Colorado Rockies: Jordan Patterson Scouting Report, June 2017

Albuquerque, New Mexico —— Entering his 2017 debut back in the big leagues on Wednesday afternoon in Denver, Colorado Rockies first base/outfield prospect Jordan Patterson is slashing .216/.288/.426/.715 for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes with 12 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, and 16 walks against 57 strikeouts over 190 at-bats in 2017. Both Bobby DeMuro and Cameron Goeldner have observed the Colorado Rockies’ former fourth round (2010) pick several times already throughout 2017; below is Baseball Census‘ full report on Jordan Patterson, including at-bat video.

Jordan Patterson Scouting Report — Video

Our video of Colorado Rockies first base/outfield prospect Jordan Patterson comes from an April/May series against the Las Vegas 51s:

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Jordan Patterson Scouting Report — GIFs

For those interested, here’s our shareable GIF set of the Colorado Rockies’ 1B/OF Jordan Patterson swinging the bat in 2017:

Jordan Patterson Scouting Report — Notes

There’s no question this is a strange time for Jordan Patterson to be recalled to the big leagues, but the Colorado Rockies need an outfielder after Gerardo Parra landed on the disabled list, and considering the current roster make-up in Denver, Patterson may not be up there very long. Even through his slump and sluggish start down in Albuquerque this year, Jordan Patterson is still taking good, long at-bats. He sees a lot of pitches, tracks the ball well, keeps balance at the plate, and has a mature two-strike approach—all of which bode well for him to eventually bust out of the slump and produce a second half more akin to what he did last year, where he slashed .293/.376/.480/.856 over 119 games in Albuquerque.

Patterson’s bat has consistently been his calling card through his minor league career—he’s a career .282/.361/.481/.841 hitter over 482 minor league games—and his patient approach at the plate is mature beyond his years. But his bat speed is a tick slower in 2017 than it was in 2016, and his power is average at best—and likely somewhat below average. At the positions he plays (left field, right field, first base), that equation will be tough to earn an everyday job in the big leagues; he’s more likely to hit for average than power at the highest level, robbing the Rockies of a slugger role should he eventually fight for a long-term spot in Denver. He’s blocked at all three spots, too, so nothing he earns will come quickly—and with Ryan McMahon (at first base) and a slew of young outfielders quickly coming, it’s not unlikely Patterson gets lost in the shuffle.

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He’s serviceable defensively at both first base and in the outfield corners, and his strong throwing arm is one of his better tools, reaching a 60-grade from MLB Pipeline and certainly being good enough to fit in right field. But again, his relative lack of projectable power and a swing oriented to line drives and contact more than over-the-wall pop will ultimately limit his ceiling. It’s unlikely at present that he carves out a long-term, everyday big league role in the outfield corners, and with his defensive versatility (his footwork and soft hands play well at first base), it is easy to imagine Jordan Patterson a super-utility player moving forward. The Colorado Rockies’ farm system is arguably better than it’s ever been, and Patterson is emblematic of the good problems that come with an impressive depth chart: good players end up getting lost in the shuffle, or traded off to other organizations, as better players eventually rise to big league roles.

Time will tell on that, though. For now, Jordan Patterson is going to get a shot with the Colorado Rockies—and however long it may end up being, he’s keen on parlaying it into a bigger role in Denver.

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In this Colorado Rockies / Jordan Patterson scouting report:

Colorado Rockies | Albuquerque Isotopes | Las Vegas 51s

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