In their 30-year history, the Colorado Rockies have often taken the approach of being a straight-collared organization. Players are straight-laced and professional and the team doesn’t try to do anything too out of the ordinary. Sure there have been players with some personality, but nothing too extravagant or bizarre. Charlie Blackmon took on a persona of his own with his signature beard and mullet, but it was only a glimpse of the professional mindset that Blackmon brought to the club.

Truly, the signature hasn’t had many big personalities shine through in a positive way to help ignite the team one way or another. An argument could be made for the enthusiastic presence of Gerardo Parra or Carlos Gonzalez but even then they were just happy individuals that didn’t take that flare out onto the field too much. Most Rockies players have shown their personalities behind closed doors for their teammates but when it comes to the game of baseball they were all business.

That’s where Zac Veen seems to differ.

Veen looked to make a statement and let his personality shine through in big league camp. He arrived in camp with hair dyed Rockies purple, but it was soon changed to bleach blond, a conscious decision by Veen to draw attention away from it.

“I love the Rockies and I love to represent the organization,” Veen said. “I’m very proud to be part of it. But I wanted my teammates to know that I’m with them. I just wanted to be one of the guys. Maybe it’ll come back soon.”

Drafted in the first round by the Rockies in 2020 out of high school in Florida, Veen looks to prove he deserves a big league spot in his third big league camp. His time in the minors has been a difficult one as injuries have hindered him over multiple seasons and other struggles. 2024 was not immune as he batted .258/.346/.459 with 11 home runs in 65 games, primarily split between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque. He dealt with injury again part way through the season and struggled partly in his return, but he finished the year in Triple-A and was added to the Rockies 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule-5 Draft.

There is a certain flair to Veen’s game that should excite Rockies fans while likely disgruntling old baseball heads. In the second game of Spring Training against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Veen blasted a two-run home run off Billy Corcoran and unleashed an epic bat flip in the process.

He was quick to apologize, but it was a testament to how Veen plays the game.

“To be real, I blacked out right after I hit the ball so I have no idea what happened to the bat — there was no disrespect by me to anybody there,” Veen said.

The confidence in the sweet and savoring the moment is part of the process for the 23-year-old. Generally reserved and kind of shy, Veen has taken steps to showcase his personality and energy by the way he plays the game. In one of his first Spring Trainings in big league camp Veen was incredibly aggressive at the plate, swinging at the first pitch nearly every single at-bat. When he gets on base, he will run with wreckless abandon, a trait that can be both good and bad.

That aggressiveness on the basepaths is an electric tool for Veen’s brand of baseball. He has stolen at least 20 bases in each minor league season of his career, including 55 in 2022. Thus far in Spring Training, he has swiped three bags in five games without being caught once. Oftentimes he is running on the first pitch if the opportunity presents itself.

Rocking his large Viper sunglasses, Veen is positioning himself into a spot where it could make it a tough decision for the Rockies to not start the season with him on the roster. Center field is locked down thanks to Brenton Doyle and there are uncertainties of whether Nolan Jones can return to form in left, leaving the corner outfield positions unsettled and an opportunity for Veen to make one his own.

Jordan Beck got a taste of the big leagues in 2024 but suffered a hand injury in May and struggled upon his return in August. He is the presumed top candidate for right field with veteran Sam Hilliard as the projected fourth outfielder. In a crowded outfield of prospects, Veen is showing early signs of finally cracking through to the big leagues and showing why he was worthy of being the ninth overall pick.

There are plenty of learning and growing pains to come for Veen. In another game he stopped to admire what he thought to be a home run only for it to hit the top of the wall and turn into a double. There is the reigning in of being too aggressive at times and making sure he isn’t swinging at bad pitches or running into outs on the basepaths. He is the embodiment of pure energy and his presence on the team may be worth allowing those learning moments at the Major League level.

The Rockies have been more adamant that there are more competitions in camp than folks may realize. Veen is going to be given every chance, like many others, to do the most he can to make an impression and earn a spot out of camp. The Rockies in the middle of a rebuild and if they hope to open their window of contention in the very near future, players like Veen will be needed to help lead the way forward.

His power, flair, speed, and electric personality are essential spark plugs for a team that has become far too stagnant and boring in their history. The future is now and Rockies fans are sure to be chomping at the bit to see more epic bat flips from the likes of Veen in 2025.