stars, but his 2025 performance was even more grim than expected.

3. Tyler Nevin (2015, -1.1 bWAR)

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Although infielder Tyler Nevin was drafted by the Rockies in 2015 as overall pick No. 38, his MLB debut didn't come until May 29, 2021. However, he ended playing for three other teams — the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers and the Athletics. As of June 2025,Nevin signed a two-year contract extension with Japan's NPB Seibu Lions franchise, which will go into effect in 2026.

2. Choo Freeman (1998, -1.8 bWAR)

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Outfielder Choo Freeman played a short stint in the Major Leagues after making his debut on June 4, 2004. He was the overall pick No. 36 in the first round of the 1998 MLB draft when Colorado picked him up. Throughout his professional career from 2004-2006 with the Rockies, he slashed .225/.296/.333, posting a total of 10 doubles, six triples, three home runs and 29 RBIs. Although he was able to clock some time in the Major Leagues, he continued developing in MiLB.

1. Chris Nelson (2004, -2.6 bWAR)

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Third baseman Chris Nelson found his way around the map throughout his MLB career. In 2004, he was drafted by Colorado as the overall pick No. 9 and made his official debut on June 19, 2010. He remained with the Rockies until 2013, when he landed with the New York Yankees, soon followed by the Los Angeles Angels, and eventually, the San Diego Padres in 2014, his final year playing. During his last season, he slashed .233/.296/.274 with only seven RBIs across 27 games.

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