The Colorado Rockies have had eight rookies make their MLB debuts so far this year — five pitchers and three position players. One of the debuts was right-handed pitcher TJ Shook, a player the Rockies took in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft in December from the New York Mets.
Shook, 28, was originally signed by the Milwaukee Brewers as an undrafted free agent in 2020 out of the University of South Carolina. He spent four years in the Brewers’ system, making it as high as Double-A, before
he was eventually traded to the Mets in 2024 for left-hander Tyler Jay. He made it as high as Triple-A before being selected by the Rockies.
Getting the news
After his Rule 5 selection, Shook was assigned to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, where he has spent most of 2026. However, he did have a brief stint when he was not on the Isotopes’ roster from June 1-7 because he was called upon to finally make his MLB debut.
The moment was many years in the making, and Shook remembered it vividly.
“It’s kind of overwhelming at first because you have to pack so much and be ready mentally, and try to sleep the night before. I think I got, like, four or five hours of sleep that first night, and thankfully I didn’t pitch on that day,” he laughed.
“And then I got in there the second day, which was awesome. It was crazy. I was called at like 10:10 at night from our manager [Pedro Lopez]. He gave me the news. He basically just said, ‘Hey kid, you’re going to the big leagues. You’ve been dreaming about this.’ And I immediately started shaking and crying a little bit, and then I called my parents. I had to wake them up because they’re on the East Coast, so it was about midnight. I had to wake them up from dead sleep, and then I tried to call some buddies but they were asleep as well.”
After that, Shook got busy.
“I then spent the next few hours packing, and then flew out the next day around 11 or 12 with my girlfriend,” Shook continued. “She was in town visiting for that week, and she ended up just staying a little while so she was there with me, which was nice. I tried to sleep – I think I got about five hours of sleep total – and then got to Angel Stadium and walked in. It was so surreal just to walk in there and see the stadium and get that locker and be around those guys. And they’re playing really well now, so it was awesome.”
Making his MLB debut
Heading into his debut, Shook made sure to keep the same mindset that helped him allow only seven runs in 21 appearance (27.1 IP, 2.96 ERA) in Albuquerque.
“I try not to get too high or too low, just keep an even attitude about everything and just focus on what I can control. But nothing different,” he said.
However, he did feel the gravity of the situation more than he expected heading into his first appearance.
“Obviously, there were more people in the stands and a little more pressure. I was definitely nervous until I got on the mound,” he recalled. “I settled down a little bit, but the nerves were definitely there. I tried to calm myself by doing some breathing in the bullpen and stuff, but it really didn’t do a whole lot.”
Shook didn’t let it affect him, though, as he pitched a clean eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels, only allowing one hit (a double) to Vaughn Grissom. He induced an unassisted double play to Jo Adell, though, with help from his Albuquerque teammate Chad Stevens at second base. The Rockies went on to win the game 8-2.
In his outing the following day, Shook once again pitched a clean eighth inning in what ended up being an 11-4 Rockies loss. That time, he didn’t allow a hit.
Shook ended up making just three appearances for the big league club in his first cup of coffee, but the third was extra special because it was against the Brewers — the team that took a chance on him in the COVID year — at Coors Field.
“It was pretty crazy. It was kind of full circle. Just the timing of this was hilarious to me and crazy to think about. I spent so much time coming up with the Brewers and grinding my way through,” he said.
“I was in Double-A for almost four years with them. They’re a great organization, but it’s almost like they didn’t have a role for me, so they couldn’t really push me anywhere. It was cool to face them. I knew probably 70% of that team and I said, ‘What’s up?’ to a lot of the coaches and the players like Sal Frelick, [Jacob] Misiorowski, [Jackson] Chourio… those are the guys I played with in Biloxi, so it was just cool to see them. They all congratulated me.”
It was also special because even though he gave up two runs (both solo homers) on three hits in 1.2 innings of work, he also recorded his first three MLB strikeouts. The first one in particular was to David Hamilton, with whom Shook has a crazy connection.
“He had the same host family in Appleton, Wisconsin,” Shook recalled. “We weren’t in the same house, but we had the same host family at different times, which was pretty interesting to think about. We never played together, but I think he stayed in that house the year before me. I remember talking to my host dad and he was like ‘Yeah man, David Hamilton stayed with us.’ And then just to think about that now is kind of crazy.”
Shook is still trying to figure out what to do with the first strikeout ball, but he made sure his parents, Todd and Donna, got the first pitch and first strike balls.
“They’ve earned it as much as I have,” he said. “They’ve helped me grind through all the years with travel ball, high school, college and all of that. They’ve been there the whole way, so they deserve it.”
Even though Shook’s initial stint with the Rockies was short, he still immediately made some meaningful connections with some of the players such as Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen. But Keegan Thompson really helped him settle in.
“He helped me with the schedule and everything, making sure I’m not late and making sure I’m where I’m supposed to be,” Shook said. “And just being around those guys, since I’ve already been around them, it was easier for me because I almost felt like I knew people. When you walk into a new room, you hope to know two or three guys that you can rely on, and those guys were there for me. So it was nice.”
And manager Warren Schaeffer made Shook feel immediately welcome, as well.
“I walked in and they were in the middle of a hitters meeting, and I snuck my way around to my locker and just kinda sat there,” Shook recalled. “And he saw that I’d walked in, came up to me, gave me a big hug and said ‘Congrats!’ Then as soon as the meeting was done, he said, ‘Hey guys, I just want to say welcome in, TJ Shook!’ And everybody clapped for me. It was a pretty cool moment.”
Taking lessons back to Triple-A
Shook was optioned back to Albuquerque on June 7th, and took some lessons back with him.
“Obviously the hitters are better and the stakes are higher. It means more up there, and just being able to repeat success up there is a little more difficult because you have to be ready more than here, I would say,” he said. “So just being ready every single day, getting in the mindset every single day. You’re there to work, you’re there to win and applying yourself and making sure your body and your mind are right each day.
“You want to stay relaxed, but you also want to be focused at the same time,” he continued. “So I think that’s a big thing, and then just confidence overall. Once you get there, you kind of don’t feel as special yet because you’re taking to make a name for yourself, and just having that confidence about you – that you’re supposed to be there, you deserve to be there, you’ve earned it.”
Shook has been successful down in Albuquerque since his option, only allowing three runs across 9.2 innings of work. Two of them came in his last outing against the Round Rock Express (TX) on July 1, where he allowed a walk and a two-run homer in just 0.2 innings of work (he also struck out two batters). He was also saddled with the blown save and the loss.
However, Shook still has the same mindset that he took with him to the big leagues and back.
“I literally just try to throw my best stuff in the zone or in the right counts and let the results happen as they may. I know it’s kind of cliché, but it’s all I can control,” he said. “I can’t control where the ball is hit. I can’t control the fielders behind me. I can’t control the weather, wind, elevation, any of that. So I think my biggest mindset is just from the time I start moving until I deliver the ball is all I can control.”
Shook was once again recalled to the Rockies on July 5th to help with their depleted bullpen. He’ll help the Rockies as they head into the All-Star Break, and hopefully he can continue bringing his minor league success to the majors.
On the Farm
Arizona Complex League: ACL Mariners 16, ACL Rockies 9
It was a high-scoring affair in the high altitude (1319 feet) of Scottsdale. The ACL Mariners got out to an early start, scoring one run in each of the first two innings. Then, they put up a five-spot in the third, another single run in the fourth and a big eight-spot in the fifth. However, the ACL Rockies bullpen held them scoreless over the final two innings. The offense did the opposite. They scored two in the second and then went dormant until the sixth, where they scored one. But then they piled on six runs in the ninth, but it wasn’t quite enough to overcome the 16-3 deficit.
Every single Rockies starter had at least one hit except for Eriel Dihigo, who went 0-for-1 before being lifted for Parker Coddou in the third inning. Gabriel Lopez went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Cristian Arguelles, Kamuel Villar and Ben Wilmes each had three hits. Jared Thomas (No. 5 PuRP) also began his rehab assignment, playing DH and going 1-for-3 with two strikeouts.
How all 30 teams can upgrade at Trade Deadline | MLB.com
For the Rockies, Thomas Harding suggests a certain No. 1 PuRP and maybe a No. 9 PuRP should be called up to the bigs…
MLB Trade Deadline buzz: Top targets for contenders and which teams should sell | The Athletic ($)
In a similar vein, Jim Bowden offers his insights on who the Rockies should sell and to which team(s). Spoiler alert: he only identifies one player by name.
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