Jul 14, 2026 7 min read

The Colorado Rockies selected two catchers in back-to-back rounds of the MLB amateur draft held June 11-12 held in Philadelphia.

“We think both of them have a chance to have long careers in the big leagues,” said Rockies general manager Paul DePodesta.

That’s very good news for Jack Natili because the Peters Township product was one of those catchers. While Georgia’s Daniel Jackson was picked 37th overall in Round 2, Natili was selected 76th overall in the third round.

While both were still high on the Colorado board after UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was selected by the Chicago White Sox as the No. 1 overall pick, Natili and Jackson boast similar credentials. They are catchers that can crank the baseball out of the park.

“Since we had access to both of them, we wanted to jump on that opportunity,” said DePodesta. “They’re both right-handed hitters and both can really catch but they both have power.”

Since his playing days at Peters Township High School, Natili has been tagging round-trippers.

As a senior, he socked nine home runs, second-most in the state of Pennsylvania in 2023. He also batted .451 with eight doubles, 29 RBIs and 14 runs scored over 22 games. A three-year starter, Natili was ranked No. 16 overall among prospects in the state as well as the No. 1 scholastic catcher by Perfect Game.

Natili matriculated to Rutgers but matured into a Major League prospect once he transferred to the University of Cincinnati. For the Bearcats, he honed his defensive catching skills but developed into an impact power hitter in the middle of the lineup.

In his first season with the Bearcats in 2025, he hit .338 and clubbed nine homers. He drove in 53 runs and drilled 14 doubles. He started 50 games behind the plate and ended the year ranking sixth in the Big 12 in on-base percentage (.451). He garnered All-Big 12, second-team accolades and was named to the all-tournament team.

After an all-star summer in the Cape Cod wood bat league, Natili returned to Cincinnati for his junior season. This spring he hit .339 with a 1.098 OPS. He drilled 15 doubles, tagged three triples and smashed 19 home runs. He finished with 65 RBI and 50 runs scored.

“Jack transformed himself into one of the most well-rounded catchers in the country,” said Bearcats head coach Jordan Bischel. “His leadership qualities on top of his physical abilities will help him impact games at the professional level both offensively and defensively for a long time.”

Natili solidified his spot among prized draftees when he competed in the NCAA Division I playoffs. In the regional opener, a 12-2 win against Louisiana, he cranked out three round-trippers. It was the third three-homer game in a season for the slugger. He tied the single-game school record for home runs for the third time, having hit that number in games earlier this year in games against Utah and Central Florida.

“It was a big year for me in terms of improving a lot of areas on the field, and I took that first step as a junior towards being a leader in the clubhouse and working with some of the younger guys,” Natili said. “That was the biggest difference between this year and last year. I tried to continue to get better defensively as a catcher and at the plate.”

Natili tweaked his marketability when he attended the MLB Draft Combine from June 22-26 held at Chase Field in Phoenix. During that period, he met with personnel from the front offices of many teams.

Additionally, he also participated in pre-draft workouts, including those at PNC Park with the Pittsburgh Pirates and at Great American Ballpark with the Cincinnati Reds.

The work and progression enabled Natili to be in position to realize his life-long dream on July 11 when the Rockies called his name.

“It was an incredible moment for sure,” Natili said. “Lots of work led up to this moment and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a really cool time in my life.”

After officially signing a contract, which could be valued at $1,103,500 based on his position in the draft, Natili will report to the team’s spring training and development hub at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, AZ. He will attend mini-camp, then receive his initial assignment.

Because he is an advanced college bat, the Rockies may choose to bypass the rookie-level Arizona Complex League entirely. Natili is considered a strong candidate to finish the summer assigned to the Fresno Grizzlies (Single-A) or the Spokane Indians (High-A) to get his first taste of full-season minor league.

“It’s a really cool time in my life,” he said.

High school coach weighs in on Natili’s prospects

Jack Natili watched the MLB amateur draft on July 11 at his family’s home in Venetia with about 40 family members and friends. Rocky Plassio, his former coach at Peters Township, was among those invited guests.

“It was awesome to be a part of that experience,” Plassio said. “I am very proud and honored to have played a small role in his journey to this point.”

Plassio was present during Natili’s first triumphs as well as some of his setbacks. For example, in 2020, the Indians, like all scholastic springs sports programs, had their season canceled because of the pandemic.

“Jack was a freshman,” explained Plassio. “I knew from that time he was going to be special.”

As a sophomore, he certainly was. He led the Indians in hitting and was a first-team all-conference selection. He also helped Peters Township to a third-place finish in the WPIAL and a PIAA playoff berth.

According to Plassio, Natili was poised for a “huge” junior season. However an elbow injury forced him to miss nearly the entire 2022 season.

“It was unfortunate,” Plassio said. “We could have really used him.”

During his senior year, Natili dominated the diamonds across Western Pennsylvania, leading the Indians to another playoff appearance. His nine home runs were the second-most in the state of Pennsylvania in 2023. He also batted .451 with eight doubles, 29 RBIs and 14 runs scored. A three-year starter, Natili was ranked No. 16 overall among prospects in the state as well as the No. 1 scholastic catcher by Perfect Game.

“Jack had a ton of success his senior season,” Plassio said.

After a brief stint at Rutgers University, Natili transferred to the University of Cincinnati where he fledged into a major league prospect. This spring as a junior, he hit .339 with a 1.098 OPS, adding 19 home runs, 65 RBI, 15 doubles, and 50 runs scored. and tied the single-game school record for home runs on three separate occasions this season

Plassio never doubted Natili would experience such success to put himself into position to be drafted.

“Jack was a tenacious competitor with an unparalleled work ethic,” Plassio said. “He was always giving maximum effort in anything he did, on or off the field. He was a vocal leader who others followed and admired for how he played and approached the game with such passion.”

Plassio predicted those qualities and more will take Natili far.

“Jack is a very intelligent young man. Obviously he was an outstanding student as well,” he said. “Jack is so well spoken and so mature beyond his years. I have no doubt that he will be super successful in his pro baseball career and in life beyond baseball as well.”

Did you know?

Jack Natili ranks among the all-time top prospects selected in the MLB draft from the University of Cincinnati. The Venetia resident and Peters Township High School graduate was a third-round pick by the Colorado Rockies. Three other Bearcats (Billy Wolff, Dave Sala and Landyn Vidorek) were also taken in the third round.

Mt. Lebanon’s Ian Happ ranks at the top, however. He was the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB amateur draft.

Happ is in his 10th season with the Chicago Cubs. As of July 9, he had a career .245 batting average with 190 home runs and 598 RBI.

Happ, who will turn 32 on Aug. 12, is a four-time Gold Glove winner and a one-time all-star.

The switch-hitting left fielder reached a milestone earlier this season. On June 3, he doubled against the Oakland Athletics at Wrigley Field for his 1,000th career hit.