Kyle Freeland

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Kyle Richard Freeland

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Biographical Information[edit]

Pitcher Kyle Freeland was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 35th round of the 2011 amateur draft but did not sign, opting to attend the University of Evansville instead. He was then taken by the Colorado Rockies and scout Scott Corman in the first round of the 2014 amateur draft with the eighth overall pick. He soon signed for $2.3 million and made his pro debut with the Grand Junction Rockies.

Freeland started off his pro career on a very strong note, going 3-0, 1.15 in 10 starts between Grand Junction and the Asheville Tourists in 2014. In 2015, however, he was limited to 9 9 starts, 2 with Grand Junction and 7 with the Modesto Nuts, and was 3-2 with a 4.05 ERA. He was back healthy at the end of the year and managed to make 6 starts in the Arizona Fall League, going 4-1, 2.84. He had his first full season in 2016, going 11-10, 3.89 between the AA Hartford Yard Goats and AAA Albuquerque Isotopes. He pitched 162 innings in 26 games and struck out 108.

In 2017, he made the Rockies' pitching staff out of spring training and was a winner in his debut on April 7th, which was the Rockies' home opener. He pitched a very good game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6 in 6 innings. He was credited with his team's 2-1 win and also got his first career hit, off Hyun-Jin Ryu. On July 9th, he made a bid to become only the second pitcher in Rockies history to throw a no-hitter when he held the Chicago White Sox hitless through 8 1/3 innings before Melky Cabrera singled to left field. He left the game at that point in favor of Jordan Lyles, as the two combined on a 10-0 one-hit shutout. He went 11-11, 4.10 that first season, making 28 starts in 33 appearances and pitching 156 innings. It was a solid debut, but he took a big step forward in 2018, putting his name among those of the best starting pitchers in the game. In spite of pitching in Coors Field, he managed to keep his ETA under 3.00 and was the leading winner on Colorado's staff. On September 23rd, he pitched 7 scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks to complete a three-game sweep with a 2-0 win. It was his 16th win on the year, and his 10th consecutive unbeaten start. The win eliminated the D-Backs from the playoff picture, as he was pitching his best when it mattered most. On September 28th, in his final start of the year, he defeated the Washington Nationals, 5-2, at home for his 17th win, a victory that clinched the Rockies' return to the postseason. He finished the year at 17-7, 2.85, becoming the first Rockies starting pitcher with a sub-3.00 ERA since Ubaldo Jimenez in 2010. He was the Rockies' starter in the Wild Card Game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and he did very well, with 6 2/3 shutout innings, as the Rockies eventually won the game in extra innings. He would have been the starter in Game 4 of the Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, but the Rockies were swept in three games.

In 2019, Kyle was not able to reproduce the great work he had done in his break-out season. After 12 starts at the end of the May, his record was just 2-6, 7.13. On May 31st, he was sent down to the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes in an attempt to find his groove again.

Notable Achievements[edit]

  • 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (2018)
  • 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (2018)

Further Reading[edit]

  • Manny Randhawa: "Kyle Freeland has seen the light. And has apologized to it", mlb.com, August 30, 2023. [1]

Related Sites[edit]

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