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Tanner Gordon was not on a lot of bingo cards to be the Rockies’ best starting pitcher at the end of the 2025 season. But here he is, working with poise, efficiency, confidence and a killer changeup.
Not to mention a bit of bravado.
“The No. 1 thing I’ve been impressed with is his ability to pitch inside and not be scared to do it,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said Tuesday before the Rockies hosted the Marlins at Coors Field. “His stuff plays off of that.”
The 27-year-old Gordon, slated to pitch Thursday against Miami, doesn’t have impressive raw numbers — 6-6, 6.14 ERA, 1.50 WHIP over 13 starts — but he’s on a nice run. And it doesn’t appear to be a fluke.
“I love the way he competes,” veteran Rockies right-hander German Marquez said. “Lately, you have seen that. He’s shown that with his results. He can be a very good pitcher.”
Last Friday, in Colorado’s 4-2 win over the Padres in San Diego, Gordon pitched six-plus innings, allowing one run on just two hits and one walk. He tied a career high with nine strikeouts. In Gordon’s last six starts, he’s 4-1 (the Rockies 5-1) with a 3.86 ERA, 33 strikeouts and eight walks.
“It comes down to my mindset and getting more comfortable with myself,” Gordon said Tuesday. “It’s easy to try and go big picture and say, ‘My goal is to go seven innings tonight.’ But really, I’m learning to focus on one pitch at a time. I’m shrinking things down, trying to stay focused on small tasks. I think that has really helped.”
So has his changeup, a pitch he throws 20.1% of the time, according to Baseball Savant. Gordon sets the pitch up with his 92.2 mph four-seam fastball (53% usage) and an 84.3 mph slider (26.2%). Gordon is not a flamethrower, but the fact that his 80.4 mph changeup crosses the plate almost 12 mph slower than his fastball makes it a terrific weapon.
“I would love to be able to throw a changeup like Tanner’s,” veteran lefty Kyle Freeland said.
Earlier in the season, Gordon’s changeup was not nearly as effective, and his fastball command was sporadic. A prime example: An Aug. 4 game against the Blue Jays at Coors when he was pounded for seven runs on 11 hits in just 2 2/3 innings. The Rockies lost 15-1, prompting Gordon to say, “You just have to be better and give your team a chance to win. I’m sure that the bullpen doesn’t like me right now.”
But Gordon has pitched at least six innings in four of his last five starts, and command of his changeup is a big reason why he’s been effective.
It’s often a tough pitch to master, but it’s been part of Gordon’s repertoire for a long time, and he made a name for himself using it at the University of Illinois.
“I’ve thrown it for as long as I can remember,” he said. “All through college and way back to high school. I play catch with it a lot. I even play long-toss with it. I feel comfortable with the feel of it.
“It’s not going to be great every single outing, and I still play around with it, tweak the grip a little bit.”
Gordon believes his changeup is a pitch that can play anywhere, from sea-level San Diego to mile-high Denver.
“Oh, 100%,” he said. “Any time you can change speeds at Coors, it helps — a ton.”
Drafted by the Braves in the sixth round in 2019, Gordon was part of one of Colorado’s best trades in recent years. He was acquired, along with closer Victor Vodnik, in a July 2023 trade with the Braves for reliever Pierce Johnson.
“Tanner is showing his ability to put the ball where he wants to on a very consistent basis,” Schaeffer said. “He’s working both sides of the plate, moving the ball up and now. He’s burying guys when he needs to bury them. All of the things you want out of a pitcher, he’s exuding right now.”
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Originally Published:
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Patrick Saunders
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