Veen was reassigned Tuesday to the minor-league side of Rockies camp.
Veen drew a lot of playing time in the Cactus League this spring and posted some encouraging numbers -- including eight stolen bases in nine attempts -- but the 21-year-old outfielder was never really in the running for an Opening Day roster spot. Colorado selected him as the No. 9 overall pick in 2020 and he finished the 2022 season with a .496 OPS in 34 games at Double-A Hartford.
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Rockies' Zac Veen: Swipes three bags
Rotowire
Veen went 1-for-3 with an RBI, two runs scored and three stolen bases in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.
Veen singled in the first inning and proceeded to steal second base. Two frames later he reached base on an error and stole both second and third, bringing his total to seven swiped bags through eight spring training games. Veen has impressed in general this spring, collecting six hits across 17 at-bats, including one home run and two doubles. He's still very likely to begin the season in the minors, though the impressive performance could push him into consideration for a call-up early in the new campaign.
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Rockies' Zac Veen: Debut in 2023 possible
Rotowire
Veen could make his big-league debut in the second half of the 2023 season, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Veen closed the 2022 season in Double-A Hartford, and he's likely to start the 2023 campaign at the same level. However, he has drawn positive reviews from the organization after putting on muscle during the offseason and showing an improved swing in the Arizona Fall League. Though a small sample, Veen did struggle upon his promotion to Hartford, as he posted only a .177/.262/.234 slash line across 141 plate appearances.
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Rockies' Zac Veen: Scuffling through power drought
Rotowire
Veen is hitting a modest .257/.366/.396 with five home runs, 22 steals and a 32:52 BB:K through 52 games for High-A Spokane.
He's been particularly rough with the bat over his last dozen games, hitting .195/.340/.244, though he does have eight steals in that span. Veen's legs have carried him even when his bat hasn't, as he's only been caught stealing a single time all season -- a huge improvement over the 17 times he was thrown out last year. Still, after he put up a .501 slugging percentage in Low-A in 2021, expectations for his power output were much higher than this. Veen still has plenty of prospect luster thanks to his speed, his plate discipline and his future home in Coors Field, but it'd be nice to see him start driving the ball more often.
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Rockies' Zac Veen: Earns Northwest League Honors
Rotowire
Veen was named the Northwest League Player of the Week on Monday for his production with High-A Spokane, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.
Veen collected nine hits across 19 at-bats, tallying three doubles, one home run, three RBI and two walks across five games to earn the honors. Despite the impressive week, Veen has struck out at 35.1 percent clip across 57 plate appearances to begin the season, and he has struck out at least once in 12 of his 13 games. At just 20 years old, it's not particularly surprising that Veen still has holes in his game, and he still possesses a promising fantasy skill set highlighted by his ability to both hit for power and provide stolen bases.
Veen stole two more bases Sunday for High-A Spokane, giving him seven swipes in eight games this year. However, he's hitting just .138/.306/.138 with a 7:13 BB:K.
That strikeout rate is rough, and Veen is still searching for his first extra-base knock this year, but it's good to see him swiping bags at a much better clip than last season, when he posted just a 67.9 percent success rate despite recording 36 steals. Those walks are a positive sign, too, and we should see him hit the ball with more authority as the season wears on. Just 20 years old, Veen is still probably two or three years away from the majors, so he has plenty of time to refine his approach at the dish.
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Rockies' Zac Veen: Monster game Tuesday
Rotowire
Veen hit for the cycle -- including a grand slam -- and drove in a total of seven runs for Low-A Fresno against Modesto on Tuesday.
Just another big game in what's been a big pro debut season for Veen, who's now hitting .309/.403/.532 with 15 homers, 30 steals, 72 RBI and 74 runs for Fresno. The grand slam went to the opposite field, highlighting just how much power the 19-year-old outfielder brings to the table. He's been on an absolute tear in August, hitting .429/.488/.729 for the month, so it's clear that Veen has nothing left to prove in Low-A. After a slow start to the season, he's been terrorizing opposing pitching. There are only two nits to pick from his monster stat line: Veen's been caught stealing 16 times, which is actually a rather poor success rate, and he's striking out at a 25.8 percent clip. But considering his age (and his already strong 12.8 percent walk rate), those aren't major causes for concern.
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Rockies' Zac Veen: Power surge continues
Rotowire
Veen went 5-for-6 with a home run, two walks, five runs and three RBI for Low-A Fresno between the team's doubleheader games Saturday versus Stockton.
In his first season in the professional ranks, Veen has made his biggest impact on the bases (27-for-37 success rate on stolen-base attempts) and with his on-base skills (.396 OBP), but the 6-foot-5, 200-pound outfielder's plus raw power is finally beginning to show up in games. After leaving the yard only four times in his first 57 games with Fresno, Veen has matched that total over the club's past four contests. Veen should be in line for a promotion to High-A Spokane before season's end.
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Rockies' Zac Veen: Big day at Low-A
Rotowire
Veen went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, three RBI, a run and two stolen bases Sunday in Low-A Fresno's 8-7 win over Visalia.
When the Rockies selected him with the No. 9 overall pick in last summer's draft, Veen was touted mostly for his plus raw power and advanced approach at the plate, he's made his biggest impact on the basepaths in his first season of professional ball. Through 44 games and 202 plate appearances, Veen has already swiped 24 bags, though he's been thrown out seven times. The 19-year-old Veen will likely sacrifice more speed for power as he matures into his 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame, but his strong all-around skill set coupled with the fact that the Rockies boast the majors' most hitter-friendly home park makes him an intriguing player to track in dynasty leagues.
