In a season full of challenges for the Colorado Rockies, there were plenty of little bright spots that peeked through the gray clouds.
One in particular was Rockies starter Tanner Gordon.
The 27-year-old
right-hander was brought to Denver in the Pierce Johnson trade in 2023 alongside reliever Victor Vodnik. Gordon made his MLB debut on July 7, 2024 and pitched okay in eight starts that year, going 0-6 with a 8.65 ERA. Some of that might have been due to the fact that he made the I-25 Drive between Albuquerque and Denver for most of that season.
But he finally was recalled permanently on July 23, 2025, and had some great moments (including wins against the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros).
Ultimately, Gordon finished his 2025 campaign with 15 starts under his belt (75 ⅓ innings) alongside a 6-8 record and a 6.33 ERA. That ERA was second in the rotation behind Kyle Freeland (162 ⅔ IP).
“I think mentally I’ve grown, in a sense,” Gordon said. “Being up here a little bit last year helped me get my feet wet and comfortable in the environment, but I think mentally I’ve grown and that’s the biggest thing that I’ve changed this year from last year.”
Gordon has been working on his confidence on the mound, both getting into the right mindset before a start and staying even-keel regardless of the results on the field.
“Obviously, we’re all physically able to play,” he said, “but what separates the really good players is their headspace. You see a lot of really good players get into a funk, and a lot of times it’s not physical, it’s mental that gets them in that place. So I think practicing good mental habits, whether it’s meditation or self-talk, really helps.”
And, of course, having big wins against big teams helped Gordon’s confidence.
“Having starts like that under your belt helps you go back and pick apart those starts,” he said. “‘What did I do well from here?’ and ‘What did I do badly?’ And then you learn from those, and obviously having those starts helps you build confidence.
“Part of it, too, is talking with your team and talking with your teammates,” he continued. “There are guys here that have been doing this way longer than I have, so picking their brains on how they do things helps, too.”
Gordon said he specifically leaned on Austin Gomber and Kyle Freeland as veteran pitchers, but also made sure to see things from the other side of the plate.
“I’ve even talked to the hitters, too,” he said. “I’ll ask them ‘Hey, if you were facing me today, what would you try to do?’ And they kind of go over my arsenal and tell me how they are attacking. I think that helps, getting both sides of the field.”
He has also been leaning on his fellow rookies, namely Bradley Blalock and Chase Dollander.
“[We] talk a lot about having the mentality of going out there like, ‘Forget you’re a rookie, forget about the team you’re facing, and when you’re out there executing your own pitches and you’re out there committed to the pitch that you’re gonna throw, it makes the pitch that much better,’” he said.
“Our pitching coach [Darryl Scott] always says, ‘The ball knows when you’re not committed.’”
But there have been plenty of excellent moments off the field for the youngster.
“I got hurt in this game,” he chuckled, “but I think [the highlight of my season] was when I went to Chicago [on May 28] and I had, I think, over 120+ family members there because I’m from Champaign, which is two hours south of Chicago.
“I threw well, I think, but the coolest thing was just having that much support at the game,” he continued. “My dad rented two charter buses to drive up there, so it was amazing just to have that support and have my family around there when I was out there. It was really, really cool.”
In that start, Gordon threw 4 ⅔ innings and allowed two runs – one on an RBI double by Seiya Suzuki double in the first, and the other on a Pete Crow-Armstrong homer in the fourth – on six hits with zero walks and one strikeout. He would then go on the IL with an oblique strain until mid-June.
And with every highlight comes lessons. For Gordon, having the right mentality was the biggest lesson of 2025.
“The confidence aspect of it has been so huge for me,” he said. “Being able to go out there and trust that you’ve done enough work leading up to your start to go out there and put up good numbers has been huge, just trusting yourself and trusting your abilities.
“It’s very easy to go out there and say, ‘Well, I’m just a rookie out there and there’s Manny Machado’ and he doesn’t care,” he continued. “It’s very easy to get in that cycle of bad thinking. But I think, for me, just having intent behind every single pitch has been huge because I’ve felt myself doing that – not really committing to the pitch – and then I just flip a switch almost and I’m like, ‘Alright, from here on out, I’m just letting it rip!’ I think that’s helped a ton.”
Heading into the offseason, Gordon was hoping that the Rockies would be able to string some good series together in the final weeks of the season to end on a good note. But personally, he also had some goals.
“Honestly, I just want to stay consistent and stay with what I’m doing,” he said. “I don’t want to try to do too much, I don’t want to do too little, I just want to be consistent throughout these final few weeks and throughout the offseason to carry into next season.”
In a season of challenges, Gordon definitely provided an unexpected bright spot. He likely pitched himself into the 2026 starting rotation, and it’ll be a matter of how the rest of it all shakes out.
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