Minor League Baseball

Colorado Rockies Prospect Zac Veen Celebrates Towering Home Run With Crazy Bat Flip

Zac Veen flung his bat towards the mound after crushing a 433-foot home run in the Colorado Rockies' spring training showdown with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Sam Connon

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder Zac Veen (73) connects against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning at Las Vegas Ballpark.
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder Zac Veen (73) connects against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning at Las Vegas Ballpark. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
In this story:

Zac Veen has certainly had a stylish spring training so far.

The Colorado Rockies outfield prospect showed up to camp with long purple hair. With Cactus League action getting started this weekend, he bleached his locks platinum blonde.

So when the 23-year-old blasted a 433-foot home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, it's no surprise that he unleashed an explosive bat flip.

It was so aggressive, in fact, that Veen seemed to apologize for flinging his bat towards the mound the moment he left the batter's box.

Through two Cactus League contests, Veen is batting .400 with four RBIs, six total bases and a 1.700 OPS.

Veen was the Rockies' first round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. He was a consensus top 50 prospect in baseball entering the 2022 and 2023 seasons before suffering wrist, back and thumb injuries and seeing his production dip over the past two years.

The outfielder hit .258 with an .805 OPS last year, primarily between Double-A and Triple-A. Across his minor league career, Veen has averaged 19 home runs, 32 doubles, five triples, 95 RBIs and 63 stolen bases per 162 games.

Veen ended 2024 as the No. 3 prospect in Colorado's farm system, but he was not included in MLB Pipeline's preseason top 100. He is expected to make his major league debut in 2025, and how he performs throughout the rest of spring training could decide how soon his promotion comes.

The Rockies added Veen to their 40-man roster in November, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft.

Related MiLB Stories

  • SIMPSON SHOWS OFF WHEELS: Before legging out an infield single, Rays prospect Chandler Simpson made an incredible diving catch out in center field. CLICK HERE
  • ALEXANDER JOINS ROCKIES: Veteran reliever Scott Alexander – coming off stints with the Dodgers, Giants and A's – has inked a one-year deal with Colorado. CLICK HERE
  • MOORE VYING FOR 3B JOB: With Anthony Rendon out and Yoán Moncada banged up, the Angels are giving 2024 first round pick Christian Moore a shot at third base. CLICK HERE

Follow MiLB On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Minor League Baseball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.

Published |Modified
Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

Home/NEWS