Ben Paulsen

Paulsen looked to be written off as a potential big leaguer after supplying mediocre production across his first four seasons in the minors, but he’s put himself back on the radar since reaching the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League in 2013. He’s slashed a cumulative .293/.361/.528 over 999 plate appearances at Triple-A over the past two seasons, parlaying those achievements into his first promotion to the big leagues last July. Paulsen’s successes didn’t stop once he joined the Rockies, as he ended up delivering comparable numbers (.919 OPS in 64 plate appearances) while serving mostly as a fill-in at first base and right field. Paulsen surely benefited from calling Coors Field home, but he still earns credit for performing better than many of the other Triple-A hitters the Rockies brought in last season. While Paulsen’s limited positional flexibility hurts his chances of landing a reserve role for the Rockies in 2015, he could rank among the team’s first callups if Justin Morneau or a corner outfielder succumbs to injury.