Minor League Baseball

Colorado Rockies Top Prospect Zac Veen Enjoys Breakout Performance at the Plate

Zac Veen has gone through some ups and downs since getting selected in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft, but the Colorado Rockies' outfield prospect is off to a red-hot start in Triple-A.
Sam Connon|
Tempe, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Zac Veen (13) hits a single against the Los Angeles Angels in the second inning at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
Tempe, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Zac Veen (13) hits a single against the Los Angeles Angels in the second inning at Tempe Diablo Stadium. | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

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Colorado Rockies

Zac Veen didn't perform up to expectations when he reached Triple-A for the first time in 2024, but he is more than making up for that early on in 2025.

The No. 8 prospect in the Colorado Rockies' farm system went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs in the Albuquerque Isotopes' 14-3 win over the Salt Lake Bees on Saturday. Veen, who was already batting .318 with a .923 OPS prior to that performance, now owns a .444 batting average and 1.294 OPS seven games into the regular season.

In the 28 Cactus League games he played with the Rockies this spring, Veen hit .270 with an .812 OPS.

The Rockies selected Veen in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft. After spending all of 2021 in Single-A, Veen entered 2022 as the Rockies' No. 1 prospect and the No. 36 prospect in baseball.

Veen's production tailed off when he reached Double-A that year, and his struggles continued at that level in 2023. A flash in the Arizona Complex League didn't lead to much success in 2024, either, as he hit just .220 with a .757 OPS upon reaching Triple-A.

Wrist, back and thumb injuries also limited Veen to just 111 games over the past two seasons, stunting his progression in the process.

Now, the 23-year-old finally seems to be putting it all together. Between his showing in spring training and his breakout with the Isotopes, it may not be long before the Rockies call Veen up to the big leagues.

Colorado just promoted top pitching prospect Chase Dollander for his MLB debut, after all, so Veen could very well be next in line if his bat stays this hot.

Related MiLB Stories

  • ANOTHER MiLB OPENING DAY: A week after the Triple-A season began, top prospects in Double-A, High-A and Single-A like Walker Jenkins, Ethan Salas and Travis Bazzana have finally started their campaigns. CLICK HERE
  • WILLIAMS' ETA: Carson Williams' glove may be big-league ready right now, but the Rays are expected to wait another few months before they call up their top prospect. CLICK HERE
  • WOOSOX STILL STAR-STUDDED: Even with Kristian Campbell getting called up to the Red Sox's active roster, top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer remain with Triple-A Worcester. CLICK HERE

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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