With the 2011 minor league season complete we check in on the progress of each of the Colorado Rockies preseason Top 15 prospects as ranked by our prospect ranker J.P. Schwartz. The post season grading report was done by the publisher of Top Prospect Alert, not Mr. Schwartz, and reflects only the 2011 season and not future upside or downside of the individual prospect. Our 2012 preseason rankings will be published in the coming months.

#1 Tyler Matzek GRADE: C-
Matzek went a combined 5-7 with a 6.22ERA between the Low-A Asheville Tourists and the High-A Modesto Nuts. We walked 96 and struck out 111 in 97 innings of work. Opposing hitters batted .225 off Matzek on the year. He improved greatly following nearly a month off to work with his youth pitching coach. He allowed just one earned run and struck out 15 over his final two starts of the season.

#2 Wilin Rosario GRADE: B-
Rosario batted .249 with 15 Doubles, 3 Triples, 21 Home Runs and 48 RBI’s for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. Through September 17th, Rosario was batting .212 with 2 Doubles, 1 Triple, 2 Home Runs and 4 RBI’s in 33 big league at-bats with the Rockies.

#3 Nolan Arenado GRADE: A+
Arenado batted .289 with 32 Doubles, 3 Triples, 20 Home Runs and a minor league baseball leading 122 RBI’s at High-A Modesto. He walked 47 times and struck out just 53 times in 134 games.

#4 Chad Bettis GRADE: A
Bettis went 12-5 with a 3.34ERA at High-A Modesto. He walked 45 and struck out 184 in 169.2 innings of work. Opposing batters hit just .225 off Bettis in the very hitter friendly California League.

#5 Christian Friedrich GRADE: C-
Friedrich went 6-10 with a 5.00ERA in 25 starts at Double-A Tulsa. He walked 43 and struck out 103 in 133.1 innings. Opposing batters hit .286 off Friedrich on the year. He went 0-5 with a 6.71ERA in his last 10 starts of the season.

#6 Kyle Parker GRADE: B+ Parker batted .285 with 23 Doubles, 1 Triple, 21 Home Runs and 95 RBI’s for Low-A Asheville. He walked 48 times and struck out 133 times in 117 games.

#7 Rex Brothers GRADE: A
Through September 17th, Brothers was 1-2 with a 3.11ERA and 1 save in 37.2 big league innings with the Rockies. He has walked 19 and struck out 53. Major league hitters are batting just .220 against Brothers this season. For the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Brothers went 3-2 with a 2.89ERA with 15 walks and 45 strikeouts in 28 innings of work.

#8 Peter Tago GRADE: D+
Tago was 3-5 with a 7.07ERA for Low-A Asheville. He walked 72 and struck out 58 in 90.1 innings of work. Opposing hitters batted .267 against Tago.

#9 Albert Campos GRADE: C
Campos went 6-4 with a 5.19ERA for Low-A Asheville. He walked 19 and struck out 64 batters in 86.2 innings of work. Opposing batters hit .316 against Campos on the season.

#10 Corey Dickerson GRADE: B
Dickerson batted .282, with 27 Doubles, 5 Triples, 32 Home Runs and 87 RBI’s for Low-A Ashville. The home road splits for Dickerson prevent him from getting a higher grade. At the hitter friendly home stadium in Ashville, he batted .354 with a .844 slugging percentage. On the road Dickerson batted just .193 with a .363 slugging percentage. 26 of Dickerson’s 32 Home Runs were hit at home.

#11 Charlie Blackmon GRADE: B
Blackmon batted .337 with 19 Doubles, 4 Triples, 10 Home Runs, 49 RBI’s and 12 Stolen Bases in 58 games with Triple-A Colorado Springs. The hot start earned him a promotion to the Rockies where he batted .255 with 1 Double, 1 Home Run and 8 RBI’s in 27 big league games before fracturing his foot in July.

#12 Tim Wheeler GRADE: A+
Wheeler batted .287 with 28 Doubles, 6 Triples, 33 Home Runs, and 86 RBI’s at Double-A Tulsa. He also stole 21 bases on the season. Wheeler walked 59 times and struck out 142 times in 138 games.

#13 Hector Gomez GRADE: C+
Gomez batted .235 with 23 Doubles, 6 Triples, 14 Home Runs and 50RBI’s for Double-A Tulsa. He also stole 16 bases. He walked 19 times and struck out 94 times in 102 games. Through September 17th, Gomez had two hits in six big league at-bats for the Rockies.

#14 Juan Nicasio GRADE: B
Nicasio went 4-4 with a 4.14ERA in 13 starts for the Rockies before suffering a potentially career ending broke neck after being hit in the head with a line drive on August 5th. Prior to his promotion to the big leagues, Nicasio was 5-1 with a 2.22ERA at Double-A Tulsa. Nicasio’s grade reflects his accomplishment prior to the broken neck.

#15 Josh Slaats GRADE: C+
Slaats went 7-3 with a 4.18ERA for Low-A Asheville. He walked 51 and struck out 103 in 125 innings of work. Opposing hitters batted .274 off Slaats on the season.