Speed, defense, emerging bat not far from reaching bigs

When the Rockies drafted Brenton Doyle in the fourth round in 2019 out of Shepherd University ( Va.), making him the first Division II player selected that year, the biggest question was whether Doyle’s skills and athleticism would translate to professional baseball.

Doyle, 6- foot- 3, 200 pounds, has rendered those concerns moot while fast- tracking through the minors. After ending last season on a tear in Triple- A, the Rockies added Doyle to their 40man roster in November, all but cementing the outfielder’s place at Coors Field sometime in the near future. The 24- year- old slashed .256/. 300/. 473 with 82 runs, 22 doubles, five triples, 26 home runs, 77 RBIS and 23 stolen bases across Double- A Hartford and Triple- A Albuquerque in 2023. After earning his promotion to the Isotopes on Sept. 20, he slashed .389/. 463/. 778 with three home runs and an absurd 1.241 OPS.

That eyebrow- raising TripleA performance was another indication the Rockies might have found their future everyday center fielder.

While Doyle’s bat has impressed, his defense and speed

( 61 career steals) have been premium since he made his professional debut for the rookie- league Grand Junction Rockies in 2019. Doyle didn’t miss a beat after losing a season to the pandemic, as he won a Minor League Gold Glove Award with High- A Spokane after recording 13 assists over 83 games.

Doyle already has 50 home runs and 157 RBIS in his minor league career. The Cactus League will offer a good litmus test to determine whether his bat needs more seasoning in Triple- A.