Tanner Gordon struggled in his debut season with the Colorado Rockies, posting an 8.65 ERA in 34 1/3 innings pitched. But with the Rockies rotation in a constant state of flux, Gordon, a right-handed pitcher, saw his opportunity this season and took it.
Tanner Gordon Emerging as a Top Option in Rockies Rotation
The Rockies rotation was historically bad this season, ranking dead last in numerous categories. With Austin Gomber and Chase Dollander both dealing with injuries, Gordon got his first opportunity in May. He impressed in a home start against the New York Yankees on May 23, allowing just two earned runs in six innings with five strikeouts to two walks.
But following his next start against the Chicago Cubs, Gordon suffered a left oblique strain. He did not return until July 23 against the St. Louis Cardinals. He performed well against St. Louis in a start at Coors Field. He shut out the Cardinals, limiting them to just four hits in six innings. However, his next three starts put his entire season into question.
In 10 1/3 combined innings against the Cleveland Guardians, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays, Gordon allowed 10 earned runs on 31 hits. Those performances were more on par with the rest of the Rockies’ rotation. But that stretch is arguably the most important to look at when talking about Gordon as a viable option for the Rockies’ rotation.
Gordon Proved He’s Resilient
No matter how good a pitcher you are, you’re going to have stretches where you give up runs when pitching for the Rockies. You can’t be worried about stats. But instead concerned about keeping your team in the game, especially as no lead is insurmountable at Coors Field. Veteran starter Kyle Freeland has mastered this in his Rockies career.
He may give up four runs in the first inning. But he doesn’t let that ruin his start, managing to pitch five innings and keep his team in the ball game. Gordon’s three starts during this stretch did snowball, but he bounced back in a big way. He won his final four starts in August and was the winning pitcher in three of them.
On top of that, three of the four starts were at home. He posted 23 innings over the four starts, allowing just seven earned runs with 19 Ks to six walks. He earned wins against the Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Houston Astros, and the Cubs.
Carrying Momentum into Next Season
Gordon saw mixed results in September, with two solid starts bookended by a couple of rough ones. But he still finished leading the Rockies with six wins. He did that at 28 years old, in just his second professional season. In an interview with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta said the club will look at varying options to improve the club’s porous starting rotation.
But one of those options he mentioned was players currently on the 40-man roster. Gordon’s body of work this season puts him in as good a position as anyone when it comes to claiming one of those spots next season.
Tanner Gordon is turning into 2024’s Ryan Feltner. Struggled in the first half but finished incredibly strong.
Time to get hyped for TG in 2026! https://t.co/nj6whI16qk
— Christian Saez
(@DNVRSaez) August 27, 2025
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Gordon Can Pitch at Coors
Year-to-year performances by pitchers are hard to gauge at altitude and can be very volatile. But in Gordon’s two seasons with the Rockies, he has been solid when it comes to pitching at Coors. His 5.29 home ERA this season led the Rockies rotation.
Not a pretty ERA at first sight, but the Rockies won five of Gordon’s nine home starts. Four of those five starts were quality starts. Gordon finished with seven quality starts on the season, good for second on the Rockies despite Gordon finishing fourth on Colorado with just 15 games started. It’s a great example of just how bad this Rockies’ rotation was.
Gordon consistently gave the Rockies an opportunity to win when he took the mound at home. His home ERA was also inflated by his forgettable start against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 4, when he allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits over 2 2/3 IP in a 15-1 Rockies loss.
It is the road where Gordon has struggled. But that’s better than the inverse. A pitcher who can pitch well at Coors is a rare luxury for the Rockies. Gordon has shown he can do just that for two straight seasons. If he can improve on the road, he could again be a top option in the Rockies’ rotation.
Main Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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