Chase Dollander Rockies Prospect Report

Chase Dollander was selected in the first round with the 9th pick by the Rockies in this last year's draft. He was the third pitcher chosen in the entire draft, behind Rhett Lowder of the Reds and Paul Skenes, who was selected 1st overall by the Pirates. Dollander came from the University of Tennessee, following Jordan Beck, who was also selected in the first round out of Tennessee by the Rockies the previous year.

During his short time with Georgia Southern in 2021, Dollander still showed incredible strikeout-ability with his strong fastball/slider combo. Sitting around 94 mph on the fastball at the time, Tennessee liked what they saw out of the college freshman, as he transferred over the following season. It was a fortunate acquisition for Tennessee, Dollander having limited his future team to one run and three hits in 5.2 innings during his collegiate debut with Georgia Southern. 

Dollander came out dotting for Tennessee, posting a 2.39 ERA while going 10-0. He also struck out 108 batters, only allowing 50 hits in the 79 innings he shoved. It was at this time that he proved what his fastball and slider combo was all about, where he was able to top 98 mph to blow it by hitters, while frequently tossing in his sweeping slider that reached around 88. He occasionally added slower breaking stuff to keep hitters constantly on their toes. It was during his next season with Tennessee where Dollander couldn’t replicate his dominant command in the previous year, but the junior in college was showing better stuff than ever. Reaching 100 on the radar gun and still looking to go early in the first round of that year's draft. 

If it weren’t for the slight struggle in his last year with Tennessee, Dollander may not have fallen to the Rockies at pick #9. For Colorado, this could be a big step forward in figuring out their pitching. Whether Dollander can be formed into an arm the Rox can feel most confident about, or his sheer stuff can perform in any environment, he’ll still be a huge addition to the future of the Rockies organization and their farm system.

As it stands, Dollander sits at 2nd behind Adael Amador on the list of top Rockies prospects via MLB.com. It’s a great spot considering the number of strong position players the Rockies currently carry in their farm. This selection was a change of pace for the Rockies, grabbing a power arm early in the draft. Something to celebrate as fans, having an arm comparable to several of the league’s current aces.

Dollander will hopefully be on a fast track to the MLB, having been an early pick out of college. The Rockies will likely start him at the High-A or AA level to best surround him around players that have a similar level of experience, and players around his age. It’s no secret that the minor leagues are a long and grueling portion of a prospect’s career, and for fans that wait to see their favorite prospect come to town. But there’s hope that Dollander can have an expedited trip to the major leagues while he gets repetition, and learns what he needs to do to make it at the big league level. Though everyone can agree that the Rockies need an arm like Dollander now, it’s crucial that the organization can keep him healthy while getting the appropriate amount of minor league games in. 

Dollander and many other young arms that were drafted by the Rockies recently, have an opportunity to change the narrative with how baseball fans speak about the Rockies and their pitching dilemma. As well as influence more MLB pitchers and their agents to consider the Rockies as a signing option during free agency. Dollander will be pitching in a exhibition game on March 16th against the reigning NL pennant winning Arizona Diamondbacks, his first game in a Rockies uniform. It will be during the inaugural series of ‘Spring Breakout’ games, where teams plan to play their best young prospects. Exciting game to look forward to, as Rockies fans will get a sneak peak at what could be their next ace, as well as the other promising farm players that could join him on the Rockies in the future.