The Rockies have made no secret this draft that they're stockpiling catchers, and the Jack Natili signing is the latest proof. Colorado took the Cincinnati backstop with the No. 76 overall pick in the third round, and he's already put pen to paper on a deal worth $1,103,500, per Jim Callis.
Jim Callis broke the signing news and laid out why Natili's power and defensive tools stood out.
That number matters because it's exactly the assigned slot value for pick No. 76, meaning Colorado didn't have to overpay or lowball to get their guy signed and off the board. For a college bat with this kind of thump, locking him in at slot is a quiet win for both sides.
Natili's spring at Cincinnati was absurd. He hit .339 with 19 home runs, 15 doubles and 65 RBI over 60 games, and three different times he went deep 3 times in a single game, including one outburst in the NCAA Regionals. Baseball America singled him out as one of the best power bats and best defensive catchers in the entire draft class.
The scouting profile lines up with what Callis flagged: a strong, accurate arm behind the plate and leadership qualities that teams love in a catcher. The swing has some length to it, and evaluators note he can get beat by good fastballs, but the raw power and defensive tools give him a real shot to stick behind the dish long-term.
This isn't a one-off for Colorado, either. The Rockies also popped Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson with the No. 37 overall pick earlier in the draft, so signing Natili gives the org 2 fresh backstops with real offensive upside entering an already crowded catching pipeline. For a franchise that's struggled to develop impact bats in recent years, doubling down on power-hitting catchers is a clear organizational philosophy heading into 2027 and beyond.