The Colorado Rockies had high hopes when they signed Gabriel Hughes, the 6’4, 238 lb right-hander out of Gonzaga University in 2022. He was the first starting pitcher selected in the top ten by the organization, since Riley Pint was selected fourth overall in 2016 out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas. The Rockies depend on their pitching selections panning out more than most, as it is extremely difficult to acquire free agent starting pitchers to come pitch at Coors Field. However, in Hughes’ case, both Hughes and the Rockies had to be patient as it took a long road to arrive here.
The Long Road to This Moment
After just 14 games in 2023 between High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford, Hughes underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Keeping him sidelined until the 2024 Arizona Fall League. It was a real roadblock in his development as he had already reached Double-A after just nine combined games at Low-A and High-A. Although Hughes didn’t view the injury that way, as he told MLB.com’s Thomas Harding in an interview in February 2025.
“I didn’t lose a year,” said Hughes. “I took that as a learning experience.” “I’m coming up on the better part of a year and a half, because I spent that time learning a lot more about myself, delving deeper into relationships with friends and family, and learning a lot more about baseball.”
When Hughes was back in Minor-League action in 2025, he performed well in nine games with Double-A Hartford, posting a 3.07 ERA, earning a promotion to Triple-A Albuquerque. In 23 games at Albuquerque in 2025-26, Hughes posted an ERA over five. But that is common for most pitchers who play in the very hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. A look at the numbers beyond the ERA, and it becomes clear Hughes successfully moved past his Tommy John Surgery and earned his long-awaited MLB debut.
Gabriel Hughes Strong Performance at Albuquerque
Hughes was on a roll as he closed out the 2025 season. In four of his last five starts, Hughes went at least five innings while allowing just four earned runs with 15 Ks to seven BBs during that stretch. With the Rockies closing out the season with a patchwork rotation, maybe Hughes had earned himself a September call-up? It did not turn out that way, but Hughes had just finished 2025 healthy for a sustained stretch with Albuquerque and was entering the following spring with plenty of momentum.
While it was a very limited spring, Hughes performed well in his two outings, allowing zero earned runs with three Ks to zero BBs over four innings. Hughes began this season back with Triple-A Albuquerque. He was uneven in six April starts before dealing with a left oblique injury that kept him sidelined for a month. Once he returned to Albuquerque, he was lights out in three June starts. Over 15 2/3 innings pitched, Hughes allowed zero earned runs on just four hits with 16 Ks to five BBs.
The Debut
That was enough to earn Hughes’ long-awaited call-up to the Majors as he was brought up on July 1. Hughes made his debut on July 3, pitching three shutdown innings in mop-up duty at Coors Field as the Rockies had built a 14-3 lead over the San Francisco Giants. Hughes earned his first career save with the three shutout innings and his first career strikeout of Giants’ center fielder and Louisville, Colorado native, Jonah Cox. Now Hughes is set to face the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium as he seeks to help the Rockies win a road series vs the Dodgers for the first time since August 27-29, 2021, when the Rockies took two out of three.
Rockies Need Gabriel Hughes To Perform Well
This sounds redundant; all MLB organizations need their players to perform well, it’s a performance-based business. But it would be especially beneficial for the Rockies if Hughes can excel as a starter. The rotation has been the sore thumb of the Rockies’ roster for several years now. After undergoing massive change this offseason, the rotation is mostly composed of veterans in their mid to late thirties. Hughes, 25, is the second Rockies’ starting pitcher to make his MLB debut this season, joining Sean Sullivan. Sullivan debuted on July 12 vs the Athletics, making five starts for the Rockies.
He mostly struggled and was sent down on July 5 following a rough start on July 4 in which he gave up six earned runs on 12 hits in 5 2/3 IP during a 6-4 loss to the Giants. While Hughes had a longer road to arriving in the Majors, he is still now the third pitcher since 2016 drafted by the Rockies in the top ten to make his MLB debut with the club.
Joining Pint and Chase Dollander. Pint dealt with injuries and control issues and stepped away from baseball multiple times in his career. He eventually debuted in 2023 but only played in five combined games for the Rockies in 2023-24, finishing with a career ERA of 22.09.
Dollander, on the other hand, looked every bit the top-ten prospect the Rockies selected out of the University of Tennessee in 2023 this season before suffering a right elbow strain on May 15 that eventually landed him on the 60-day IL. Luckily, Dollander avoided Tommy-John surgery but did, however, undergo an internal brace procedure just over two weeks ago. There’s still plenty of upside concerning Dollander’s future in Colorado. In an ideal world, Hughes can live up to his draft stock, joining Dollander as part of the foundation of the Rockies’ rotation going forward.
Main Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
