Dexter Fowler

2013

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2012

Fowler matched his previous career-high OBP (.363) last season, but was a disappointment both in the power and speed categories while getting most of his at-bats in the first two spots in the batting order. It's interesting to note that Fowler hit three of his five homers down the stretch in September when he delivered his best overall month (.901 OPS, 3-for-3 on stolen-base attempts). In fact, his second-half line (.288/.381/.498) was a significant improvement and would likely secure his place atop the Colorado lineup if he's able to sustain it. Provided that the Rockies are committed to playing him every day, he's still a viable threat for that long awaited breakout given his combination of tools, lineup placement and home park.

2011

Fowler struggled for much of the early part of the season before being sent down to Triple-A, a level he skipped on his way to the majors. He rediscovered his stroke there, hitting .340/.435/.566 and was back in the bigs in July. After the All-Star break, he hit .280/.343/.432 with four homers, 26 RBI, 41 runs and five steals. He has speed to burn, which makes his low stolen-base total so confusing. To his credit, he improved his strikeout rate (23.7 percent) and continued to play good defense in center field. Moving forward, expect him to start to living up to some of the expectations set before him as a continues to develop. As for his speed, he's too talented not to start to figure things out on the basepaths as long as he gets the green light.

2010

The Rockies made the decision to have Fowler forgo the Triple-A level, and plug him directly in the major league outfield equation. There was some concern whether he would get enough at-bats to justify skipping the PCL, and whether skipping a level of development would stunt his maturation, but Fowler impressed all around. His biggest flaw is his inability to lay off bad pitches, pumping up his strikeout numbers and capping his average at .266, but he was able to get on base at a .363 clip. Look for a statistical improvement in steals, average and home runs this season, as he fine tunes his swing and approach at the plate. He does occasionally yield the leadoff spot to Carlos Gonzalez, however, Fowler should continue to have plenty of table-setting opportunities.

2009

The question isn't whether Fowler can play, but what's taking so long? He hits for average, draws walks, has decent power and good speed, which plays both on the field and the basepaths. He's already a better player than Willy Taveras, and the Rockies need as much OBP as they can get. Fowler will strike out too much to hit .300 or have a .400 OBP, yet still be an above-average center fielder, a bit like Orlando Hudson's bat mixed with Aaron Rowand's glove.

2008

Fowler is one of the more interesting prospects in the Colorado system. He is 6-4 with very good speed and a good eye at the plate. His power did not progress as much as the team hoped in 2007, however and he struck out a bit too much with 65 strikeouts in 245 at-bats. Fowler missed much of the second half of the season with wrist surgery, but did recover and play in the Arizona Fall League. While he struggled with a .224/.325/.308 showing, he looks healthy and a strong showing at Double-A could put him on track to be a factor in the majors in 2009.

2007

Fowler packs an intriguing package of tools into his 6-4 frame. He has speed and his output in Low-A (.296/.373/.462) is impressive for a 20-year-old with limited baseball experience, particularly the OBP. A below-average arm may eventually limit him to left field, but Fowler is a potential 30-30 guy who may be no more than two years from a big league debut despite the lack of experience.