Chris Nelson
Full Name: Christopher L. Nelson
Position: SS
Born: September 3, 1985 Place: Decatur,Georgia
Height: 5-11 Weight: 176
Bats: Right Throws: Right
High School: Redan High School (Stone Mountain,GA) College: -
Drafted: Selected by Colorado Rockies in 1st round (9th overall) of 2004 amateur entry draft (June Regular Phase)
RoxHead has not seen this player yet in order to make any judgements.
9/29/06.. addition.. purplerow.com
Chris Nelson - He had a July swoon that hurt his overall numbers but there's still a lot to be impressed with. I think a lot of people are going to write Chris off as a prospect to watch after this past season, I'm going to hold off on that call still.
5/10/06.. FOXSports.com.. Ranking Shortstop Prospects
7. Chris Nelson, Rockies, Age: 20Acquired: 1st round, 2004, Redan HS (Stone Mountain, Ga.)
The ninth-overall pick of the 2004 draft, Nelson has a full complement of tools. However, his offensive numbers took a serious hit last season at High-A Asheville. On the other hand, a nagging hamstring injury may have had something to do with his struggles. This season, Nelson is back at Asheville and faring better. He has the bat speed and raw power to become an impact player at the highest level, but the numbers need to reflect that promise.
5/08/06.. Purps 30 .. Purple Row.com
11. Chris Nelson - SS
All the excitement over Tulowitzki has caused Nelson's star to fade somewhat, that and repeating a year at low class A Asheville, but we still have a very intriguing property here. Nelson is a legit shortstop who, with experience, should be a very good defender. He doesn't have quite the potential in the batters box as Tulo, but he's not so far back to be out of the picture either. He'll probably continue to develop gap power, and should his work at taking outside pitches the other way pay off, he'll have enough O to be a decent everyday player in the majors. His age and work ethic serve him well and as he's rebounded nicely from a rough start at the plate this year. He's batting third in the Asheville lineup, which is fine, but should he ever join the Rockies will probably slot a bit lower, right around the seven hole taken by Barmes right now. If Tulo was a bust, I'd still be pretty bullish on Nelson, but right now I see him as struggling to surpass Wimberly #14 and Macri #15 for the "future second baseman" title, which leads me to speculate that somewhere down the road we might see Chris moved.
4/24/06.. addition.. Rocky
"There are some balls that he's hit this year that last year he had trouble with," Asheville manager Joe Mikulik said. "His pitch selection's a little better now. There're times the 20-year-old will come and he'll still wail at some balls out of the zone, but for the most part, he's trying to be a little more selective and getting his pitch to hit, and that's what I didn't really see last year."
Nelson, like many young hitters, doesn't have his upper and lower halves consistently working in sync in his swing.
"The lower half still tries to get out there early, whether it's kind of gliding to the ball or rotating off the ball and before he recognizes the pitch," Asheville coach Dave Hajek said. "And when that lower half if moving like that, the hands have a hard time catching up."
On defense, Nelson, who has a plus arm, has improved his footwork. He's moving to and through balls better than he did last year, although his transition from fielding a ball to throwing it needs to be more fluid. With Troy Tulowitzki playing shortstop at Class AA Tulsa, Nelson might be destined for another position.
That's a matter for another day, one the Rockies haven't seriously discussed internally. The mission at hand for Nelson is to stay healthy, compete daily at Asheville and make progress.
2/28/06.. analysis.. FOXSports.com
Nelson debuted at No. 50 in the Top 150 a year ago after hitting .347/.432/.510 for Rookie Casper. Unfortunately, the ninth overall pick in the 2004 draft couldn't keep it going in 2005. He missed the first two months with a strained hamstring and then played terribly for several weeks after returning. While things did get better as the year went on, his stock is well down now. A priority this year will be cutting down on the strikeouts. Nelson has the tools to hit for average and power. He might not have the range to stay at shortstop, but he could be an above average defender at second base if that's the direction in which the Rockies opt to go. It'd probably be for the best if he returned to the South Atlantic League to start this year.
2/8/06.. analysis.. Top Prospect Alert.com
Potential -- Keeper. The Rockies were ecstatic to land Nelson in the 2004 first round, and he has done nothing to change that since. At the same time he hasn’t done a whole lot to justify it sense. Nelson is here based on tools and high school performance but can solidify his place in the Rockies prospect hierarchy with a solid 2006.
Risks -- Yellow. Anytime a guy has Tommy John surgery in high school there are going to be some questions. Then his 2005 season was pretty much halted by ongoing hamstring and groin injuries, so there is definitely room for some concern. Also, until he hits more than the .241 he has in 314 career at bats to date, there has to be some worry that he might be just another tools guy who won’t produce up to expectations.
Offense -- Nelson is going to do nothing but get better, and there is no doubt the 20 year old has a ton of potential. Assuming he fills out his 175 frame, Nelson has the potential to be a 30-30 guy with his speed and sweet stroke. Plate discipline is going to be an on going battle but Nelson can flat out rake and his early struggles aren’t un-common for a high school position tools prospect. Expect a steady improvement this year and then a bust out year in 2007, when we’ll really be able to judge the real Chris Nelson.
Defense -- Good enough to start. Athletic and quick, Nelson has the makings of an everyday player at more than one position.
Position Change-- In many organizations, Nelson would be fast tracked to the Majors as a shortstop but in Colorado he’ll most likely end up in the outfield with second base also a possibility. His value will go way up if he becomes the second baseman of the future but is still high at short or in center.
ETA -- Nelson really hasn’t played pro ball enough to gauge his progression but that in its self means he’s likely to be in Coors sometime around late 2008 or even 2009.
Comparison: At this stage its hard to compare but it seems like Nelson has the tools to be an Edgar Renterria type fantasy player.
2/4/06.. analysis.. John Sickels
Chris Nelson was drafted in the first round by the Colorado Rockies in 2004, ninth overall, a high school shortstop from Georgia. He had a disappointing season, hitting just .241/.304/.330 for Asheville in the South Atlantic League. Injuries were a major factor: he was hampered by hamstring and groin trouble for more than half the season, and was never 100% healthy. But even so, his production was certainly less than expected, with plate discipline a major problem. His BB/K/AB was 25/88/315, too many strikeouts with not enough walks.
Position: SS
Born: September 3, 1985 Place: Decatur,Georgia
Height: 5-11 Weight: 176
Bats: Right Throws: Right
High School: Redan High School (Stone Mountain,GA) College: -
Drafted: Selected by Colorado Rockies in 1st round (9th overall) of 2004 amateur entry draft (June Regular Phase)
RoxHead has not seen this player yet in order to make any judgements.
9/29/06.. addition.. purplerow.com
Chris Nelson - He had a July swoon that hurt his overall numbers but there's still a lot to be impressed with. I think a lot of people are going to write Chris off as a prospect to watch after this past season, I'm going to hold off on that call still.
5/10/06.. FOXSports.com.. Ranking Shortstop Prospects
7. Chris Nelson, Rockies, Age: 20Acquired: 1st round, 2004, Redan HS (Stone Mountain, Ga.)
The ninth-overall pick of the 2004 draft, Nelson has a full complement of tools. However, his offensive numbers took a serious hit last season at High-A Asheville. On the other hand, a nagging hamstring injury may have had something to do with his struggles. This season, Nelson is back at Asheville and faring better. He has the bat speed and raw power to become an impact player at the highest level, but the numbers need to reflect that promise.
5/08/06.. Purps 30 .. Purple Row.com
11. Chris Nelson - SS
All the excitement over Tulowitzki has caused Nelson's star to fade somewhat, that and repeating a year at low class A Asheville, but we still have a very intriguing property here. Nelson is a legit shortstop who, with experience, should be a very good defender. He doesn't have quite the potential in the batters box as Tulo, but he's not so far back to be out of the picture either. He'll probably continue to develop gap power, and should his work at taking outside pitches the other way pay off, he'll have enough O to be a decent everyday player in the majors. His age and work ethic serve him well and as he's rebounded nicely from a rough start at the plate this year. He's batting third in the Asheville lineup, which is fine, but should he ever join the Rockies will probably slot a bit lower, right around the seven hole taken by Barmes right now. If Tulo was a bust, I'd still be pretty bullish on Nelson, but right now I see him as struggling to surpass Wimberly #14 and Macri #15 for the "future second baseman" title, which leads me to speculate that somewhere down the road we might see Chris moved.
4/24/06.. addition.. Rocky
"There are some balls that he's hit this year that last year he had trouble with," Asheville manager Joe Mikulik said. "His pitch selection's a little better now. There're times the 20-year-old will come and he'll still wail at some balls out of the zone, but for the most part, he's trying to be a little more selective and getting his pitch to hit, and that's what I didn't really see last year."
Nelson, like many young hitters, doesn't have his upper and lower halves consistently working in sync in his swing.
"The lower half still tries to get out there early, whether it's kind of gliding to the ball or rotating off the ball and before he recognizes the pitch," Asheville coach Dave Hajek said. "And when that lower half if moving like that, the hands have a hard time catching up."
On defense, Nelson, who has a plus arm, has improved his footwork. He's moving to and through balls better than he did last year, although his transition from fielding a ball to throwing it needs to be more fluid. With Troy Tulowitzki playing shortstop at Class AA Tulsa, Nelson might be destined for another position.
That's a matter for another day, one the Rockies haven't seriously discussed internally. The mission at hand for Nelson is to stay healthy, compete daily at Asheville and make progress.
2/28/06.. analysis.. FOXSports.com
Nelson debuted at No. 50 in the Top 150 a year ago after hitting .347/.432/.510 for Rookie Casper. Unfortunately, the ninth overall pick in the 2004 draft couldn't keep it going in 2005. He missed the first two months with a strained hamstring and then played terribly for several weeks after returning. While things did get better as the year went on, his stock is well down now. A priority this year will be cutting down on the strikeouts. Nelson has the tools to hit for average and power. He might not have the range to stay at shortstop, but he could be an above average defender at second base if that's the direction in which the Rockies opt to go. It'd probably be for the best if he returned to the South Atlantic League to start this year.
2/8/06.. analysis.. Top Prospect Alert.com
Potential -- Keeper. The Rockies were ecstatic to land Nelson in the 2004 first round, and he has done nothing to change that since. At the same time he hasn’t done a whole lot to justify it sense. Nelson is here based on tools and high school performance but can solidify his place in the Rockies prospect hierarchy with a solid 2006.
Risks -- Yellow. Anytime a guy has Tommy John surgery in high school there are going to be some questions. Then his 2005 season was pretty much halted by ongoing hamstring and groin injuries, so there is definitely room for some concern. Also, until he hits more than the .241 he has in 314 career at bats to date, there has to be some worry that he might be just another tools guy who won’t produce up to expectations.
Offense -- Nelson is going to do nothing but get better, and there is no doubt the 20 year old has a ton of potential. Assuming he fills out his 175 frame, Nelson has the potential to be a 30-30 guy with his speed and sweet stroke. Plate discipline is going to be an on going battle but Nelson can flat out rake and his early struggles aren’t un-common for a high school position tools prospect. Expect a steady improvement this year and then a bust out year in 2007, when we’ll really be able to judge the real Chris Nelson.
Defense -- Good enough to start. Athletic and quick, Nelson has the makings of an everyday player at more than one position.
Position Change-- In many organizations, Nelson would be fast tracked to the Majors as a shortstop but in Colorado he’ll most likely end up in the outfield with second base also a possibility. His value will go way up if he becomes the second baseman of the future but is still high at short or in center.
ETA -- Nelson really hasn’t played pro ball enough to gauge his progression but that in its self means he’s likely to be in Coors sometime around late 2008 or even 2009.
Comparison: At this stage its hard to compare but it seems like Nelson has the tools to be an Edgar Renterria type fantasy player.
2/4/06.. analysis.. John Sickels
Chris Nelson was drafted in the first round by the Colorado Rockies in 2004, ninth overall, a high school shortstop from Georgia. He had a disappointing season, hitting just .241/.304/.330 for Asheville in the South Atlantic League. Injuries were a major factor: he was hampered by hamstring and groin trouble for more than half the season, and was never 100% healthy. But even so, his production was certainly less than expected, with plate discipline a major problem. His BB/K/AB was 25/88/315, too many strikeouts with not enough walks.
