Former Tennessee Vols OF Jordan Beck has f ound his way onto the Colorado Rockies this season in two separate stints. It sounds as though he could have a new former teammate from Knoxville as a current one in the near future. RHP Chase Dollander just earned the Colorado Rockies’ minor league organizational pitcher of the month award.
Dollander, who was a key part of the Vols’ run to their second College World Series apparance in 3 seasons back in 2023, was drafted by the Rockies with the ninth overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. His 2024 season has been nothing short of very impressive. He started his season off in high-A ball with the Spokane Indians. In 14 appearances, he compiled a 4-1 record with a 2.83 ERA with 111 strikeouts to 28 walks with a 1.28 WHIP (walks and hits combined per inning pitched) while allowing a .228 batting average.
He was promoted to double-A Hartford in late July, and he’s been even better since making the jump in competition. In seven games, he’s posted a 2-0 record with a 1.43 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP with 48 strikeouts to 14 walks. In August, he’s been almost unhittable with a 0.92 ERA and a .163 batting average. He participated in the MLB futures All-Star game during All-Star week festivities this year.
The expectations were lofty for Dollander coming into the league. That’s simply the nature of the beast when you’re a high first round pick. However, not every first-round pick is able to come in and succeed at such a high level so quickly, regardless of where they were drafted. If Dollander can keep this hot streak going through the rest of the year, then he and Beck could find themselves in the same locker room very soon.
