Colton Gordon #61

Graduated in 2017 from Lakewood Ranch HS, which is in Bradenton, Fla...pitched and hit in high school, going 4-2 with a 1.21 ERA over 10 appearances as a senior...totaled 52 innings and had 77 strikeouts...also hit .267 with two doubles, two triples, a home run and 16 RBI in 25 games...finished his high school career ranking as the No. 51 overall prospect in Florida by Perfect Game and as the No. 6 left-handed pitcher in Florida...went undrafted out of high school...Began his collegiate career at the University of Florida in 2018, but redshirted that year, and did not appear in a game...transferred to Hillsborough Community College for the 2019 season, where he appeared in 15 games (13 starts)...completed his season with a 2.44 ERA and a 7-4 record with 86 strikeouts in 88.2 innings...finished his amateur career at Central Florida (2020-21)...had a strong 2021 campaign, going 5-2 with a 2.77 ERA (17 ER/55.1 IP) and 72 strikeouts in nine starts...had his senior season cut short due to injury, which required Tommy John surgery...Following his 2021 season, selected by the Astros in the eighth round of the June 2021 draft...signed by Astros scout Charlie Gonzalez...Gordon said his inclusion on Team Israel’s roster during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, along with the opportunity to make a start, “went way beyond baseball for myself and my family."...Gordon had made just 15 professional appearances prior to making his lone start in the WBC...Directly following the 2024 season, Gordon drove to St. Petersburg, Fla., to help his father, Steve, clean up damage to his home sustained from Hurricane Helene, which included more than four feet of water inside the house and a 20-foot tree that crashed through the roof...he then drove to his mother’s home in nearby Bradenton to help prepare for incoming Hurricane Milton...following the difficult few weeks, Gordon found solace in his addition to the Astros 40-man roster, coming on Nov. 19, 2024, in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft...Was added to the Astros 40-man roster on Nov. 19, 2024...is signed to a one-year contract for the 2026 season.

2025

Was thrust into the Astros rotation in mid-May and went 6-4-1 with a 5.34 ERA (51 ER/86 IP) and 72 strikeouts through 20 appearances, including 14 starts in his rookie season...Among AL rookies, he ranked first in walks per nine innings (1.99) and first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.79)...also recorded the fewest walks by an AL rookie pitcher in 2025 with 19 (min 80 IP)...Made his Major League debut on May 14 vs. Kansas City...in that outing, he allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 4.1 innings...struck out the first batter he faced in that outing (IF Jonathan India)...Recorded his first Major League win on June 6 at CLE...he allowed one run on seven hits with five strikeouts in five scoreless innings...the Astros defeated the Guardians, 4-2 at Progressive Field...Made 11 starts for Triple A Sugar Land...in those 11 starts, he recorded a 3.38 ERA (21 ER/56 IP) with 56 strikeouts, 16 walks and a 1.34 WHIP.

2024

Spent his entire 2024 season with Triple-A Sugar Land and was named a Pacific Coast League Post-Season All-Star, going 8-2 with a 3.94 ERA (54 ER/123.1 IP), a .238 opponent average (112-for-238), a 1.22 WHIP and 124 strikeouts through 25 games (24 starts)...Earned two PCL Pitcher of the Week honors (Aug. 25, Sept. 8)...Among PCL pitchers, ranked first in opponent batting average, first in WHIP, third in ERA, fifth in strikeouts and ninth in innings pitched...Among all Triple-A pitchers, ranked second in WHIP, third in opponent batting average and fifth in ERA...Got the start in the Triple-A National Championship on Sept. 28 vs. Omaha and took a no-decision (three IP, six H, four R, four ER, 0 BB, three SO) en route to Sugar Land’s 13-6 victory...Struck out a career-high 11 batters on Aug. 24 vs. Albuquerque.

2023

The 2023 season was his first full season as a professional...Combined to go 7-7 with a 4.14 ERA (59ER/128.1IP) in 29 games (24 starts) between Double-A Corpus Christi (20 G/18 GS) and Triple-A Sugar Land (9 G/6 GS)...Prior to the season was on Team Israel’s roster in the World Baseball Classic...Made one start in the WBC, which came against Team Puerto Rico at loanDepot Park in Miami...Allowed four runs in 1.0 innings in the start...Got the first two outs (Francisco Lindor and Kiké Hernández) before running into trouble in the inning.