The Colorado Rockies didn’t draft Zac Veen ninth total in 2020 due to his wheels. They did so as a result of he may bash baseballs. As Eric Longenhagen wrote the next spring, the left-handed-hitting outfielder possessed “the obvious long-term energy projection” amongst that yr’s highschool draftees, including that Veen’s “in-the-box actions are quiet and clean up till the second he decides to unleash hell on the baseball.” Longenhagen rated him the group’s prime prospect earlier than he had performed his first skilled recreation.
Two seasons into his profession, Veen’s still-promising energy has been overshadowed by his operating recreation. By way of 232 contests, the 6-foot-4 Port Orange, Florida native has left the yard a modest 27 instances and swiped an conceited 91 bases. Counting his past-season stint within the Arizona Fall League, these totals are 28 residence runs and 107 stolen bases in 253 video games.
I requested Veen, who got here in at No. 51 on Baseball America’s newly launched Prime 100 checklist (our personal rankings are forthcoming), about his Eric Younger Sr.-like theft numbers previous to an AFL recreation final October. Was stealing numerous bases a aim coming into the 2022 season?
“Truthfully, it was simply one thing the place I discovered so much final yr, and I needed to hold that over to this yr,” he instructed me. “Lots of it is choosing the right time to run. Final yr I type of simply ran at any time when, and this yr I actually solely tried to run after I wanted to run.”
His success fee bears that out. After going 36-for-53 in stolen-base makes an attempt with Low-A Fresno in 2021, he went 55-for-64 this season between Excessive-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford. With the AFL’s Salt River Rafters, he went 16-for-18.
Veen saying that he tried to run solely when he wanted to run raised my eyebrows. The 21-year-old (as of December) ran 60-plus instances over 126 regular-season video games, and that’s precisely not choosing your spots. It’s out-and-out aggression. Proper?
“I undoubtedly belief what I can do on the bases,” he replied. “It’s one thing I’ve all the time taken satisfaction in. We labored on the operating recreation a lot in highschool that it’s type of ingrained in my mind now. It’s one thing I’ll all the time have, and one thing that I’m going to maintain doing,”
The previous adage “You possibly can’t steal first base” stays undeniably true, and lots of minor-league speed-burners have flamed out for simply that motive. Even when they do go on to succeed in the large leagues, a scarcity of on-base abilities tremendously limits their worth (hey, Billy Hamilton). Veen isn’t anticipated to have that drawback. Whereas some expertise evaluators are backing off on their energy projections for the younger outfielder, plate self-discipline stays a energy, and his bat-to-ball abilities are thought-about strong. He fanned 132 instances in 541 plate appearances this previous season, however it’s necessary to notice that he did in order a 20-year-old who performed his ultimate 34 video games on the Double-A degree. He had a 12.5% stroll fee and a .368 OBP at Spokane earlier than ending at 11.8% and .340 after going through older and extra skilled arms in his month-plus with Hartford.
Requested concerning the up-and-comer’s operating recreation, Colorado GM Invoice Schmidt confused the psychological part.
“Zac performs with numerous ardour,” mentioned Schmidt, who spent a long time as a scout earlier than shifting into his present function in October 2021. “What he’s proven is an aggressiveness, and never having worry. He had a profitable yr. [Stealing bases] is one factor of his recreation, and we’ll see the place it goes from right here, the way it interprets.”
Veen declined to estimate what number of stolen bases he may get on the big-league degree. Saying that he principally simply “performs the sport and lets issues occur,” he claimed to not know many steals he had with Salt River on the time we spoke (it was 13 in 14 makes an attempt). However once more, thievery is one thing Veen takes satisfaction in, and he pairs that with good on-base abilities. He received’t essentially should turn into an influence hitter in an effort to contribute in Colorado.
“You don’t all the time should swing it to get in scoring place,” he mentioned. “Some days you may not even get good pitches to hit, but when you may get on base and use your legs, you’ll be able to undoubtedly profit the crew. Velocity is simply one other instrument in my toolbox.”
