The Colorado Rockies' system may be best known, these days, for infield depth that stands among the best in baseball when it comes to quantity and quality.

But that talent up the middle isn't just limited to shortstop and second base. The team has one of the most exciting center-field prospects on the verge of the bigs in Dexter Fowler, as well as two up-and-coming catchers on the list of 10 prospects to watch.

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And those guys on the mound aren't too shabby either.

The Rockies have been adding to that depth by taking polished college pitchers with their first picks in each of the last three drafts, with 2006 first-rounder Greg Reynolds from Stanford already established in the big leagues.

The current Rockies lineup and pitching staff already shows many fruits of the farm system with homegrown names such as Atkins, Tulowitzki, Iannetta and Hawpe, as well as Jimenez, Morales and Francis.

On the field in 2008, the Rockies went just 386-394 for a .495 winning percentage, putting them just below the middle of the pack at 19th, but both full-season Class A teams in Modesto (70-69) and Asheville (83-56) made it to the playoffs.

Dexter Fowler, OF:
The 2004 14th-rounder showed off all his tools and hit .335 with nine homers, 64 RBIs and 20 steals at Double-A Tulsa, while also playing for the Olympic team and making a brief big league debut. If he doesn't break with the Rockies as their center fielder, it likely won't be long before he's back there for good.

Joe Koshansky, 1B:
The power-hitting first baseman should be coming soon to a big league ballpark near you. Whether it's Coors Field is another question. The 26-year-old slugger is behind veteran Todd Helton, and a cast of others on the depth chart, despite leading the Minors with 121 RBIs at Triple-A Colorado Springs in '08. He posted his third 30-homer, 100-plus-RBI season (four on RBIs side if you count big league numbers as part of a campaign) and hit for the cycle twice.

Juan Morillo, RHP:
The Rockies have been waiting for the flame-throwing reliever to harness his amazing stuff. With triple-digit heat and no options remaining, they may keep him up in their bullpen anyway.

Darin Holcomb, 3B:
The South Atlantic League MVP hit .318 with 14 homers and 102 RBIs at Asheville in his first full season. The 2007 12th-rounder out of Gonzaga added 46 doubles, which ranked second in the Minors.

Shane Lindsay, RHP:
The 24-year-old Aussie's ascent has been slowed by injuries since posting a 1.89 ERA in 13 starts at Tri-City in 2005 -- he fanned 107 in 66 2/3 innings. He missed much of '06 and all of '07 with shoulder trouble and had a 3.99 ERA in 10 starts at Modesto before a broken hand sidelined him in '08.

Matt Miller, OF:
Was 2008 a breakthrough season for the 26-year-old Miller? His .341 average led the organization as he combined for 107 RBIs, mostly at Tulsa. His 181 hits were second in the Minors, while his 98 runs tied for eighth.

Chris Nelson, SS/2B:
The club's first-round pick in 2004 out of high school in Georgia had a breakthrough campaign in '07 when he hit .289 with 19 homers, 99 RBIs and 27 steals. His '08 campaign was interrupted by a broken hamate bone at Tulsa. He showed he was healthy with a .321 average, six homers and 17 RBIs in Arizona this fall.

Top Picks

2008: Christian Friedrich, LHP
The 21-year-old, who was the 25th overall pick out of Eastern Kentucky, was the only member of the Rockies' "Class of '08" to make it to a full-season team. After posting a 3.25 ERA in eight starts at Tri-City, where he fanned 50 in 36 innings, he moved up briefly to Asheville and posted a 7.50 ERA in 12 innings there. His best pitches are his 12-6 curveball and slider.

2007: Casey Weathers, RHP:
The Rockies and their fans will have to wait another year for the arrival of the eighth overall pick out of Vanderbilt. He underwent Tommy John surgery last fall and will miss all of 2009. He posted a 3.05 ERA in relief at Tulsa in '08 before joining Team USA for the Olympics. When healthy, he has a fastball in the mid-90s and a power slider.

2006: Greg Reynolds, RHP:
The second overall pick in 2006 out of Stanford, Reynolds lost all of '07 to rotator cuff surgery, but came back in '08 to pitch much of the season in Colorado. He fanned 22 in 62 innings, posted an 8.13 ERA in 13 starts and looks to rebound in '09.

2008 Draft Recap

OF Charles Blackmon (2) is a first-round talent in a second-round slot. A converted pitcher from Georgia Tech, he hit .338 at Tri-City and was second in the Northwest League in batting in his pro debut as he continued to make the shift to offense. ... C Kiel Roling (6), an Arizona State product, hit .344 with four homers and 17 RBIs at Casper to impress in his Pioneer League debut. ... RHP Adam Jorgenson (26), drafted out of Cal State-Fullerton, posted a 1.24 ERA in 23 games out of the Casper bullpen, fanning 43 while walking just four in 29 innings of work. ... RHP Carlos Luna (30), an Oral Roberts alum, posted a 1.98 ERA in 36 1/3 innings at Tri City. ... OF Delta Cleary (37) may turn out to be one of the late-round steals of the Draft, taken out of Louisiana State-Eunice. A great athlete, he hit .276 with three home runs, nine RBIs and four steals in his brief Casper debut.

Hitter of the Year -- 2B/OF Eric Young Jr.:
Young has done nothing but produce with high average and a ton of steals when healthy, and with those two nasty hamate bones out of the way, look for him to rake and run at Colorado Springs.

Pitcher of the Year -- RHP Jhoulys Chacin:
It's always a little risky to pick a repeat winner, but Chacin pitched so effortlessly in his move from the bandbox at Asheville to the hitter-happy climes of the California League. He ranked among the Minor League leaders in nearly every key category, so it's hard to pick anyone else in his place.

The Rockies' Minor League bullpen depth suffered a blow when RHP Casey Weathers, their top pick in 2007 out of Vanderbilt, injured his arm in the Arizona Fall League and underwent Tommy John surgery which will keep him out for all of '09. He had posted a 3.05 ERA at Double-A Tulsa and pitched in the Olympics. ... Two pitchers who missed all of '08, however, look to be on the comeback trail. RHP Samuel Deduno, after being out with shoulder trouble, is still very much in the Rockies' plans and was added to the 40-man roster during the winter. The 25-year-old Deduno, who had a 5.44 ERA at Tulsa in '07, has what farm director Marc Gustafson termed "an electric arm" and is one of the best "makeup" guys in the organization. In addition, RHP Aaron Weatherford, a third-rounder in '08 out of Mississippi State, also missed the year with shoulder trouble, but is back healthy and ready to make his pro debut. ... OF Seth Smith, who has landed on several prospect lists, does not qualify for the MLB.com Top 10 because he is not a rookie due to service time, despite having had fewer than the maximum 130 at-bats.

"You can never have too much depth, so that's a good problem to have. What we try to do is put everyone in a spot where they can have the most playing time. It can get difficult but it works itself out."

--Marc Gustafson, Colorado Rockies director of player development on the club's infield depth